Chapter 14
The Amber Alert* was implemented
as soon as the police and Crimes Against Persons supervisors were sure Madison
met the criteria: (1)she was under the age of fifteen years old and (2) the
police believe that the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death.
The police faxed two radio
stations including the local Emergency Alert System radio station. That
station, in turn alerted other radio stations and television stations. Stations
interrupted their broadcasts every fifteen minutes for the first two hours
after the alert was issued. In all, there were forty-two police agencies in
North Texas and thirty-two radio stations plus local and now national
television coverage…everyone broadcasting Madison's description.
However, secretly the police and
FBI held out little hope that the Amber Alert would help. Too many hours had
passed before anyone even realized that little Madison had been abducted.
Still, they couldn't leave one stone unturned. Statistics showed that
ninety-eight percent of people in automobiles listen to the radio. Now, every
radio station was broadcasting the alert for Madison. Hopefully, leads would
start coming in soon…
* * *
Lupe Rodriguez had worked for
Jeanie for years. She often felt like her surrogate mother. When Madison was
born it was as if Lupe had her first grandchild.
It was a little after two in the
morning when she woke up. She'd apparently fallen asleep watching the award
show. The television and all the lights were still on. After she made sure
everything was locked up and the lights turned off, she went to check on
Madison one last time before going to bed.
Madison was gone…
Lupe was alarmed, but still did
not immediately make the connection. Possibly Madi was sleeping with Jessie.
She went to Jessie's room, but her bed was still made. That's when she
remembered that Jessie was at Rachel's.
Puzzled, Lupe stood in the hall
for a moment. She felt out of it and groggy…she tried to think logically. There
had to be a logical explanation. She quickly made her way up to Jeanie and
Kevin's room…perhaps Mr. Richardson came home unexpectedly and Madi was with
him. All she found was another empty bed.
Panic began to shoot through her…
She ran back down to Tiffany's
room, frantically screaming Madison's name…Lupe banged wildly on Tiffany's
door. There was no answer…it was also locked. She raced to the kitchen…spare
keys…spare keys…
Lupe was ransacking drawers when
she remembered that the keys were in the desk in Jeanie and Kevin's room.
Finally, she retrieved them. Hands shaking uncontrollably, she tried key after
key until she finally unlocked Tiffany's door.
Tiffany was gone… her clothes were
gone. On her bed was a note:
I'm sorry ~
I had to take Madi. Make the police leave me alone okay? I don't want to hurt
her. I won't hurt her unless I have to. Just let me alone…
If anything happens to Madi, it will be your fault, not mine.
* * *
It had been a long night. It was
pushing four o'clock in the morning when Kevin finally stripped off and slipped
into bed. Draping his arm over his eyes, he tried to relax and come down enough
to go to sleep. Jeanie called from backstage and said that they'd be going to
the after-show award party. Half way through her call, her cell phone battery
began cutting out on her. She said a quick, "I love you," and hung
up. Kevin wished he'd gone with her. He knew he had no one to blame, but
himself…
He had no idea how long he'd been
asleep when his phone started ringing. It was Lupe…then the police…then the
FBI. It was Brian and A.J. It was his brother…
"Somebody call Nick…"
"Somebody call my mother…" "A flight" "The Firm… a
private plane…" "Jive…" "where's my wife? Fuck it… somebody
find Jeanie…"
Reporters…cameras…people he didn't
even know…sunglasses…body guards…
"I've got to get home…"
"Where the hell is Jeanie?"
"Where's my daughter…"
* * *
Hunter had a plan. He and Jeanie
made their mandatory appearance at the after-award party. Two drinks, two
pictures…a lot of hand-shaking and gratuitous smiling. At about eleven-thirty
he pulled Jeanie to one side. "We're gonna be late."
She looked up at him. "Late?
For what?"
"You'll see…it's a
surprise…come on…"
* * *
"Hunter! You're insane!"
she giggled as the limo rolled to a stop at the heliport.
"Yup, let's go pretty
woman…" He helped her from the limo and up into the helicopter. "You
ever see Vegas from up here at night? You're in for a treat…"
The city lights tour was
breathtaking. Jeanie couldn't help but feel a little melancholy. She
appreciated Hunter doing this, but this was something she wished she could have
shared with Kevin…not a total stranger. To her surprise, instead of returning
to the heliport, the `copter sat down on the heli-pad atop one of the classiest
and most expensive hotels in Vegas.
"What's going on?"
"You'll see…"
"You keep saying that! You're
starting to scare me…" Jeanie tried to keep smiling.
Once inside, they walked hand in
hand. Jeanie was still puzzled…perhaps they were taking in late show in the
cabaret or showroom. Instead, Hunter stopped outside one of the suites. Her
heart began to race.
As if he read her mind, he softly
reassured her, "It's okay. It's not what you think."
She forced a tiny smile as he
opened the door. It was gorgeous. The windows and terrace offered a stunning
panoramic view of the city and ocean of neon lights. On the terrace, a table
for two had been set up. There were candles, champagne and soft music.
Uniformed waiters stood like sentries at their assigned posts.
It may not have been what she
thought, but it sure seemed like a romantic dinner for two. They could've eaten
dinner anywhere…they didn't need a hotel room for dinner. Hotel rooms had
beds…She wasn't comfortable at all with what was happening. In an effort to get
a grip, she tried reminding herself, "It's just dinner…it's not like we're
alone.
"Whose room is this, Hunter?
I-I thought you were staying in the same hotel I'm staying in."
"This is Plan B. The
"hey, we won song-of-the-year-award plan. You know, IF we won. Hey, Tex,
we WON! Hey, lady…we won!"
"Yeah, we did," she
smiled.
They spent the next two hours
enjoying a late-night supper and quiet conversation on the terrace. They
learned about each other's personal lives. Jeanie decided that Hunter Maguire
was not only a "man's man," but he was a gentleman. Whatever fear or
reservations she had, soon fell away. Hunter decided that Jeanie Kirkpatrick
was a woman in love…with her husband. No doubt about it…she worshipped Kevin
Richardson.
She finally begged off and they
returned to their hotel around four a.m., still early for Vegas. However, they
both thought it was unusual that there were so many reporters and paparazzi
waiting as the limo pulled to a stop outside their hotel. After all, it was
only one, silly CMA award. There were a lot of winners that night.
Hunter, his arm firmly around her
slender shoulders, tried to navigate through the throngs of people mobbing
them. "What the hell is going on?" he grumbled.
That's when they began to actually
take notice of what it was reporters were shouting. "Why aren't you in Dallas?"
"Is there anything you can tell us about your daughter's
disappearance?" "Do you think her abduction has anything to do with
the fact that your husband is one of The Backstreet Boys?"
Jeanie felt faint from the crush
of people. Madison? Abduction?
Suddenly, they were surrounded by
uniformed Las Vegas Police and hotel security.
"Mrs. Richardson? We need to
talk…"
* * * * *
*The Amber Plan was formulated
after the 1996 disappearance of 9-year old Amber Hagerman of Arlington, Texas.
She and her younger brother were playing on their bicycles behind a vacant
grocery store when she was abducted. Only nine short minutes passed before her
family placed the first 911 call. Four days after her abduction, Amber's body
was found a few miles from where she'd been taken. There have been over 7,000
leads investigated by the police. To date, Amber's killer has not been found.