Chapter 17
It was once said that Kevin
Richardson was a man of determination. He was handsome and smart and would stop
at nothing to succeed. It was also said that Jeanie was a woman of
determination. A woman who had lost sight of what was important to her, but
somehow managed to find herself again. When that happened, there was no
stopping her.
Even though they’d found each
other, they seemed to always travel on parallel roads, sometimes crossing each
other’s path and occasionally walking in step with each other, but never really
traveling together. That was, until that night. Something changed in both of
them. They were two people who, for the first time, shared one heart and soul
and a love that would span eternity.
Kevin was still a man of
determination. However, now he was a man fiercely determined to reunite his
family and, if it took him the rest of his life, make Jeanie realize just how
truly important she was to him and how much he truly did love her. That day,
Kevin Backstreet became just a good friend who would always be there when Kevin
needed him. It was also the day that he finally let Jeanie and Madi assume
their rightful place in his heart.
Jeanie remained a woman of
determination. However, she’d come to the realization that awards and kudos in
all actuality meant nothing. Would they change the world? No. Would they matter
years from now? No. Conviction of the heart is what changes the world…not
Grammys. She was Kevin’s wife and Madi’s mommy; she was Jessie’s crazy Aunt
Jeanie and Lindsay and Megan’s best friend. She possessed a heart full of love
and now possessed the conviction and determination to fight like hell to
protect the true rewards life had bestowed upon her…her family.
Whatever transpired between the
two that night became abundantly evident to everyone. There was a silent bond
and almost extrasensory perception. It was shocking, but at the same time
heartwarming to see two people so in tune with each other’s heart and soul that
they could instinctively read each other’s mind.
As the second day without Madi
rolled into the third and the stress would become too much for Jeanie to bear,
no matter where he was in the house or what he was doing, Kevin seemed to know,
“she needs me…” and he would appear at her side.
When Jeanie woke up in the middle
of the night and he was gone, she always knew where to find him and comforted
him as he wept for his baby daughter.
And so it went, day in and day out
for almost five days.
The police and FBI were more than
concerned. No leads…no calls. Had this been a ransom kidnapping, there would
have been a call by now.
On the fourth day, a rainy day,
the body of a small child was found floating along the banks of the Trinity
River. Jeanie had to be sedated.
They waited…and prayed. Finally,
the autopsy came back. It was determined that the child was not Madison
Richardson. As thankful as they were, they wept for the family of the slain
little girl. Kevin called her family and offered condolences and help. It’s all
he knew to do…
* * *
“So, you movin’ here?” The clerk
asked Tiffany. The young girl had been coming into the convenience store for
almost a week. She was always in a hurry and on foot. At first, he didn’t pay
much attention. Then he began to take note because she seemed to be buying
“food” or at least trying to. Not the usual soda pop or candy bar, typical
convenience store items. Plus, she was walking. His curiosity got the better of
him and he watched her as she left. She walked down the road a little, then ran
toward the tiny motel across the highway.
“No. Maybe. I dunno…” she murmured
wearing sunglasses, her hair tucked inside a baseball cap. She needed to hurry.
Madi was alone in the motel room. She’d been asleep, but Tiff knew all too well
how fast Madi could move when motivated. “Thanks,” she grabbed her change and
jogged out.
He waited a few minutes then
reached for the telephone. “J.B.? Hey, this is Stanley ‘cross the road…you got
some kid stayin’ there? How long? J.B., you’re gonna think I’m nuttier than a
fruitcake, but I swear that’s the kid the cops are lookin’ for. She got a
little girl with her?” He listened intently and scribbled a few notes on the
back of a brown paper sack.
He continued, “You know, I did
time down in Huntsville ‘bout ten years back. I may be one mean son-of-a-bitch,
but I can’t take seein’ no baby get hurt. It probably aint the same girl, but I
think I’m callin’ in… you know, like an anonymous tip. I don’t need no trouble
with the law…but I sure as hell don’t want no dead baby on my conscious
either.”
* * *
“Sit down,” Special Agent Winters
instructed Kevin and Jeanie. Everyone seemed to close in. Kevin wrapped his arm
around Jeanie’s shoulders. He was struck how he could feel the bones in her
arms…”You need to eat,” he thought. She looked over and nodded.
“We may have a break…” He didn’t
want to get their hopes up. He explained the “tip” that came in and said that
the local sheriff was investigating. In the meantime, agents had been
dispatched from Lubbock.
“But you just said, this
girl…she’s alone…w-where’s Madi?” Kevin croaked.
“We don’t know. Now…” he held up
one hand. “Don’t jump to conclusions. First, we need to see if we can identify
the girl. Then…we’ll find your daughter.”
He paused to read a fax handed to
him by another agent. “Okay…um,” he looked at the room full of anxious faces.
He looked at Kevin and Jeanie…no matter how many times he’d gone through this
with families of missing children, it was never easy talking face-to-face with
parents who were grieving over a child.
“It’s her. They’ve got the motel
surrounded. Jeanie, Kevin…let’s go.”
Stunned, Kevin helped Jeanie up.
The room was chaotic, everyone yelling and laughing and running around. “Is
Madi okay?” Jeanie whispered as Lindsay wrapped a jacket around her shoulders.
Agent Winters stopped and turned
to face her. “Madi was okay two hours ago…as far as we know she’s still
ali…um…okay.”
Jeanie and Kevin followed the
agents to the van, the motor was running...they needed to go NOW. They were
crawling in toward the back seat, when they noticed Nick arguing with one of
the officers.
Kevin crawled back out. “What’s
going on?”
Nick, his chin quivering, replied,
“I need to go with you guys…please?”
The agent interrupted, “Immediate
family only. We don’t need somebody in the way…”
Kevin wrapped his arm around Nick
and pushed him toward the van. “He is my family…”