And Then There Was One (39 page)

Streeter approached, gun at the ready, but the woman was unarmed. Clearly distraught, she stumbled toward him. Streeter yelled at the others to take the boat and search for a child in the turbulent waters. To the helicopter he radioed, “Search the water; prepare for rescue.”

To Streeter’s surprise the woman had thrown herself, face down, onto the wet sand, moaning loudly, “Jennie’s drowning again.”

Jennie. The name that Margaret Spansky called Alex. Sammie was Jessie; Alex, Jennie; the names of her dead twin daughters. Where was Alex now? Was she actually in the turbulent lake? As he was about to bend down to interrogate the Spansky woman, Streeter heard something, a call, like a scream coming from the wooded area across the sand and the dunes.

“That sounded like a child,” he said aloud.

Leaving Margaret Spansky writhing in the sand, he raced in the direction of the voice, praying that it was a child, not an animal or a bird.

Alex could hear Maggie yelling out there, but she didn’t dare move after she’d felt that furry thing on her leg. Sammie was right. The woods were very scary, but she had to stay there until the boat was gone. Then she’d run away as fast as she could.

“Alex!” Her
real
name. A man’s voice. Could it be her imagination? More than one voice. From above she heard a clomping noise. Could it be a helicopter? Was someone looking for her, Alex, not Jennie?

“I’m here!” she yelled as loud as she could.

Ignoring the sharp prickles of bushes, she ran out of the woods, through the dunes, toward the beach. It was still raining hard, but there was a bright light coming from a helicopter. She could see a form, lying on the beach near the shoreline. She saw a boat in the water with men shining flashlights onto the waves. That was when a tall man with a crew cut grabbed her as she was about to stumble. He picked her up, and instantly, Alex knew she was safe.

“Alex,” he said, “we’ve been looking high and low for you. Will your Mom and Dad ever be happy to see you. And Sammie and Jackie.”

Since Sammie left Maggie’s house, Alex had worried so about her
sisters. Jackie, so terribly sick that they had to take her out of the movie theatre. Sammie, running away that night into the dark woods.

“Are they okay? Sammie and Jackie?”

“Yes, and you’ll see them soon. And you know what? You’re going to have a ride in a helicopter.”

“Tonight? I can see Mom and Dad?”

“Yes, and your sisters.”

The man said her sisters were okay. Wait until she told them about riding in a helicopter.

Other men had landed in the boat and rushed toward them. “Are you okay?” they all asked. Alex saw they all had smiles, and she smiled back at them.

“I got some scratches from the bushes, and one of my arms hurts where Maggie pulled me,” she said, showing them her wrists. “Hey, it’s cold out here and raining real hard. When can I get in the helicopter?”

Beginning of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer Solstice.
— Sunday, June 21, 2009

Neither Scott nor Katie could sleep, so they made tea in the corner of their one-room hospital quarters, whispering to avoid waking the girls. Katie was trying hard not to share her terror with Scott. She, herself, had an instinctive fear that this was the night. The night that Alex would be what? Tortured? Abused in a sexual way? Her triplets had always had a sixth sense among them, and tonight she had overheard Sammie and Jackie articulate identical predictions that the bad man was “hurting” Alex. This she had not shared with Scott. What good would it do?

She tried to reason that the Spanskys would have to keep Alex alive to collect the ransom, but what if they collected the money and did not release her daughter? Neither she nor Scott trusted the new FBI Agent, Jason Pentero, not with Alex’s life.

“Don’t trust him —” Scott was saying something.

Katie nestled closer to him, juggling her mug of tea as they sat side by side on the bench by the window. “Sorry, baby. Guess I was lost in my thoughts.”

“I wish Agent Streeter were here. He probably went to Grand Rapids to visit his own daughters. Hasn’t seen much of them, but still —”

“He’s done such a good job of keeping us informed. Didn’t he say he’d call us tonight?”

Scott nodded. “Yes, but I don’t understand the politics of the bureau. It’s like he’s been demoted with Pentero now in charge.”

“At least Agent Camry is still here with us. Let’s check with her to see what she knows,” Katie said. Then the phone rang.

Katie and Scott lurched upright to pick it up, knocking heads, causing Katie to fall back a step.

“Yes, we’re both here,” Scott said. Momentarily he covered the mouthpiece and whispered, “Tony Streeter.”

Katie looked over to Sammie and Jackie, still asleep, thank goodness.

“What’s he want?” she whispered back.

“He’s
here
, ” Scott said. “He wants us to wake up Sammie and Jackie. He says he —”

Katie leaned into Scott, her heart racing.
Why would he say that: wake up the girls?

“Okay,” Scott sounded tentative. “Sure, she’s right here, but we don’t have a speaker. Sure.” Scott pulled Katie closer. “He wants to tell us something. Together.”

“I have a little girl out here who’s very anxious to see her family.”

Scott dropped the phone, and Katie didn’t even try to modulate her scream. “Oh, my God. Thank you. Thank you, God.”

Scott and Katie each grabbed a triplet and pulled them out of bed.

“Is Alex here yet?” Sammie asked.

“We knew she’d be back tonight,” Jackie said. “Right, Sam?”

“I dreamed that she got to ride on a helicopter,” Sammie said, pulling loose from Katie to put on a hospital robe.

“Not fair,” said Jackie. “That’s what I always wanted to do.”

The door opened and Alex, a huge smile on her face, walked in between Agents Streeter and Camry.

“Mom?” Alex sounded so normal. “Mom, are you okay?”

Blinded by tears, Katie ran to Alex. “Alex, oh sweetie, is that really you? We’ve missed you so much. We were so worried. So very scared.”

“I was scared, too, but I’m okay, Mom. Really. I escaped.”

Katie could feel Alex try to wriggle out of her iron hold. She could feel Scott’s arms around the two of them before she felt his hot tears trickling down onto her forehead.”

“Oh Scott, it’s really her,” Katie said relinquishing her hold on Alex.

“Dad, are you crying?” Alex stared at Scott. “Dad, I never saw you cry. Are you okay?”

“You bet. Tears of joy,” Scott said, swiping his arm over wet eyes. “We missed you, kiddo. The Condors have their third baseman back.”

Then Katie and Scott as one, backed away as Sammie and Jackie flung themselves on Alex and in an instant all three were tumbling on a hospital cot.

“I have to call Mom,” Katie said, pulling her cell phone out of the charger. “She’ll get the word out. Oh, I am so happy that I can’t believe it.” She turned to Tony Streeter and Ellen Camry, “How can we ever thank you two. If you hadn’t been there for us, I just don’t think —”

“They’re all okay,” Streeter said, then repeated. “They’re all okay. Just look at the three of them.”

Scott’s voice was hoarse. “How can we ever thank you. You gave us our lives back.” Then he flung his arms first around Streeter and then around Camry.

Once the girls had sorted themselves out, Sammie said, “Alex, I didn’t want to leave you. I just wanted to get help. Hey, you know what? Jackie was really sick. But she’s okay. I mean, she was in the hospital and all.”

“Jackie, you don’t look sick to me,” Alex inspected her sister. “But you do look different from Sammie and me now with our short hair.”

“I’m not kidding, Alex,” Sammie said, “Jackie was in a coma. That’s what Dr. Susan said. Hey, did that Spanky guy hurt you?”

Katie gulped. Alex looked thinner maybe, but not hurt.

“No, not really,” Alex said, but Katie noticed her expression change to near panic. And in an instant change back. “Hey I got to ride in an FBI helicopter. They let me put on the earphones and hear them talk And guess what? I decided. I’m going to be a pilot.”

“See, Jackie,” Sammie said, “I told you about the helicopter. You didn’t believe me.”

Katie and Scott exchanged a grateful look. The triplets were going at it again.

“I hate to interrupt this reunion,” Streeter said, “but the director would like you to do an impromptu press release. The media is already swarming. We could have it right here, if you wish, or in a more formal setting in the hospital conference room. Very brief. Just a
thank-you gesture for the efforts that the media made to find Alex and Sammie.”

“That sounds fair,” Scott said.

“I’ve already been on television,” Jackie said with a smug edge. She flipped her long hair, “And I still have my long hair.”

“Alex, guess what?” Sammie grinned. “We’re famous. They even wanted me to go on TV.”

“Alex, the whole world was so worried about you and Sammie.” Jackie beamed with this announcement. “I even got a letter from the president’s daughters.”

“President Obama?” Alex’s eyes widened. “Jackie, you did?”

“Yes.” Jackie’s smile widened. “I saved it for you to see ’cause you were telling everybody to vote for him.”

“Okay, girls, Jackie, pull on a robe like Sammie, I’ll brush everybody’s hair, including mine. And let’s do it here. But first, Alex, come here, I just need to look you over.”

Streeter watched as Katie did a visual examination of her daughter, checking out scrapes and scratches and bruises. She seemed pleased with the first aid he’d administered during the helicopter ride from Wells State Park to Detroit. Now all three girls were talking at once. Streeter thought that was a healthy sign, but what did he know? He wasn’t exactly the ideal father.

“Alex, you feel so hot,” Katie was saying as she swiped a hand against Alex’s brow.

“Ouch, Mom.” Alex winced and took a step back. “You know how you make us use sunscreen when we go out. Well, I had to walk all day long on the beach. That woman didn’t have any. I asked.”

“Sunburn,” Katie murmured. “Okay, that’ll be okay. Yes, that’ll be okay.”

“We’re going to need forensic samples from Alex,” Agent Camry said. “Right after the press conference. Then you can all get some sleep. All of you. Together.”

“I just want to get us all home,” Katie said.

“We’ve arranged for you to stay one more night here,” Streeter explained. “We still have security issues to work out. Getting Alex to you was our highest priority, but there are other loose ends. But, for you, they can wait until tomorrow.”

Camry had left the family to check with the FBI public relations people. They’d want to milk this for all it’s worth. Streeter would be a star, but all he wanted now was to be surrounded by his own daughters. He had called Marianne, and she had promised to drive the girls from Grand Rapids to Detroit, first thing in the morning. For that he was grateful. Just the vision would get him through another sleepless night.

Camry returned with a change of plans. “There are way too many reporters to fit in here,” she said. “We’re going to have to do this in the auditorium. Even then, it’ll be crowded. That okay, Dr. Monroe? Mr. Monroe?”

Arms enclosing their three daughters, the Monroe parents said as one, “Anything you want is okay. We are just so, so happy.”

Streeter insisted that the press conference be short, and the Monroes promised to include the girls in a more comprehensive one the next day, as did Streeter, speaking for the FBI.

When the family, Lucy, and Dr. Susan now with them, returned to their hospital room, they noticed a new bed had been wedged in. The hospital kitchen had sent up an assortment of sandwiches, cookies, and drinks, and Katie lobbied successfully that Alex be able to snack with her sisters before being led off with Susan for the required forensic examination.

The same young pediatrician who’d examined Sammie came by, and Alex went off with him willingly, all three girls giggling how cute he was. When Alex was returned in fifteen minutes, Streeter could see the relief in Katie’s eyes as she beamed a smile at Scott. Alex had denied any sexual abuse, and the examination must have just confirmed that.

After Susan volunteered to drive Lucy home, Streeter and Camry adjourned to the field office for a full night’s work. As Streeter closed the door he heard Katie say, “One more thing for tonight, let’s call Grandpa Monroe. It’ll only be ten o’clock in Minnesota. And this news will be the best medicine in the world.”

While with the Monroes, Streeter had turned off all communications. He did not know the whereabouts of Samuel Spansky. Mother Spansky was in custody, and based on her babbling story, would most likely end up in a place for loonies.

Storms Cast Gloom Over Great Lakes.
Weather Forecast, Sunday, June 21

Spanky had trouble navigating the rough lake in the torrential downpour. He’d never been out on Lake Michigan, and he’d never captained by himself on the Atlantic Ocean. The sooner he could dump this boat and get on land the better. He could drive any vehicle over any terrain, that he knew. He had disabled the GPS as a precaution, and now he floundered, unsure of his position. When he came perilously close to a bridge abutment, he decided to hunker down in an inlet until the storm passed. He’d then figure out where he was and be on his way.

As the weather eventually broke, Spanky figured that he was past Sturgeon Bay. While he still had some light, he moved back out into the lake, heading south toward Milwaukee. Checking the chart, he picked Manitowoc, a big enough town in Wisconsin to abandon the boat and pick up an ordinary, older model car and head south on the back roads.

The waves were still gigantic when Spanky took the boat back onto the lake, but the rain had stopped, giving him decent visibility. It was close to eight o’clock and he’d only have another half hour of good light to select a landing site.

He heard the drone of helicopter engines before he saw powerful searchlights illuminate the lake around him. He was a sitting duck. A helicopter dropped to hover just over his boat. Over the crest of waves he heard a deep voice, “Michigan State Police. Samuel Spanksy. Come out on deck. Hands up.”