It Only Takes a Moment (27 page)

Read It Only Takes a Moment Online

Authors: Mary Jane Clark

Tags: #Mystery, #Suspense, #Adult, #Thriller

BOOK: It Only Takes a Moment
10Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

I
t Only Takes a Moment
is the story I’ve wanted to tell but was afraid to write because it deals with kidnapping, a subject that has frightened me since I was young, for reasons beyond the normal ones.

My father was a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assigned to high-profile kidnapping and extortion cases. While my father would never, at the time, tell us about his cases, it was easy enough to read about them in the newspaper or hear about them on the radio and television. And because I knew my father was working on solving these crimes, I paid a lot of attention to the details at an impressionable age…details which fascinated me while at the same time terrified me and led to a shivering dread that has followed me throughout my life.

Until now, it’s always felt as though writing about a kidnapping might somehow tempt fate. But today my children are grown and I don’t worry (as much) about anyone stealing them. My father is eighty-one years old, and there was no time like the present to harvest his memories…memories which fed my imagination and led to this story. So, first of all, let me thank Frederick V. Behrends, my dad; and my mother, Doris Boland Behrends, who met and married while working at the FBI.

My parents had two daughters, so I suppose if there was no FBI there
would have been no me. The FBI also went on to assist me by training Margot Dennedy and Cathy Begley, special agents past and present, who generously lent their expertise for this story. I appreciate their considerable knowledge; I treasure their loyal friendship.

Another law enforcement pro, Stan Romaine, former director of CBS Corporate Security, came through for me yet again, this time providing the background on what a television network would do if the child of one of its stars was kidnapped. Thank you, Stan, for consistently answering my questions and sharing your wealth of experience.

In just another instance of the support he has given me over almost twenty years, Dr. Steve Simring offered his prescription for the best drugs to accomplish what I needed to get done in the story.

Phil Doyle gave me a tutorial on paintball warfare. Thank you for that, Phil, and for being such a good sport when your character had to die.

Beth Tindall and Colleen Kenny continue to inject their skill and creativity into www.maryjaneclark.com. Nice work, ladies.

Through the marvels of the Internet, Father Paul Holmes was able to provide his invaluable help all the way from Italy, where he was on sabbatical trying to get his own book written.
Tante, tante grazie, Paolo.

Editor Carrie Feron, a mother herself, understood my terror of kidnapping. She shepherded the book through its stages, asking the right questions and contributing her smart thoughts to make the story better. Tessa Woodward paid exacting attention to so many, many details. Sharyn Rosenblum is the most enthusiastic and savvy publicist any author could want. There are so many talented and dedicated people at William Morrow/HarperCollins and I worry that I will leave someone out when thanking them for what they’ve done. Apologizing in advance for overlooking anyone, I’m grateful to Lisa Gallagher, Michael Morrison, Jane Friedman, Lynn Grady, Liate Stehlik, Adrienne Pietro, Debbie Stier, Tavia Kawalchuk, Lauren Naefe, and Kristie Macrides. Josh Marwell, Carla Parker, Brian Grogan, Mike Brennan, and Mike Spradlin constitute a powerful sales force.

Special thanks to Victoria Mathews, who did a fine job of copyediting, and Thomas Egner, who designed such a haunting cover.

Much gratitude as well to Rachel Brenner, Mark Gustafson, Michael Morris, Rhonda Rose, Jeff Rogart, Dale Schmidt, and Donna Waitkus for placing those important orders.

Peggy Gould, I thank God every day for you and the other devoted and extraordinary people at SHS. Without you, I couldn’t write the book.

Finally, some things may only take a moment, but building a publishing career isn’t one of them. My deep appreciation to Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and Joni Evans, who continue to guide mine.

About the Author

M
ARY
J
ANE
C
LARK
is the bestselling author of ten novels, including
Do You Want to Know a Secret?, Nowhere to Run,
and
Dancing in the Dark.
A former writer and producer at CBS News Headquarters in New York, she knows intimately the world about which she writes. She lives in New Jersey.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

ALSO BY MARY JANE CLARK

When Day Breaks

Lights Out Tonight

Dancing in the Dark

Hide Yourself Away

Nowhere to Run

Nobody Knows

Close to You

Let Me Whisper in Your Ear

Do You Promise Not to Tell?

Do You Want to Know a Secret?

Jacket design by Amy King

Jacket photograph of stormy sky by Sam Barricklow/Jupiter Images; girl running in field by Canopy Photography/Veer

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT
. Copyright © 2008 by Mary Jane Clark. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

EPub Edition © JUNE 2008 ISBN: 9780061807572

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Publisher

Australia

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

25 Ryde Road (PO Box 321)

Pymble, NSW 2073, Australia

http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com.au

Canada

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

55 Avenue Road, Suite 2900

Toronto, ON, M5R, 3L2, Canada

http://www.harpercollinsebooks.ca

New Zealand

HarperCollinsPublishers (New Zealand) Limited

P.O. Box 1

Auckland, New Zealand

http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.nz

United Kingdom

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

77-85 Fulham Palace Road

London, W6 8JB, UK

http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk

United States

HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

10 East 53rd Street

New York, NY 10022

http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com

Other books

The Night Before by David Fulmer
Straight Talking by Jane Green
First Contact by Marc Kaufman
Death to Pay by Derek Fee
The Professional Part 2 by Cole, Kresley
A Winter's Child by Brenda Jagger
Numbers by Laurann Dohner
The Intern Affair by Roxanne St. Claire