As soon as I signed the top sheet of paper, Dempsey slid another one over. “Two copies.” He was on his phone as soon as I put pen to paper the second time. “Sir, it’s done,” was all he said before hanging up and dialing again. “Rally time,” he said when the second call connected.
My lawyer folded one of the copies of what I’d signed and stuck it in his pocket.
Outside, a half dozen dark suits exited the black SUVs in the parking lot and started toward the door.
“Now,” Turco said, bringing out a voice recorder. “Who are your accomplices in the bank robberies, and where can we find them?”
Dempsey had a pen poised over paper.
I started by explaining how I’d been forced to participate.
“That can wait,” Dempsey interrupted. “We need names and locations first.”
“Dominic Fortuzi and Sylvia Fortuzi. Her name was Armstrong before she re-married.” I gave them the address of our house. “You’ll find the money that hasn’t been gambled away in cookie tins in the kitchen. And, you’ll find more buried under the tomato plants in back. That’s some she wanted to hide from Dom, but I don’t know how much. He drives for WMATA, but today is one of his days off.”
Dempsey tore off his sheet of paper and handed it to one of the suits from the SUVs. “Two suspects—grab ’em up right away.”
The group hurried off, and I prayed it would soon be over for Dom and Sylvia.
“What I want to know is why didn’t you try to escape during the robbery,” Dempsey said.
“Escape from what? I didn’t know I’d been kidnapped until yesterday.”
Turco’s demeanor softened. “How could you not know?”
“It happened when I was five. All I can remember now is going on a trip with my aunt and uncle—at least that’s who I thought they were—and then being told my parents had been killed in a car accident. We never went back to my home in Phoenix.”
Dempsey scribbled furiously while Turco listened.
“I stayed with them, at their home in Massachusetts. Later they told me the other side of the family had moved to Australia,” I added. “Estranged. They adopted me, or so I was told. When my fake uncle—I called him Dad at the time—died, we had a hard time of it until she married Dominic.”
Dempsey underlined something on his pad. “All that about the abduction can wait until later. What was your part in the Silver Spring robbery?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t have a part in that. I got away from them almost a month ago. I didn’t know anything about that until yesterday.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Dempsey said.
Mr. Covington put his hand up to stop me from answering. “This has been a very stressful day for my client. You have the names and location of the real perpetrators. I think that’s enough for today. We’ll set up more interviews starting tomorrow. Keep in mind, Deborah is a kidnap victim. It’s been many years, and the priority now is to reunite her with her family.”
My gut tightened. I hadn’t realized it was coming this quickly. I hadn’t even written down all the names Josh had told me. Nervousness overtook me, and my leg jitters began again.
Turco looked like she wanted to object, but bit her lip instead.
Luke’s arm came around me. “It’ll be fine, Red. I’ve got your back.”
“You need to come with me now,” Mr. Covington told Luke and me as we walked out of the diner. We followed him toward a car. He pulled out his phone. “It’s done… Yes, full immunity. I’m on the way to you now.”
I climbed in back with Luke and took his hand. Everything was changing so fast; I needed the solid feel of my rock.
“Does she really have to talk to them, the feds, tomorrow?” Luke asked.
“Yes, to start with. I’m sure I can keep it down to two or three hours—nothing too strenuous. After that we can space it out.”
“Where are we going now?” I asked.
“I told Josh and the others we’d meet them at Littleman’s Inn as soon as this was over,” Mr. Covington replied.
A wave of emotion washed through me. Josh was a cousin, but my real family—what would he be like after all these years? Would he even recognize me?
Luke didn’t look happy, but he nodded. “What others?”
Mr. Covington checked his watch. “Kelly and Adam to start. I doubt the rest of them have made it from the airport yet.”
“The rest of who?” I asked.
Mr. Covington glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “The family.”
When I was young, the shock of hearing that my parents were dead had pretty much shut down all my other questions. I’d grown up without knowing any other family existed outside of Josh and his parents. What was I supposed to say to them?
“Family?”
“The whole Benson clan—your uncle Lloyd and aunt Robin, plus your cousins and their significant others.”
It was unusual to hear words Benson and my family together, but somehow comforting.
”All the way from Australia?” I asked.
“No. California. Think of Colonel Sanders of KFC, and you’ll pick your uncle Lloyd out of a crowd instantly.”
I leaned into Luke. “The man who took me, his first name was Millard, but he didn’t like it, so we used his middle name around the house—Paul. He was Uncle Paul.”
Mr. Covington glanced at me in the mirror. “Did you say Paul? You have an aunt and uncle, Paul and Sylvia, in Australia.” Luke patted my thigh. “That’s how they pulled it off. Using the names of your real aunt and uncle made it easy to gain your trust at that age.”
When I’d first read about my abduction, I’d questioned how gullible I had to have been to fall for the ruse. But Luke’s comment eased my guilt.
We pulled into the parking lot of the Inn.
A tall man waited outside the lobby. From this distance I couldn’t be sure, but he looked like the picture of Josh I’d gotten.
After climbing out, Luke squeezed my hand. “Are you sure you want me along?”
I tugged him toward the building. “Of course I’m sure. I always want you with me.”
As we approached, I realized the man outside was Josh—the man he’d grown into, a much bigger, older version of the scrawny kid I’d known back then.
He held his arms open as I reached him and took me into a hug. “Debbie, it’s been too long.”
His thoughts mirrored mine. I hugged him back. “It’s really you?”
“I couldn’t believe it when they told us you were still alive. We’d all given up hope.”
I shook my head, unsure what to say. I turned toward Luke. “Josh, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Luke Carver. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for him.”
Luke took his hand and shook. “Nice to meet you, Josh.”
Josh looked around. “Where’s Jay?”
Luke chuckled. “Sorry for the deception. That’s me.”
Josh nodded. “I understand the apprehension.”
“I’ll be running along,” Mr. Covington said as he stepped back.
“Thanks for everything,” Josh told him.