Wild Speculation

Police had no explanation for the most recent discovery in the kidnapping case of Wes Bellardi. Theories ranged from the macabre to the ridiculous. One FBI agent suggested that the victim was first drugged and hidden in the attic, then murdered, dismembered, and carried out in a couple of suitcases after the house closed down. Another agent suggested that, if the abduction had been carried out by only one person, the attic compartment could possibly have hidden both Wes and his abductor until the house was empty and escape possible. A sheriff's deputy suggested that Wes had not been abducted at all, that he was playing a cruel game of hide-and-seek.

Stevie pressed on determinedly. "In the Bellardi camp, today is V-minus-four. We are only four days from a great victory in North California." The senator took the lectern and Stevie assumed her mannequin-like pose beside Robert to listen. V-minus-four is catchy and clever, Senator, but what about AntiCrist and D-minus-two? she questioned silently. In two days your son may be dead. What if the police fail to find him by Halloween? Is your passion for North California greater than your passion for your son? All the while the campaign smile remained frozen on her face.