{"id":20672,"date":"2024-12-31T12:13:54","date_gmt":"2024-12-31T12:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/?p=20672"},"modified":"2024-12-31T12:13:54","modified_gmt":"2024-12-31T12:13:54","slug":"20672","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/?p=20672","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cOh, honey,\u201d he says and hugs her from behind. \u201cHow long has he been crying like that?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve tried everything, Walter!\u201d Abby broke down into sobs. \u201cHe\u2019s been fed, changed, bathed, and burped! I even took his temperature! I don\u2019t know what to do now. He keeps crying!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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After becoming parents a month ago, everything in the couple\u2019s lives changed. And if there was something that really distressed Walter, it was Logan\u2019s cries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cCome, we\u2019ll figure this out together,\u201d Walter said and took Abby to Logan\u2019s room.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He cheerfully approached Logan\u2019s crib. But all he saw in the crib was a dictaphone and a note. Walter pressed the stop button on the dictaphone, and Logan\u2019s cries stopped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d Abby called from behind. Walter wasn\u2019t listening. He held the note and zoned out. It wasn\u2019t until Abby snatched the note from his hand and opened it that he realized what had occurred.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI warned you that you\u2019d regret being rude to me.<\/i><\/p>\n

If you want to see your baby again, leave $200,000 in the luggage storage lockers near the pier.<\/i><\/p>\n

If you go to the police, you\u2019ll never see him again.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh my God!\u201d Abby gasped. \u201cWhat does it mean? Was I rude to someone? Were you? Who would kidnap Logan?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter recalled the janitor he\u2019d mistreated at the maternity hospital. He was bringing a cute bear-shaped pot for Abby while she was admitted to the hospital, but the pot broke when he tripped over the janitor\u2019s broom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Furious, Walter called the man awful names, and the janitor said, \u201cYou\u2019ll regret it!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019ll have to go to the police, honey,\u201d Walter said, snapping out of his thoughts. \u201cIt must be him!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhat? The note says we\u2019ll never see Logan again if we go to the police, Walter. We should just pay the ransom!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWe don\u2019t know if he\u2019ll return Logan if we do that. Think about it, honey. This guy is a janitor\u2026 there\u2019s no way he\u2019d know if we went to the police, and since we know where he works, they might be able to go straight to the maternity hospital, arrest him, and bring Logan home to us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Abby agreed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter parked their car outside the station. He and Abby were about to exit the vehicle when Walter\u2019s phone buzzed with a message.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis is your first and last warning. If you enter that police station, your kid\u2019s going into the bay. Get the money to the location mentioned below.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Abby gasped as she read the message, and Walter looked around, trying to spot the kidnapper. But there were too many people. The only way to rescue Logan now was to pay the ransom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter decided to drive to the bank right away, but Abby\u2019s condition deteriorated. She threw up once and was about to throw up for a second time. It was better to drive her home, Walter decided.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t hate me for it, honey, but that\u2019s the best for you,\u201d he said. And Abby didn\u2019t protest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cFine\u2026But Walter\u2026does that kidnapper even know about caring for a newborn?\u201d she asked and broke down into tears.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter said nothing and drove her home. But his imagination wasn\u2019t immune to dark thoughts. He kept imagining Logan in a dark room, crying for help that never came.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Somehow pulling himself together, Walter drove to the bank. Then he visited the storage locker mentioned by the kidnapper and placed the money inside it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There were too many people around for him to spot the janitor, but Walter knew he would be somewhere nearby, watching him. So Walter returned to his car, drove a short distance, and parked around the lockers again. It wasn\u2019t long before he spotted the janitor from the maternity hospital.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The janitor opened the locker. Walter sat up straighter, but then a tourist group walked past, hiding the janitor from view.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMove it!\u201d Walter snapped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Painful minutes stretched out as the tourists headed toward one of the statues. After the last few people in the group eventually passed the lockers, Walter swore. The janitor had disappeared.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter barely dared to breathe as he scanned the crowd. The man had been wearing the sort of flashy shirt sold in the more eclectic, hippie-themed stores, so he shouldn\u2019t have been hard to spot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There! A wave of relief washed over him as Walter spotted the janitor crossing the road. He was carrying the bag of money Walter had placed in the locker. Walter leaped from his car and followed him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The man led him around a parking lot, past a variety of restaurants and several museums before he turned into a bus station. They were heading toward another row of lockers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The janitor placed the bag inside a locker. When he turned around, Walter was ready. He shoved the janitor up against the lockers and held him there with his forearm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhere is my son?\u201d Walter demanded. \u201cI\u2019ve done everything you asked, you jerk; now return Logan to me!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cLook, I was offered $100 to collect the package and then drop it off here,\u201d the man said. \u201cI don\u2019t know about your son!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t you dare lie!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m not! Some guy paid me to deliver the package! I ran into him in the parking lot after work one day, but he was standing with the light behind him, so I didn\u2019t see his face. I have two kids of my own. I\u2019d never hurt someone else\u2019s child.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Something about the janitor\u2019s eyes told Walter the older man wasn\u2019t lying. He let the man go, then opened the locker. But it was empty. Somebody had cut a hole in the back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter jogged around to the back of the lockers. The hole was covered from the back with a thin steel plate, loosely secured by two screws. Nobody around was carrying a bag like the one he\u2019d placed the money into.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter didn\u2019t know how to break the news to Abby. Logan was their miracle baby. They\u2019d been struggling for years before they conceived him. And now, he had lost his only chance to get Logan back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter entered his home. He checked all the rooms downstairs but didn\u2019t find Abby anywhere. He went upstairs to check their bedroom and noticed Abby\u2019s things were gone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At first, Walter suspected she was kidnapped. He called her. Countless times. But she never answered. Then it dawned on him that the kidnapper wouldn\u2019t have taken all of Abby\u2019s things. Even her hand lotion was missing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter was crushed, to say the least.\u00a0How could Abby do this to them?<\/i>\u00a0No wonder she\u2019d been so eager to return home after feeling sick. She had also insisted they pay the ransom. Abby was Logan\u2019s kidnapper.\u00a0Did she have an accomplice?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The only thing that consoled Walter\u2019s heart was that the ransom money was fake. He would find a way to get his son back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter drove to the maternity hospital where Logan was born, and near the vending machine, he found the man he was looking for\u2014a doctor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHi,\u201d Walter approached him. \u201cI hope you can help me. I need someone to call my wife\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m not a phone service,\u201d the doctor replied sharply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou don\u2019t understand. I\u2019m willing to pay you handsomely for your assistance, doctor, and your silence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The doctor studied Walter through narrowed eyes. He slowly smiled as Walter explained his situation and told him what he wanted the doctor to tell Abby.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter then retrieved his wallet and furtively showed the doctor the dollar bills inside it. The man nodded. \u201cOkay, we have a deal. Come with me!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter followed the doctor to a nurse\u2019s station on the second floor. All the nurses were checking on their patients, judging by the activity in the hallways. Nobody took much notice as the doctor lifted the phone and dialed Abby\u2019s number.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cGood morning, Mrs. Taylor; this is Dr. Jones from the maternity hospital. I\u2019m calling to inform you that we just discovered something very serious in one of the routine tests we performed on your son after he was born. He needs to come in for treatment immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter heard Abby\u2019s emotional outcry from the other side of the nurse\u2019s station but couldn\u2019t make out her exact words.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m sorry, but I can\u2019t discuss the details over the phone. All I can say for now is that he has a rare genetic condition. I\u2019m sure he does seem fine now, but that could change at any moment. He\u2019s at a higher risk for SIDS and several other life-threatening conditions. You really need to bring him in today, Mrs. Taylor.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dr. Jones ended the call a few minutes later and showed Walter a thumbs-up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cShe\u2019s going to bring the baby in ASAP.\u201d Dr. Jones held out his hand and wriggled his fingers. \u201cI did my bit. Now it\u2019s time for you to pay up.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Walter paid the doctor and went back downstairs. He wandered around for a few minutes before his phone started ringing. His lip curled in disgust when he checked the caller ID.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou have some nerve to phone me after what you did, Abby,\u201d Walter said. \u201cWhere\u2019s Logan? I demand you bring him back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSays the man who doesn\u2019t even care enough about him to pay the ransom!\u201d Abby shrieked. \u201cThat money was all fake, you tight-fisted jerk. Logan needs to see a doctor urgently, and I can\u2019t take him because of you. Where\u2019s the real money, Walter?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIn my account, where it\u2019s been all along. What\u2019s wrong with Logan, or is this just another scheme to get my money?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Abby swore at him and began to cry. \u201cI told you; he\u2019s sick! You\u2019ve got to send me the money so he can receive treatment. He\u2019ll die without it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI won\u2019t let my son die! I\u2019ll pay,\u201d Walter replied and hung up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cOh, honey,\u201d he says and hugs her from behind. \u201cHow long has he been crying like that?\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve tried everything, Walter!\u201d Abby broke down into sobs. \u201cHe\u2019s been fed, changed, bathed, and burped! I even took his temperature! I don\u2019t know what to do now. He keeps crying!\u201d After becoming parents a month ago, everything…<\/p>\n

Read More “”<\/span> »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20672"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20672"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20673,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20672\/revisions\/20673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}