Preston Bailey sat at the piano completely numb, it was true some murderous lunatic had Nigel. The package had arrived by messenger thirty minutes earlier. When he had first read the note he thought it was someone's idea of a sick joke, but then he remembered Nigel's last visit with Sydney Fox and a cold fear crept over him. The demand was simple and to the point Eleven Million American dollars or Nigel would be shipped home in boxes. Further instructions would be forthcoming and if the authorities were brought in, Nigel would be killed immediately. Along with the note was a video that clearly showed Nigel was still alive at the time it was taped, apparently drugged and a simply wrapped box that contained their father's watch, the one Nigel now owned and always wore.
He stared at the pictures on top of the piano. He first looked at the one of their parents after they had first been married. They loved each other so much and he couldn't remember ever hearing them bicker over anything. Their lives had taken in a instant due to the careless, thoughtless act of a drunk driver. One person had forever changed his life that day and another was threatening to do the same now. Nigel was the only family he had left and even though there were times he had wished he had never been born he had always loved him.
Preston's thoughts drifted back to his childhood as he now looked at Nigel's face staring back at him from the old black and white picture their mother had taken. He had been the only child for years and then Nigel entered the picture and disrupted his world. His parents did everything they could to convince him that just because there was a new baby in the house it didn't mean that they loved him less, but nothing they said had been able to squelch the jealousy he had felt. As they grew older Nigel at first had adored him and hung on his every word, but quickly grew tired of Preston always showing him up and a distance quickly grew between them. In response to Preston's ambivalence to him Nigel had relied on his father more as a friend and playmate and a bond was born between them that only made the jealousy worse. His father would spend hours playing and telling Nigel stories about knights, dragons, magic scepters and the like, something Preston had always found boring, but Nigel never did and he would always asked for more much to their father's delight.
When Nigel had left for the States to complete is education Preston couldn't have been happier. They only spoke to each other when absolutely necessary, but that had all changed when he had stumbled upon the poem written by King Henry the Eighth to his daughter Elizabeth about her mother's ring. Nigel and Sydney Fox had flown to England and Preston out of spite had flaunted his new relationship with Nigel's ex. As it turned out in the end she became one of the reasons why he had decided let go of the past and try to repair the damage that had already been done to their relationship. Amanda had been after the ring with her partner and had only gotten involved with him as a means to an end, if Nigel hadn't stopped her Preston knew he could well be dead now. He had made a peace offering to Nigel before he left and was relieved when his brother had accepted, they were working on repairing the damage from the past and now spoke or wrote to each other as often as their busy lives permitted. After all the years of anger, jealousy and spite the thought of losing him just as they were becoming true brothers and friends was almost more than he could stand.
He jumped when he heard the rapping on the door, what if the kidnapper was here to get the money, he didn't have it yet, he had called his lawyer and without telling him the reason had him begin the necessary steps in order to get it, but gathering that kind of money takes time. Getting up from the bench he cautiously headed towards the door and when he opened it, he felt hope for the first time since this ordeal had started as he looked at Sydney.
End of Part Seventeen
Go to Part Eighteen.