Jay the Diplomat

“Edward le Fay? Mark, are you absolutely sure?”

Mark Williamson nodded as he looked at the photographs spread out across the kitchen table, his wife Yvonne looking over his shoulder. “I know it’s asking a lot, and his home has to be one of the most secure in the country.”

“NO! This is a man who does deals with overseas diplomats and leaders, Mark I would imagine his home is very secure.”

“Which is why we need to hit when it is at the least secure,” Mark said as he sipped from his coffee mug. “Margo, his wife, is hosting a number of families of visiting diplomats this Friday while they discuss various matters with Edward and they have been invited to an overnight stay. Do you think Mrs McPhee can look after a few extra young ones?”

“Possibly but how do we deal with their security system?”

“There is a way with the cooperation of the aforesaid Mrs la Fay,” Mark said, “but we have to move in the early morning for this to work properly. I’m also going to need to call up some additional help, to handle the security and other matters.”

“How many are we talking about?”

“In total? Six boys and two girls, aged from seven to thirteen. The key is we take the house early, and allow Margo le Fay the freedom to greet guests because we will have her three sons captive by the time the first party arrives.” He handed Yvonne a picture of a middle-aged woman with three young boys, before he said “so ready for a long day?”

Friday
9.30 am.

“All right you three upstairs while I get some refreshments sorted for our first guests. I’ll send them up to play with you when the time comes.”

“Okay Mum,” a young boy said as Margo le Fay heard the sound of running feet up the stairs, and sat herself down to finish her morning coffee. Margo was in her early forties, with black hair cut in a fringe that fell on the shoulders of her grey jumper. Under the jumper was a black roll neck top, while a pair of black slacks and black shoes with a kitten heel completed her outfit.

With her husband out on business until later, it fell to her to entertain the wives and families of the three diplomats he was meeting with that day not an arduous task, and she liked to meet them anyway. Sipping from her coffee cup, she didn’t notice the sound of a vehicle coming up the driveway, or going round the side of the manor house she lived in.

It was the sound coming from the kitchen that first caught her attention as she was walking towards it to make the preparations for the first arrival. It sounded like a door opening and closing, but there was nobody else in the house and if someone had come in, the alarm would have sounded unless they knew the code for the rear door.

“Just my imagination,” she said as she walked in and then felt the leather gloved hand over her mouth as her eyes opened wide in shock.

There was at least ten people in her kitchen one woman and the rest men all dressed in blue boiler suits, gloves, boots and black balaclavas over their heads. One of them was smiling as he said “hello, Margo my name is Jay Edwards, and I need you to remain nice and calm and quiet. Gentlemen two of you go with Mrs McPhee, and prepare her sons before you bring them down.”

“Come wi me lads,” the woman said in a Scottish accent as she picked up a bag, two of the men following her as the man who called himself Jay looked to two more.

“Gentlemen isolate the security system please. Now, Margo, are you going to keep nice and quiet? If so, my associate will let you go, and we can talk.” Margo’s eyes darted from side to side, before she eventually nodded and the hand was taken away,

“Jay Edwards? Oh no, please, leave us alone, we have nothing “

“Ah but you have everything Margo,” the man said in his soft Geordie accent, “and we require your help for the first part of the morning. And we have the means to persuade you to do that.”

“What? Oh god no, my boys “

“Oh yes,” Jay said with a smile as she heard footsteps, and he took her by the arm to walk her back down the corridor and see her sons walking down the stairs. Thomas was first, the ten-year-old wearing a short sleeved brown shirt with a check pattern, jeans and trainers. Behind him came his older brother by two years, Arthur, who was wearing a long-sleeved grey checked shirt, jeans and trainers. Last was eight-year-old Stephen, his shirt a dark brown short sleeved one with a checked pattern, as well as jeans and trainers.

All three boys, however, had their hands behind their backs, and Marog could see the ropes holding their wrists together there, as well as the rolled up white scarves that each of them had pulled between their lips as a cleave gag.

“Oh my god “

“Dinnae worry, ah’ll luhk efter them,” the masked women said as the boys were escorted into the front room, and she looked at Jay,

“What is it you want?”

“All in good time we know you have visitors coming, so your job this morning is simply to welcome them and allow them to come in without alerting their drivers to our presence. We will make them - comfortable until they ae all here, and then we will explain what is going to happen.

“Gentlemen assume the appointed positions, and await my word to move.”

Margo could hear the muffled words of her sons, and slowly nodded in agreement

10.45 am.

“We’re here Ma’am,” the driver said as the Daimler pulled up outside the front door of the manor house. Patricia Beauvoir looked through the window and nodded as he opened the door to allow her to come out. She was a diplomatic attach at the US embassy, in her early forties with long dark brown hair, wearing a dark blue blazer over a white top, grey pants and black high heels.

The driver then opened the rear doors as her twin eleven-year-old children got out. Amy had long curly brown hair, a ring of pink flowers on her head, and was wearing a long black dress with short sleeves, a white anchor print on the material and a white lace hem to the skirt. White deck shoes completed her outfit.

Her twin brother Ricky had short brown hair, and he was wearing a white hoodie with an anchor printed on the front, blue and white striped pants, and blue sandshoes. He looked at the house as the front door opened and Margo came out.

“Patricia I’m so glad you and the children could come. Why don’t you two go and join the boys in the front room they’re playing a very special game.”

“Must I,” Amy said as she looked at her mother.

“Yes, you must,” Patricia said as the driver handed the bags to Margo, then got back into the car as the two children made their way in. “So what sort of game are they playing they seem to be very quiet.”

“Yes there is a reason for that,” Margo said as she carried the bags in, Patricia following her as the door was closed and then her eyes shot open as the leather gloved hand covered her mouth and she saw the masked and armed man behind Margo.

“Hmmghhddwht “

“MOM!”

“Noo cahlm doon,” a woman with a Scottish accent said as Patricia saw Margo hold herself.

“I’m so sorry they took over the house an hour ago, and made me let you in This This is Patricia, her kids are Amy and Ricky.”

“Welcome Patricia,” the man said in a North of England accent, “my friend is going to take his hand away, and then he is going to secure your wrists together behind your back.”

The hand was indeed removed, as Patricia’s arms were pulled behind her back and she felt the rope on her wrists as they were forced together.

“Who is this,” she said quietly.

“My name is Jay Edwards,” the man said, as the ripe was tied off and then a second length of rope passed round her body, forcing her arms against her sides as two bands framed her chest.

“Is that meant to mean something?”

Patricia twisted round as the ropes were tied off, and then she was pushed into the front room. “Oh no,” she whispered as she saw the le Fay boys sat on a couch, their arms bound in the same way as hers, their legs secured at their ankles and below their knees, and white scarves pulled between their lips.

“Mom?”

She turned to see Ricky and Amy sitting on the floor, their upper bodied also bound with bands of rope, while two masked men were kneeling by them and binding their legs together below their knees. She could also see the bands of rope around their ankles, as a masked woman turned and said “dinnae worry mommie yer kids wuhl be jush fihn.”

“Mrs McPhee hasn’t hurt us and Amy can’t stop looking at the boys,” Rock said before a white scarf was pulled between his lips and tied tightly round his head. As Amy was gagged in the same way, Patricia was made to sit in an armchair and watch as yet another masked man started to bind her ankles.

“Jay another car coming.”

“Make sure she stays quiet,” he said as he and Margo left the room, Patricia too scared to move as they walked back to the front door.

“Yvette - comment vas-tu ce beau matin?”

“Pas trop mal, Margo. - Yves, allez, tu voulais voir les gar ons?”

“Oui m re,” a thirteen-year-old boy said as he got out of the car. He had reddish-brown hair, and was wearing a brown striped top with long sleeves and brown corduroy pants with tan leather Timberland boots. As he walked into the house, the new arrival kissed Margo on both cheeks and said “Suis-je le dernier arriver?”

“Non, mais je dois te dire quelque chose. Rentrez l’int rieur “

Margo nodded to the driver as she took the bags and followed the young French woman into the house. Yvette Duchamps was in her early thirties, her long black hair falling over the shoulders of the white high collared blouse and the black jumper with the deep round neckline she wore over it. She also had on a dark grey pencil skirt, and grey suede ankles boots.

“Alors qu’est-ce que tu veux dire, Margo... Mon Dieu !”

“I am so sorry Yvette,” Margo said as her latest guest stared at Jay,” we are being robbed and held hostage. They have the children and Patricia in the front room can you forgive me?”

“Margo, you have no choice all of them are in there?”

“As will you be, Madame Duchamps,” Jay said as he made a low bow, one of his associates binding Yvette’s wrists and upper body so that she could not move. She was then pushed into the front room and saw Patricia and the children, Yves sitting on the floor next to Amy as she watched Mrs McPhee secure his ankles and legs together.

“Mother, what is ghnhnhnnn.” She had to watch as he was cleave gagged and saw how grey the other children’s gags were at the corners of their mouths, before she was pushed into an armchair, a masked man binding her ankles together as well as her legs below her knees.

“What is going on, Margo? Who are they? Why are they doing this?”

“I have not been told - yet” Margo said quietly as she heard another car coming up to the house, and left Yvette as she was cleave gagged as well.

“Yhhhe?”

“Fhnksh,” Patricia said as they both looked to the door, hearing the talking before two more children came into the room. Andrew Yamaguchi was ten years old, and wearing a blue sweatshirt, grey jeans and brown shoes, while his seven-year-old sister Lily was wearing a long-sleeved cream coloured top and cerise pants, a matching scarf over her hair, as well as grey trainers.

“what’s going on,” Andrew said as he looked at the others.

“Hullo thair,” the masked woman said as she came and knelt in front of them, “Mah name is Mrs McPhee, ahn we’re gonna be spending some time togefer today.”

“Did you tie them up,” Lily asked as she looked at Amy.

“Aye ahn it’s yer tern noo, so put yer hahns behind yer back. Mah friends winnae hurt ye.”

Lily and Andrew looked at each other as Arthur said “httsnhtshbhd, jhst rhkhheks.” They nodded as they felt their hands being taken behind their backs, felt the ropes on their wrists as they were secured tightly together, and then the bands of rope keeping their arms against their bodies.

“Sit doon,” Mrs McPhee said as they walked over and sat next to Ricky, the American boy nodding as the two Japanese children stretched their legs out and watched the masked men bind their ankles and legs as well.

“Oh no “

“It does not hurt, Mother,” Andrew said as their mother Yoko Yamaguchi walked in, the bands of rope visible around her body as her black jacket was forced open either side of her white blouse. Her dark hair was held in a bun on her head, the tight matching skirt moving with her as she and Margo were forced to sit in a smaller settee. Margo also had her wrists and arms bound in the same way, as she watched two of the masked men start to bind their ankles and legs as well.

As this happened, both Andrew and Lily were cleave gagged before Mrs McPhee said “richt then ah wahn all o ye tae sit nice ahn quietly while Jay takes yer mammies fer a chat.”

“Why,” Margo said, “what are you oh god no, don’t “

“Dinnae worry Margo the kids will be fihn. We’re just gonnae watch a movie in there, ahl richt?”

Margo wasn’t sure why she felt reassured by this, but she nodded as the rolled-up scarf was pulled between her lips, and tied round her head. The mothers were made to get up stand in a line before they shuffled out of the room with Jay and two of the men, Mrs McPhee saying “let’s see whas ohn “

They were taken into the dining room and sat round the table as Jay sat at the head. “Now to explain why we are here,” he said quietly. The four mothers looking at each other as they seemed to feel calmer. “We wish to discuss some business with Margo’s husband Edward the fact you are here means you and your families will be part of the insurance to ensure he does what we want. So long as everyone stays calm, and behaves themselves, nobody needs to get hurt, all right?”

“Hmshrrhrrr,” Margo mumbled as she looked at the other three, all of them shaking their heads as Yvette said “Htssnhthuhrfhlt, mhrgh.”

“Exactly we will let you have lunch in a little while, before Mrs McPhee lets the children play a game so relax, and try not to panic at what may happen “

Friday
4 PM

“Thank you Jenkins I will see you in the morning,” Edward le Fay said as he got out of the car. The head of the family was in his early fifties, with close cut black hair greying at the temples, and was wearing a grey suit with a white shirt under the jacket, a black and grey striped tie round his neck. Looking at the cars parked outside, he smiled to himself as he walked into the house, closing the door as he said “is anyone around?”

“We’re in the television room,” he heard Arthur call out, so he walked along the corridor he said “so what have you my god “

He stared into the room at the group of boys and girls sitting in aa circle on the floor, their wrists tied together in front of themselves and to the ropes and that held their legs together below their knees. Their ankles were also bound, and all apart from Arthur had tape over their mouths a fact a masked woman in a blue boiler suit was rectifying as she pressed silver tape down over the young boy’s mouth.

“Hullo Mihstar le Fay,” she said in a broad Scottish accent as she stood up, “we’ve been playing games after lunch, ahn they’re ahl havening lots o’ fun, aren’t ye?”

Everyone nodded, Arthur included as Edward said “who What “

“Good afternoon Edward - please turn slowly round, and keep your hands where we can all see them.”

Edward slowly turned to see a group of masked men behind him, one holding a pistol in his gloved hands as he said “I am Jay Edwards I trust you have heard of me?”

He slowly nodded as he said “so that would mean the lady is Mrs McPhee?”

“Aye a richt pleasure tae meet ye.”

“Where is my wife, their mothers?”

“I will take you to them,” Jay said as one of the men walked behind Edward and guided his hands behind his back, using white trope to secure his wrists together, “if you will come with me?”

Edward nodded slowly as he was walked to the main room, Margo looking up and saying “hmmsshhreee” as she twisted in her armchair.

“Ladies Margo, I take it our captors have been here most of the day?”

His wife nodded as he looked at the other three. “Please accept my apologies ladies you must have been petrified.”

“Nhtthrhllhheee” Patricia mumbled, the other two nodding as Edward felt the ropes forcing his arms gains this sides.

“Seriously?”

“We are gifted in helping those we visit remain at ease,” Jay said, “and so long as you do as we say, and do not attempt to raise the alarm, so everyone will remain.”

“So what exactly is it you wish me to do,” Edward said as he was sat in an armchair, watching as his legs were secured.

“we will explain later, but for now, remain with the ladies,” Jay said as Edward felt the tape over his own mouth, and then tried to comfort his wife as best he could

Friday
7 pm

“I have to say, this is the strangest meal I have ever had,” Edward said as he looked around the large dining table, Margo and his sons nodding as they tucked into their supper. All of them had been released, ungagged and were talking about what had happened to them that day while Jay, Mrs McPhee and the others helped them be serving and collecting plates.

“So Mrs McPhee said they wanted you to do something for them, pops,” Stephen said as he sipped from a cup.

“That’s right and I want you three and your mother to do what they tell you to do. Ladies, I am afraid you and your children are going to be having a very different night, and I apologise again for that.”

“Do not fret Monsieur le Fay,” Yvette said as she looked at Yves, “we know you and we have no choice, although out husbands may be wishing to say something when we are found.”

“Be assured, that is common where we visit,” Jay said with a smile, “so first, accept my assurance, families will be kept together except for you and your sons Margo. It will be safer for all of your sons are in one room, and you in another.”

“And less likely for us to escape?”

“I admit, you may all find it difficult,” Jay said as Amy looked at her mother.

“Mom, will they hurt us?”

“they haven’t so far, have they Amy?”

“No but you hear stories “

“Amy, mah wee ain,” Mrs McPhee said, “if anyone we knew did tha to any child, we would make sur they got caught ahn punished.”

“By the police?”

“Aye eventually “

“Well, I am grateful we have come to no real harm,” Yoko said, “and we may change beforehand and be bound in the same way for each family?”

“Of course but eat up, because Mister le Fay will be leaving in a short while “

Friday
9 pm

“Tha rest o ye intae the fohn room,” Mrs McPhee said, “but Patricia, Amy and Ricky, ye cum wi me.”

“We’ll see you all tomorrow,” Patricia said as she walked up the staircase with her children, and into a large bedroom. Their bags were already out, and their bedclothes on the double bed but Ricky saw the pillow and the sleeping bag on the floor.”

“Come on, we’ll all get changed,” Patricia said as the other masked man stood outside the room, Mrs McPhee guarding them as they stripped off. Ricky put on a white t-shirt and checked shorts, while Patricia and Amy changed into matching pale blue silk pyjamas.

“Noo then,” Mrs McPhee said, “all o ye just stand nice ahn still, and cross yer wrists in front o yerselfs.”

As all three did this, she took a length of white rope and used it to secure Patricia’s wrists together in front of her, cinching the binding between her arms before she took the rope round her waist and secured the ends behind her back. Amy and Ricky watched as she did the same to them, before she took a long length and stood behind their mother, wrapping it round her arms and upper body as it formed two bands that framed her chest.

Ricky could not take his eyes off his mother as the masked woman did the same thing to him, before the man came back in and laid him on his back on the sleeping bag. As he felt the rope going round his ankles and forcing them together, he watched Mrs McPhee securing his little sister’s arms in the same way, the pyjama tops held in place as she helped both Patricia and Amy to lie side by side on the bed.

“Open your mouth, kid.”

Ricky nodded as he opened his mouth and allowed the man to push a folded cloth in, before a wide strip of micropore tape was pressed down over his lips. As this was done to him, his mother and sister had their ankles secured together, and their legs below their knees, before Mrs McPhee ran a rope from Amy’s ankles to her mother’s knees, and from Patricia’s ankles to the foot of the bed.

The sleeping bag was then zipped closed over him as he moved his head on the pillow, wriggling slightly as Patricia and Amy were gagged in the same way.

“Keep ah eye ohn them,” Mrs McPhee said, the man nodding as he turned the light off and Patricia kissed her daughter on the head with her taped lips.

“Are they safe in there?”

“Aye,” she said as she saw Edward le Fay outside, and Jay walking Yvette and Yves up the stairs. “Time for them to get settled,” he said as he took the casually dressed Edward down the stairs with him.

“You will go with my friend here, and do exactly what he says,” Jay said quietly. “He will call me every half hour, and so long as his reports are good, there is nothing to worry about. Do you understand?”

“Let me see my family.”

“Of course,” Jay said as he opened the door. Margo looked up from where she was sitting with her sons and said “Eddie, come home safe, please.”

“I will boys, I am so proud of you all,” he said as he looked at Thomas, Arthur and Stephen. “Be safe.”

“We will Dad,” Arthur said, the other two nodding as Edward was taken away

“Thar noo both o ye cumfy?”

Yvette turned her head and nodded before she looked at her son. He was wearing a grey pyjama top with long sleeves, light blue bottoms and white socks over the cuffs of the bottoms and white ropes holding his wrists together behind his back and his arms to his sides. She felt the ropes round her own wrists, and wriggled in the tight bands that framed her chest over her grey top, while her legs and her sons were tied together above and below the knees, and at their ankles, with more bands of rope. They also had their ankles secured to the foot of the bed as they lay on their sides.

“Mhmhmhehlkehbhlrht?”

“Hhfhnksh,” Yvette said through the cloth that filled her mouth and the tape that covered her lips, her son nodding as the white strip covered his mouth and jaw as well. She nodded in return as they tried to get comfortable and Mrs McPhee turned the light off, the masked man watching them as well.

As she came out of the room, Jay was escorting Yoko, Andrew and Lily up the staircase, Yoko holding her children’s hands as Mrs McPhee walked down the stairs. He took them into a third bedroom where their bags and nightclothes were out, saying “please get changed we will be waiting outside.”

“Will we be tied again mother,” Lily asked as he stepped out.

“I think so, so let’s agree we will all be the same, and we make a game of it, all right?”

The two children nodded as they changed into their nightclothes Yoko and Lily both put on pairs of pink Hello Kitty pyjamas, while Andrew put on a pair of white silk pyjamas with green trim and a tiger print on the fabric.

“We are ready,” Yoko said as Jay came back in with one of his partners, and she saw Margo and the boys slowly walking past them with Mrs McPhee. He smiled as he took a long length of brown rope, doubled over and with a loop in the middle, as he said “Lily, Andrew, watch what I do to your mother and then I will do the same thing to you.”

The two children watched as he put the loop at the back of their mother’s neck and then let the ends drop to the floor in front of her, before he started to wind the rope down her arms as he pulled them behind her back. Yoko smiled at them as he folded her arms and secured them together with the rope, before he fed it through the loop at her neck and pulled them up. Separating the ends, he then wrapped the rope around her arms and chest, her pyjama top stretching as she was immobilized.

“Does it hurt,” Lily said quietly as Jay secured the ends behind Yoko’s back. “No,” she said with a smile, “and you are safe with him. Allow him to do this to both of you.” She watched as Jay did the same thing to Andrew, and then to Lily, before they all sat on the bed, her children either side of her. The masked man with Jay took more rope and secured Yoko’s legs together above her knees, then below them, and finally round her ankles so they were held tightly together, while Jay ensured that both Lily and Andrew had their legs secured in the same way.

He then helped them to lie down before pushing folded cloths into their mouths and pressing strips of the white tape down over their lips, Lily rubbing her cheek against her mother as Andrew tried to get comfortable.

“Watch them,” Jay said as he left the room, turning the light off and then heading to where he could hear voices coming from. As he went in, he saw that Thomas, Arthur and Stephen were standing in a line, each wearing long sleeved pyjamas. Thomas was wearing a dark blue top and pants with grey and dark blue stripes, Arthur a green top and pants with black stripes, and Stephen an orange top and pants, also with black stripes.

All three, however already had white tape covering their mouths and he saw the bulge in their cheeks, as well as the fact they all had their arms behind their backs as one of his associates passed the rope round Stephen’s arms and upper body.

“They will be all right, won’t they,” Margo said quietly as she watched her sons having their arms secured to their sides one by one.

“Have we done anything to make you think we would not keep our word,” Jay said, Margo shaking her head as he took a mobile phone from his pocket.

“This is Jay Edwards.

“Good assure him his family and guests are all cooperating, and continue with the task at hand. Call again when he has finished.

“Thank you,” he said quietly as he ended the call, Margo hugging herself as she said “Edward is doing what you want?”

“He is,” Jay said as the three boys were helped to lie face down on the king-sized bed. The three of them then crossed and secured their ankles together with rope, and their legs below their knees, before pulling their ankles back and securing them to their chest ropes as they lay there.

“I think we need to secure you now,” Jay said as he looked at Margo, “Mrs McPhee?”

“Cum wi me,” the masked woman said as she escorted Margo to her bedroom, and watched as she changed into a grey night dress that came to her knees and had lace details at the sleeves, a design saying “Perfect Sleep” on the front.

“I don’t know if I will sleep,” she said as she stood still, Mrs McPhee taking her hands behind her back and then using the rope to hold them tightly together. She then passed the longer rope around Margo’s upper body, forcing her arms against her sides as she framed her chest with bands above and below.

“Ach ye’ll sleep the adrenaline yer’ feeling whul soon wear off.”

“And my husband?”

“Once he does wha Jay asked, mah friend will make sure hes secure thair. Noo then sit doon on the bed.”

As Margo sat down, she saw Mrs McPhee take more rope and kneel down, securing her ankles tightly together and then her legs below her knees before she stood up.

“Time to be quiet?”

“Time tae be quiet,” Mrs McPhee said as Margo opened her mouth, tasting the clean cotton on her tongue as it filled her mouth and pushed her cheeks out. The tape tugged on the skin round her mouth before she was helped to lie on her side, the masked woman pulling her ankles back and securing them to her chest ropes before she walked to the door.

“Sleep well,” she said as she turned the light off.

“Ehheehsefheyuhth “ Margo suddenly felt very tired as her eyelids closed

“Everybody secure and asleep?”

“Aye,” Mrs McPhee said as she came into the main room, “the wee yins ahr nice ahn quiet, ahn their mommies as wehl.”

“Good this is Jay Edwards.”

Mrs McPhee watched as her partner answered the call.

“Good and he is secure.

“Excellent, depart with my thanks. You will receive payment in due course.”

He put the mobile phone away and said “okay clear up and move out “

Saturday
6 am

“Hey Doris ready for a day at the grindstone?”

“I am, Pete,” the cleaner said as she walked with the security guard. “Quiet night?”

“So far nothing to report on Did you hear that?”

They both looked at the store cupboard, the guard opening it to see Edward le Fay sitting on the floor, ball tied and gagged as he screamed out “RHSSTHTHLHRHHMMM!!”

Saturday
8.30 am.

“What is the problem?”

“My apologies, sir,” the driver said as Patrick Beauvoir sat in the back of the car, “there appears to be a police car stopping traffic at the entrance to the house.”

“There is,” Patrick said as the driver rolled down the window2, a police officer looking in and saying “Sorry, sir, nobody but family is allowed up to the house at the moment.”

“My family is up there,” Patrick said as he showed the officer his pass.

“Mr Beauvoir we wondered if you were coming. Go on up, Monsieur Duchamps and Mister Yagamuchi are already at the house.”

“What has happened?”

“They will explain up there,” the officer said as he waved them on. The driver made his way up the driveway and stopped outside the house as Patrick got out and walked in.

“DADDY!”

“What happened,” Patrick said as Ricky and Amy ran up and hugged him.

“A robbery,” Patrice Duchamps said as he sat with his family, “they were all held hostage overnight.”

“A robbery? Who by?”

“Jay Edwards and Mrs McPhee,” Patricia said, “we were all tied and gagged in the bedrooms, and only woke up when the police came in “

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