The sound of Walter’s infant son’s ear-piercing cries welcomed him home after he got home from work. His spouse, Abby, was completely disheartened as she sat in the kitchen, her expression displaying the tiredness she had from attempting to calm their youngster.
Walter attempted to console her by giving her a backward embrace. Gently, “How long has he been crying?” he inquired.
“Walter, I’ve tried everything,” Abby wailed. He’s had baths, fed, changed, and burped. I took his temperature as well! There is nothing more that I can do. He just won’t stop sobbing.
Their lives had completely changed since becoming parents a month ago, and nothing upset Walter more than seeing his son Logan scream in this way.
He led Abby to the nursery and said, “Let’s figure it out together.”
With an optimistic smile on his face, Walter approached the crib, only to be shocked to see that Logan was not inside. Rather, an audio tape of his infant’s wails was being played on a dictaphone. Beneath it was a note. His hands shook as he took up the note after pressing the stop button to end the cries.
“What’s happening?” With a look of dread on Walter’s face, Abby questioned, her voice faltering. She grabbed the note from him and began reading it out loud:
“I forewarned you. You’ll be sorry for treating me badly. Leave $200,000 in the lockers on the dock if you want to see your baby again. You won’t see him again if you report him to the police.”
With a pale face, Abby gasped. What does that signify, exactly? Logan’s kidnapping—by whom? Did we cause someone offence?
Walter had a flashback to the hospital janitor. Logan and Walter got into a fight a few days after Logan was born after Logan unintentionally knocked over a gift that Walter had bought for Abby. Walter had insulted the man out of anger. He remembered what the janitor had said: “You’ll regret it!”
Heart thumping, Walter added, “We need to call the police.” “It’s definitely him,”
Abby objected, saying, “But the note says we’ll never see Logan again if we do that.” “Let’s simply pay the ransom!”
Walter emphasized, “We can’t trust him.” If we called the police, he wouldn’t be aware of it. Furthermore, they might apprehend him before Logan suffers any harm.
Abby reluctantly consented, and they made their way to the police station. However, Walter’s phone buzzed as they were parking outside. A SMS message was sent:
This is the last caution you have. Your son is going to the bay if you go inside that police station. Pay the invoice as directed.
Walter looked around, trying to find any indication that the kidnapper was still there while Abby’s face twisted in fear. He concluded that paying the ransom was their last remaining alternative after realizing they were being observed. However, Abby’s sickness got worse before they could get to the bank, so Walter made the decision to take her home first.
Walter drove to the pier and, following her departure, took out the money and put the ransom inside the locker as directed. He then parked close by and watched as his eyes scanned the throng. Before long, he noticed the janitor walking over to the locker. But before Walter could confront him, a throng of tourists obscured his vision. The janitor was disappeared by the time they cleared out.
Walter looked around frantically, and after a few tense moments, he saw the janitor again, carrying the bag of money this time. Walter trailed behind him, biding his time. Walter lunged in and slammed the janitor against the metal doors as he hesitated at another set of lockers.
“Where is my son right now?” Walter demanded, his rage palpable in his voice.
Terrified, the janitor stumbled and said, “I have no idea about your son! To pick up and deliver the box here, I got compensated. I promise!
Walter knew the man was talking the truth when he saw the fear in his eyes. When he opened the locker, it was vacant. To get at the money, someone had sliced a hole in the back.
Walter felt hopeless. In what way could he inform Abby that their child was still absent? Even worse, he was now afraid Logan might not return home. But he made another startling finding when he got home: Abby had vanished. She wasn’t answering her phone, and her possessions were gone.
Walter initially thought she had also been abducted, but the more he considered the situation, the more it made sense. Abby was adamant about having to pay the ransom. She’d felt nauseous and hurried home. Gradually, the terrible realization struck him: Logan’s kidnapping was orchestrated by Abby.
Walter came up with a desperate scheme. He went up to a physician at Logan’s birthing facility and offered him money to pretend to be calling Abby, saying Logan had a rare genetic disease that required immediate medical attention. The doctor told Walter that Abby would take Logan to the hospital after the ruse succeeded.
Walter was watching from a distance the following day when Abby and his younger brother James arrived at the hospital with Logan in their arms. Officers encircled them as soon as they entered because the cops were prepared.
Abby and James were taken into custody by an FBI agent who declared, “You’re under arrest for kidnapping.” When Abby cried out that Logan was unwell, Walter moved forward and snidely told her that Logan was OK. And I’m taking him home with me.
Abby spat one last bombshell as she was dragged away in handcuffs. “You don’t even own Logan! He is James’ offspring!
With the weight of her words bearing down on him, Walter froze. His brother was unable to look him in the eye. Although the betrayal hurt, it was now irrelevant. Logan was in his arms, and he had no intention of letting go of him.
Walter said, “If I have to, I’ll adopt him.” “No matter what, I’ll raise him because he’s my son.”
After that, he left the hospital with the intention of giving Logan the life he truly deserved.