Free Hope To Escape by Jack Parker

realize in hindsight that Esther would likely react that way?), how livid would this woman be when he told her that the artist meant to kidnap her friend, or may have already?
     
    "I'm sorry I bothered you," Roden replied, but he just stood there, unsure what to do next. He hated the thought of facing this woman with the news he had to reveal, but she was also his only hope in righting the current catastrophe.
     
    "Well?" Esther's friend gasped. Roden thought he saw a flash of curiosity cross her face before she gave him an imprudent glare.
     
    Maybe her cocky attitude was just for show. She simply covered up her insecurities by being a bitch . . . He had to tell her, to get to the next step in saving his friend and hers from a bad situation. "Can I speak with you alone?" he asked.
     
    She rewarded his question with an exaggerated look of haughtiness. Yup, Roden thought, he was right. She was compensating. "No, you can have nothing to say that my date here can't hear."
     
    Oh, yes, she enjoyed this attention. It added a little flare to her date, so she played up on the dramatics. Roden glanced at her date and back to the overreacting woman. Then he glanced back.
     
    "Do I know you?" Roden addressed the man. He almost had a vaguely familiar face.
     
    The man rose up off his chair slightly to offer his hand to Roden. His nonchalance showed that he was not affected by the conversation between the intruder and his date. He found it slightly amusing by the smirk on his face. "Martin Voletti. I don't think we've met." He sat back down in his seat. "I have seen the Esther statues, though. Very good. I've been to La Donne on 5th many times. In fact, that's where Manda and I met."
     
    "Dr. Michael Roden," Roden replied in greeting. He didn't recognize the man's name. Maybe they crossed paths at the gallery. He had been there several times himself over the years, and he did have a good memory for faces if not for names.
     
    "Doctor?" Manda inserted, "Like a 'psychiatrist' doctor?" Roden colored, and she smirked at her correct guess.
     
    "Listen," Roden addressed them both, "I really don't mean to interrupt your meal. Truly. It's just that . . ." he paused. No this would be delicate ground.
     
    Manda raised her eyebrow at him again. Not a very becoming habit of hers, Roden reflected. He went on, "Max - the artist - is convinced – somehow – that Esther is in some kind of trouble." Manda's expression started to reconfigure into confused concern. "He left me a voice message saying that he was going to try to . . . 'take her away'."
     
    "What?" Manda breathed. The concern appeared sincere. The first genuine expression Roden noticed on this woman.
     
    "Come again?" Martin added in turn. Roden ignored him. It really was between him and Manda.
     
    He quickly filled her in on the rest of what he knew to try to keep her calm and get some action going. Manda, skeptical by nature, took a little more convincing than he felt they had time for. When she finally understood what Roden told her, she grabbed her cell phone and called Esther's number. Esther didn't answer her home phone. Manda then tried her cell phone with no success. After trying each phone number a second time, Roden got her to agree to lead him to Esther's apartment so that they could check on her and warn her of Max's ill-considered intentions.
     
    Martin insisted on joining them, declaring that Roden was a stranger, and one with odd circumstances for making their acquaintance. Roden could understand the justification in that.
     
    The apartment was several city blocks away, so they took Roden's twenty-year old BMW sport coupe. Though, a bit cramped with the three adults, it sped along very quickly, which was the necessary objective at that moment.
     
    Manda wanted to call the police, and Roden had a difficult time convincing her to hold off until they reached Esther's apartment. Luckily, Martin was of the same understanding as Roden, and convinced Manda to refrain