Chapter 10: New Lead

Beth sat back and waited for Jerry to continue. After a moment he sat up and took a deep breath. "I've known them for years. They are both good people. They both love Caden and would never hurt him."

"Why did she run away with him?" Mick asked needing a starting point.

"To get away. Anthony's not a bad guy really he's just…he's always gotten whatever he wanted in life and doesn't take no for an answer. They married quickly and were totally in love. I remember it. I also noticed how things faded in the last few years. He worked all the time and she spent her time devoted to Caden but you could tell something was missing. I could anyways."

Beth nodded, "You were their friend."

"Yeah and then Robin asked for a divorce and that's when things changed. Anthony didn't want to lose her. He wanted to keep her and their perfect life together and she wouldn't hear of it."

"They both talked to you separately didn't they?" Beth guessed.

"Yes and I've never told anyone what they said. Look they are good people. I didn't want to choose sides but what he did…that was wrong."

"What did he do?"

Jerry looked down at his hands, "He had this plan. He knew that Robin might be willing to leave him but she'd never leave Caden and he was right. He used his money and influence and greased some palms to make her look unfit as a parent so she could only see him as he allowed. He thought she'd get so lonely not being able to see him but once a week, time he was always there for, that she would see how great they were as a family and come back."

"He just told you his master plan?"

"Not completely. I pieced most of it together on my own."

Beth looked at Mick trying to figure out how a man could turn love into such a perversion. No matter how many times she saw it the concept astounded her.

"You told Robin?" Mick nudged pushing the conversation along.

"She came to me. She told me what happened. She was deemed unfit due to her past. The stuff they used was from years ago when she was young and should have been thrown out. I told her to fight. Then she told me that she couldn't fight him that he had something on her."

"What did he have on her?"

Jerry shrugged, "I don't know. She didn't tell me. She said she couldn't stand this visitation and he always tried to hold and touch her making sure that she wouldn't do anything because of Caden. He was blackmailing her with her son. The world is full of gray areas but not that, that is crossing the line."

"Who came up with the idea to kidnap him?" Mick asked wanting to know who had been the brains.

"She planned to take him and asked for my help. She had a plan but…I helped her refine it. We got him out of the house and then helped her pack a bag for him and leave. Caden was safely in the car when she came back to hit me. She didn't want to, she was scared she'd hurt me but I knew if Anthony found out I helped her run away he'd destroy me."

He looked at them with pleading eyes, "Please I know I broke the law…but I was doing what I thought was right. Please, pleased I beg of you to not tell him what I did. Think of you daughter, I can't lose Eric."

Mick knew he was telling the truth he could read it off of him easily. He had no intention of helping a man who would use his power to blackmail the mother of his child into loving him. "We will keep this between us as best as we can but you have to tell us everything you know."

"I did, I swear. I don't know anything else. I told her not to tell me where she was going just in case. I know Anthony was acting like a monster but he still loves her and his boy. I knew he'd come to me to talk and…"

"You didn't want to tell him in a moment of weakness when he is missing his son," Mick finished for him.

"Yeah but right now I'm too worried about what he'd do to me if he found out."

"You said you helped her plan it. Tell us what you know," Mick pushed hoping to get him back on the path.

"Well we knew he'd call the cops right away so she'd have to ditch her credit cards. She said she could get cash. I don't know where she got it but she said she should have enough to get them away. She brought a suitcase with her for Caden's things. We packed it quickly and told him he was going on a trip. He was excited to go. I don't know much else…oh and I might have told her to ditch her car."

"Smart," Mick mused. "Not so much for us."

Jerry shrugged, "Just some common sense and things you see on TV."

Beth fought back a laugh. "Do you know what she was driving?"

"She arrived in her car. She said she had something else lined up." He looked between them and wrung his hands, "Are you…are you going to tell him what I've done?"

"We'll tell him you were very helpful to our investigation but what you told us is for now nothing we feel he needs to know. If you do hear from Robin you must call us immediately," Beth reached in her purse and pulled out her card.

"Of course," he took the card and nodded vigorously.

Mick and Beth stood up with Jerry following suit. "We've better get going we have a lot of work to do."

Mick walked Beth to the car and helped her inside keeping his hand up to block as much of the sun as possible. Once he was settled behind the wheel and had the Benz started and the air on he looked at Beth, "We knew he was hiding something."

"Yeah but…don't get me wrong I don't agree with what he did at all. It's disgusting that he would use her child against her to try and pressure her to take him back and it took strength not to let him pressure her but…I don't know I think there are other ways than to kidnap your child. That puts undo stress on him at such a young age."

"Let's try and see what we can do. I want to know more about our client. We should stop by and see the scene. I doubt there will be anything left to scent with the police trampling all over it."

Beth nodded and looked out the window as Mick pulled away from the curb. "Mick?" She looked over to make sure he was listening. "You know I don't know why I didn't pick up on it before but why aren't the FBI involved? Don't they normally work missing children cases? Especially with a father as connected and obsessed as Singleton."

"I was just thinking the same thing. You should give your cop friend a call and see what you can find out."

To Be Continued…

Evilous