***Willow Pond***
Jonathan pulled up and parked. He noticed that Jennifer's car wasn't in the driveway.
He got out and went inside.
"Max? Jennifer?"
Max came out of the kitchen.
"Hiya Mr. H. Mrs. H. isn't home. She's been gone all day".
"Thanks Max".
He picked up the phone and called Stanley.
"Stanley, it's Mr. Hart. Can you please come to my house? It's important. And bring your office computer with you".
He hung up the phone.
He called Jennifer's car phone. No answer.
"Max, did Jennifer say when she would be back?"
"No, she didn't".
"Well, hopefully, she'll be home soon."
He went to the bar and fixed himself a cocktail, before heading upstairs to change out of his suit.
"When Stanley gets here, let him in please, will you Max?"
"Sure thing, Mr. H."
Jonathan took a long hot shower and tried to calm down. Just seeing Chris Perkins made his blood boil. If that smug piece of crap knew just how hard he had worked to just get Hart Industries off the ground, he would realize why it was so important to him. Jonathan wanted nothing more than to break every bone in his face, but out of respect for Jennifer, he refrained. This time.
He threw on some jeans and a long-sleeved polo and came downstairs.
He found Max in the kitchen.
"Max, I've been thinking. Thanksgiving is coming up, and we always spent that with Stephen. So this year, why don't we try and make it as special as possible for Jennifer? Family recipes, family china, whatever we can do".
"You got it, Mr. H."
Max had made chili for dinner, so he made himself a bowl. He hated to eat without Jennifer, but he was starving since he hadn't eaten all day. He could probably stand to eat another bowl when Jennifer got home.
He picked up the phone and called her car phone again. Straight to voicemail.
"This isn't like her at all."
"You know how women are, Mr. H. She's probably shopping and just lost track of the time".
"I hope that's all it is."
He finished his chili and then took his bowl to the sink. He rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher.
He headed back to the living room and sat on the couch.
A few minutes later, Stanley arrived.
"Hello, Mr. Hart".
"Hi Stanley, thanks for coming. I spoke with Chris Perkins, and he swears that he isn't responsible for any of the stock attempts, nor did he purchase the real estate, and he swears that he didn't attempt to hack our security infrastructure last night".
"Well, I'm happy to take a look again, and a deeper look if necessary".
"Thank you, Stanley".
Stanley sat down on the opposite couch and got to work.
Max came in and sat by Jonathan.
"Max, let's go over it again. Did Mrs. H. say she was meeting anyone today? I know she said she was getting a pedicure and getting her hair cut, but did she say any of her friends would be with her?"
"No, she didn't".
He picked up the phone and called Susan.
"Hey, have you heard from Jennifer?"
"No, I haven't, is everything all right?"
"I'm not sure. She was supposed to be home hours ago and she isn't answering her phone".
"I will make some calls and if I hear anything I'll let you know".
"Thanks, Susan".
He hung up the phone.
"Susan hasn't heard from her either.
"Mr. H, did you track her using the GPS on her car?"
"No, I haven't, because she doesn't have a GPS on her car, Stanley".
"What's her phone number?"
"323. 424. 0210".
"Well, I've been developing something on the side, Mr. H. It's a way to use someone's phone number as a GPS. I call it FindMe. It has the capability to override a phone that's off, and will still tell the location".
"Whatever you can do, I would appreciate it".
He pulled up the website and logged in, and then put in her telephone number.
"Ok, this will only take about 3 minutes."
He minimized the location website, and got back to work on running the reports.
A few minutes later, his computer dinged to indicate that the location had been located.
"Here it is. 8723 Wilshire Blvd".
"Thanks, Stanley".
He got up and grabbed his coat.
Max got up too.
"Let me drive you, Mr. H."
"Sure. Stanley, we'll be back. Make yourself at home".
They headed out and rode in silence.
Max pulled them up to the hair salon.
"There it is-Luscious. That's her hair salon".
"And there's her car, parked right there by the lamp".
They pulled up and parked and walked over to it. Her purse was on the ground by her tire.
Keys were in her purse.
"Someone's got her, Max. I just know it".
"Why would she leave her purse?"
"She wouldn't, unless she dropped it".
He grabbed the car phone from the Mercedes and called the police.
"Lt. Gray please".
A few minutes later, Lt. Gray picked up.
"Hello?"
"Herschel, it's Jonathan. Listen, Jennifer didn't come home tonight. I found her car, and her purse was under the tire, on the ground. Can you have someone come do fingerprints on her car? And can you have your men find my wife please?"
He gave them the address and Herschel promised they would be right there.
Max and Jonathan waited for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, Herschel showed up with a few officers.
They dusted for fingerprints and took some pictures. They contacted the strip mall's owner to retrieve camera footage.
"Go home Jonathan. If we find her, I'll call you myself".
"Where is she, Herschel?"
"We don't know just yet. Do you have any idea of anyone who would want to hurt her, or hurt you by taking her?"
"Just one. Chris Perkins. He's staying at the Beverly Hills Hilton, room 818. I spoke with him earlier tonight, and it wasn't a pleasant conversation."
"We will go interview him. You go home and I'll call and update you".
"Thanks, Herschel".
***Jennifer***
Jennifer slowly opened her eyes. There was a ringing in her ears that she couldn't get rid of. Her head felt so heavy, and she was freezing.
She felt like someone was talking to her, but she couldn't really make it out.
"….never noticed me….never really wanted to see me….only wanted to see them….didn't call me first….called him first…."
She slowly turned her head and saw the person who was holding her captive. She blinked her eyes several times. Surely this person wasn't the one responsible. Kidnapping people and holding them against their will was so out of character for them. This just had to be a mistake.
She tried to move her hands, but they were tied behind her so tight.
Finally, the voice became a little clearer.
"Don't try to move your arms. It's no use. I've tied your arms tight enough to ensure that you won't be able to get away."
Her throat hurt, and she was very thirsty.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Simple. You have something that I cannot get from anyone else. And I will do anything to get it. I didn't want to do this to you, but I didn't have a choice".
"Whatever it is, it's yours. You don't have to do it this way".
"Yeah, right. You never once paid me any attention. This way, I get what I want, and I will know that you will definitely think about me afterwards".
"Not true. I paid attention to you".
"No, you didn't. I never measured up to the others."
Jennifer nodded off again, her headache quietly dulling her senses, and becoming unbearable.
Her last thoughts before she drifted in to unconsciousness were of Jonathan.
"Please save me".
***Willow Pond***
Jonathan and Max came in the house. Jonathan went straight to the bar and poured himself a scotch. He practically gulped it.
"Any luck, Mr. H.?"
"Well, that address you pulled up worked. Her car was there. All her things were there. She wasn't there. The police are looking for her now".
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hart. I just knew you were going to find her".
"Me too, Stanley. Me too".
"You had a phone call while you were out. Susan Kendall. She said she called the others and nobody has heard from Mrs. Hart today".
He sat down.
"Any luck on your end?"
"Well, I completed two out of the three reports. And the results were the same. But I'm wondering if maybe your friend is right, Mr. Hart. Maybe someone is setting up your friend".
"He isn't my friend. And why would someone set him up this way?"
"Not sure. One theory is, they are trying to do a sneak attack. Like they expect you to trace it, so they are making sure that it gets traced in an opposite direction. Another theory is that he didn't do it, but he's working with the person who did, so that he knows the outcome but not the technicalities."
Just then, the phone rang.
Jonathan picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Jonathan, it's Hershel. Listen, I'm here at Chris Perkins' hotel room. We ran a sweep on his cell phone as well as his hotel room phone, plus we pulled the footage from the hotel today. He's clean. He didn't leave the hotel all day, and nobody resembling Jennifer came in at all. He has no suspicious activity on either phone".
"Dammit. Then where the hell is she?"
"I don't know. Listen, I'm going to bring him to your house, so we can talk to him a little more. Plus, he knows Jennifer, so he could be of help".
"Fine. I don't like it, but I'll allow it".
"We will see you soon, Jonathan".
He hung up the phone and fixed himself another drink.
"Herschel is on his way. And he's bringing Chris Perkins".
About 20 minutes later, they showed up.
Max let them in.
Chris and Jonathan just glared at each other.
"Stanley, this is Chris Perkins. Please show him the reports that indicate that he's been trying to buy stock, and that he did buy our properties for sale".
"Sure, Mr. H."
Chris didn't say anything, he just quietly walked over to Stanley and sat down next to him.
Stanley explained the reports to him, and showed him how each one came back to him.
"I see my name on here. But I swear, I didn't purchase real estate. I didn't try to purchase stock, and I don't have the slightest idea of how to hack".
Stanley decided to run a deeper test.
Chris got up and walked around the room a little bit. He picked up a picture of Jonathan and Jennifer kissing, and looked at it, and then set it back down.
"Nice picture".
"Thanks. MY wife loves that picture".
Max had made Herschel his usual drink and was coming around with a tray of snacks.
"Can I interest you in a drink, Mr. Perkins?"
"We don't serve abductors here, Max".
"Then you won't mind if I have something, will you? I'll take a beer".
"You'll take a water and you'll like it".
"Fine. Water will be fine, thank you".
"Right away".
Herschel was about to say something to Jonathan, when the phone rang.
Jonathan picked it up.
"Hello?"
He handed it to Herschel.
"It's for you".
He talked for a few minutes, and then hung up.
"Did you have a GPS installed on Jennifer's car?"
"No, I didn't. I trust my wife, I would never do that".
"Well, I had forensics do a complete look over on her car and they found one. They are tracing the registration of it now."
***Jennifer***
Jennifer slowly came back to consciousness. She was alone in the room. A tray of food and water had been left for her, and her arms were now tied in front of her.
There was a note on the tray.
"Ring bell if you need me".
She thought about it and then rang the bell.
A few minutes later, the door opened.
"Hi, good to see you awake".
"I need to go to the bathroom".
"Certainly".
Her captor came over to her.
"No tricks".
She nodded.
The captor untied her feet and helped her up, and led her to the bathroom.
They untied her hands, and then Jennifer went into the bathroom and shut the door. Flipping on the light, she saw that the bathroom was small and only had the bare basics. There was a window, but it was frosted. The edges of it looked rusty, so she doubted she could open it.
She could feel the tears ready to fall at any moment, but she refused to let them. That would be admitting defeat and the last thing she wanted to do was to let her captor know that she was scared.
She went to the bathroom and then washed her hands and tried to wash her face some. The water was freezing cold, as was the rest of the place.
She came out and found her captor waiting on her.
"Feel better?"
She nodded.
"I'm really cold. Can I have a blanket?"
"In due time".
Her captor led her back to the chair she was being held in and sat her down. They crouched down and retied her feet to the chair.
She reached forward and opened the water bottle and took a swig.
"You haven't touched your dinner".
"I'm not all that hungry. I had a big lunch".
"Now, Jennifer, I was following you all day. You didn't have anything to eat after you left your house. I don't want you to be hungry. I ordered your favorite meal from the Bistro. You should really eat a little bit".
"How do you know what I like and don't like at the Bistro?"
"Silly Jennifer. I've been tracking your movements for some time now. I've been selectively watching you, both in person and from afar. I know more about you than you think".
"Why on earth would you follow me?"
"Because, you have what I want. And in order to get it, I needed to figure out when it was the best time to approach you. And in order to know that, I had to follow you."
"This is silly. What could I possibly have that you want?"
"Your inheritance".