note: Thank you for the PMs, and good to see you back, Flwrgrl. Your input has always been considerate and thought provoking. With Chapter 20 it marks the first time we see Fenton on the scene in this installment. With Frank coming along for good measure, who can say what may happen? Per usual, feel free to PM or review. thanks for reading.

-20-

Fenton and Frank stood outside the suite door. They had just arrived at the Pembrook Springs Retreat. Fenton rapped on the door. A moment later the door opened and Iola smiled at them.

"Hey there!" She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Fenton. "Good to see you." She said emotionally.

"Hello, my dear." Fenton boomed, returning her embrace. "So good to see you!" A moment later Callie walked from the other room to see her new visitors.

"Hello Fenton!" She exclaimed upon seeing him. Her eyes then shifted to Frank. She blinked a few times, looking uncertain, then smiled to him. "Frank, so good to see you, too!"

"Cal. I hope you are feeling alright, all things considered." Callie forced her best smile and nodded.

"Doing my best, Frank."

"I thought Frank might be able to assist on this." Fenton said as they walked in.

"Great!" Iola said with enthusiasm. "The more eyes on this, the better. Please come in and have a seat." She invited, gesturing towards a nearby sofa. The two men nodded affirmatively.

"Oh, that's much better." Fenton said with a sigh. "That's quite a little drive. Looks like a very nice place, considering where we are." Callie nodded and she poured herself a much-needed drink.

"Yes, it's a bit of an oasis in the middle of a place which is very much otherwise a dump. Can I offer you gentlemen a drink?"

"Coffee would do nicely, my dear." Fenton requested.

"That would work for me as well, Cal." Frank spoke up.

"I can do that, gentlemen. I might have some myself. A little Irish coffee that is." She added.

Frank and Fenton exchanged glances with Iola. She nodded briefly, affirming their look acknowledging that yes, Callie was being fairly liberal with her alcohol intake this evening.

Callie soon brought over drinks for all and set them down on the table in front of the sofa. She took a seat across from them.

"Thank you, my dear." Fenton helped himself and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Callie, I am very sorry about what has happened. Each time I've had the pleasure to encounter Madeleine I have noticed what a mature young lady she is." Callie sat back sipping on her drink. She looked up with a faint smile. He noted her worn out expression.

"She is that, Fenton." Callie said with a sniffle.

"Frank brought me up to speed on the specifics of when and how it happened. So, I will spare you from reliving that part. You seem beleaguered enough, and there is little point for now to go back into it."

"Thank you for that, Fenton. So, do you have any gut instinct on what we are facing here? As you probably figured, I have lost a bit of perspective. When it's your own kid things just tend to be hard to process and make any sense from it."

"Well, my dear, as much as I don't want to admit it, I am not clairvoyant. At this point, my gut instinct is telling me to exhaust the human trafficking investigation. The market has picked up dramatically over the last ten years. And unfortunately, about 80% of it is made up of females age 5 to 17. There is good money in it."

"What is good money, Fenton? I mean how much do these bastards get for the average teenage girl?"

"Well, there are many factors to consider. Location is one of the big ones. For instance, if you are on the eastern seaboard selling to other Americans, the average price can be $25,000 to $75,000, depending on how desirable the young lady is. If they are exporting them to the middle east, the value goes up considerably. A blonde non-professional teenage girl could fetch upwards of $250,000."

"Nonprofessional?" Callie repeated. Fenton nodded.

"Not a girl trained or engaging in prostitution." Callie took a rather big drink and set the glass down.

"Ok, then riddle me this. Why didn't this piece of trash contact us with a ransom demand? We would have gladly paid numbers far greater than that to get Maddie back." Fenton smiled understandingly.

"Well, yes, I can see your point. But, chances are quite high that the kidnapper is totally unaware that Maddie's parents are worth millions of dollars. Remember, they took her from a bowling alley in a poor area of town. Most kidnappers select areas like this because they are easy to find candidates to take. Also, as you well know, kidnapping poor kids means there will be less media coverage. Less interest by some municipalities to focus too many resources on the recovery. In addition to the fact that they simply don't know what you are worth, it is far easier and safer for them to use a broker. A broker is of course the go-between. They screen the buyer to ensure they are not undercover law enforcement. They handle the transfers. The kidnappers do not want to deal with the high-risk aspects associated with dealing with the parents with a ransom scenario. More often than not, law enforcement is always involved in the background."

"So..." Iola spoke up. "They would fear entrapment even if we held a news conference offering them a million dollars." Fenton nodded soberly.

"I'm afraid so. Many of these types know if they are caught they end up dead of with prison and no chance of parole. So, the concept of offering them a bonus doesn't often work. They usually don't want to risk their freedom for the prospect of a bonus." Callie picked up her empty glass and looked down at it. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"So, this is why Chet is playing the other angle and hoping to infiltrate the human trafficking market." Frank nodded.

"Yes. This was my best advice to him. I told him that it would be unwise to just come here and kick in doors and be a PI."

"Well, already one of us doing that and failing miserably as it is." Callie muttered.

"So, what if it's not a trafficker?" Iola asked, concern in her voice.

"Well..." Fenton sat back and thought for a moment. "If you really do want me to take my best guess, I would say we should put heavy odds on Maddie having been taken by a trafficker."

"And what do you base that on?" Fenton gave a wry smile and took another drink of coffee.

"The profile of this guy has him connected to potentially 14 or more abductions. These are not the typical actions of someone looking to just kidnap a girl for their own personal pleasures. While there are collectors, they are relatively rare in terms of this quantity. The ability to keep 14 or more teenage girls captive is one which requires a great deal of privacy. Not to mention mental balance."

"Are you sure that is the proper term to use for this guy, Fenton?" Callie shook her head.

"Well, I mean to say that he must not be the type who can lose his method and pattern under heavy stress. I mean think about it in terms of if you have a child who is a teenage girl. Just one or two. This can be a full-time task and drain to the best of parents. But you want someone to keep their focus with 14 of them? Not likely."

"A question?" Iola raised her hand. Fenton smiled to her.

"Of course." Iola looked back at him soberly.

"Heather Norton. Turned up dead about ten miles away. If she was worth maybe $50,000 on the market, why would she end up dead? Isn't that considered bad for the bottom line?" Fenton nodded.

"Bad for the bottom line? Yes. Bad for the kidnapper's sanity level? Not so much. I have to say that my speculation on why she ended up dead may play out like this... From what I read on the FBI report regarding the Norton abduction, she was said to be a very strong-willed young lady. Very outspoken. She was an advocate for student rights and many other social causes. When it comes to being kept in captivity, this scenario would no doubt be incredibly hard for both Norton and her abductor. I theorize that she probably did not comply with his directives. She probably reached a point where she was simply too much trouble to keep locked up. She likely was wearing on the man's patience and balance. She was a fighter. But, she also didn't understand that even if you are a fighter, you must be able to comprehend the risk of being so outspoken and resistant in a situation like this. So, one day she probably pushed him over the line with and he considered her value to simply not be worth the trouble of keeping her. It may have also served as a very strong message to those that he has been holding on to. If they know their captor is capable of killing them, they tend to become even more compliant."

"Makes sense." Callie said quietly. "As outspoken as Maddie can be, I know she can also be very shy and reserved."

"Which may well be her saving grace with this guy." Frank pointed out. "These guys like their power and control. And if Maddie understands this and plays the game, she will likely be kept fine until such a time when she is, uhm, transferred." Callie looked across the table at him.

"So, we are likely fighting against a clock here? Not likely to take too much time to find someone interested in her. As pretty as she is. And, well, as developed as she is." Frank tilted his head and gave a brief nod.

"Callie, my dear?" She looked over at Fenton.

"Yes?"

"If you wouldn't mind a question that may be perhaps indiscreet?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you happen to know if Madeleine has ever been with a young man? Dated? Or..." Callie shot him a look.

"Are you asking if I am aware if my daughter is a virgin or not?"

"Yes, I am." Callie sat there for several moments in thought. She finally shook her head.

"Maddie's social life, or lack thereof has always been an issue. Even though she is quite pretty. Even though she is very smart. And even though she and I pretty much have interchangeable bras, she has not been with a boy. She may have curiosities, of course. But, we have talked quite a bit. And I can say with certainty that she has not yet experienced any sexual encounter." Fenton nodded.

"Thank you for your candor. So, if the captor becomes aware of this he may well advertise her as such. The sale of girls who are confirmed virgins comes at a premium. Buyers look for young ladies like this over the more often advertised girls who have more likely than not, had past sexual experience."

"Verified?" Callie repeated. "So, is the captor checking for intact hymens or something dumb like that to determine if they are able to have verified status? Because if that is their method I have a few things to teach them."

Fenton shook his head.

"I won't confess to know how each individual abductor makes that determination. But I suspect it has a lot to do with the way the individual girl communicates with them. If they admit that they are virgins. Their demeanor when threatened with possible sexual acts. But, when they are able to discover their status as such, they almost always market them as such because they can often charge twice the rate of other girls."

"We live in a sick world, Fenton." Callie said a bit blankly. She looked over to Iola. "Can I get another Bushmills on ice, hold the judgmental look?" Iola nodded.

"Sure, girl." She got up and walked to the bar.

"Callie. If Madeleine is marketed as a virgin, it should at least grant you a little peace in knowing that the abductor will likely not be wanting to endanger that status."

"There's not much comfort in that, Fenton." He nodded knowingly.

"It's not really meant to offer much peace beyond that. I am not saying that he won't still do disgusting things that are not direct intercourse. You need to know the facts, no matter how unpleasant." Iola came back and handed Callie her drink.

"Here ya go, Cal." She turned to Fenton. "Fenton, can you offer speculation on the girl that he used to bait Maddie. Jaime Lynn Baylor has been with this guy for over 4 months. Why hasn't he sold her and her little sister by now?"

"Well, you may have just answered the question yourself, Iola. She is the girl he used to bait other girls. He has groomed her as a facilitator. In all likelihood he probably leverages the fate of her little sister to make her do these unpleasant tasks. We have confirmed by camera history that Jaime was also the girl used to bait Katie Blynn. My point is that she is useful to him. She helps him attract other victims. Not willingly of course. But she has a certain value to him, so I suspect he doesn't market her aggressively. Or probably places a higher value on her than other girls so she doesn't get sold unless there are people willing to pay a premium."

"Makes sense. Do we know if Jaime helped him take Emma Salinger?" Frank gave a shrug.

"As you probably remember, the video at the truck stop is limited and low quality. It's impossible to determine if Jaime may have been used. But we don't think so. We showed Jaime's photo to the staff at the truck stop, as well as looking over camera history. She is nowhere on the cameras and no employee remembers seeing her. We speculate that perhaps this guy was just at the truck stop and did an impulse grab of Emma when he saw her go out for a smoke and snatched her solo. Clearly not all of these abductions had the assistance of a bait girl. We have inquired to Roanoke to determine if Jaime was used down there. So far we have not heard back." Callie sat there listening and sipping on her drink. She took a deep breath and looked across the table.

"So, where do we go from here, Fenton?" Mr. Hardy looked down at his watch.

"Well, I would like to call Chet and see if Frank and I can't go see him tonight to make sure he is maximizing his online exposure as a buyer. We can probably slip in and out of his room at this juncture without fearing anyone is actually monitoring him. But I caution you and Iola from going near the place. You two have likely made your splash in the Mountain Falls area."

"You could say that. With little success I may add. So, where will you two hang your hat?" Fenton gestured and smiled.

"I take it this facility has a vacancy?" Iola nodded.

"I'm sure. I think besides an elderly couple staying on the first floor and us, the place is empty."

"Good. Son, would you go secure us a room on this floor while I call Chet?" Frank nodded.

"Sure, dad."

"Thank you. Oh, Callie, Can I get Chet's cell phone number, please?" She nodded.

"Sure."


Their room at the Hayfield Motel was still dark at 5:38PM. Chet and Aimee lay in his bed sleeping soundly. They had been able to afford each other a little comfort so they could make up for the previous sleepless night.

Aimee was still snuggled up tightly against Chet. Their steady breathing was the only noise to break the silence of the room.

A moment later however, a buzzing vibration sound came from the side table to Chet's right. The phone vibrated a few times before Chet started blinking and trying to focus his eyes in the darkness. It slowly became apparent that his phone, which was on the vibrate setting, had an incoming call. He took his free right arm and blindly reached for the lamp on the side table. After a couple missed attempts he managed to turn the light on. His eyes started to become accustom to the light as he then reached for his phone. He looked down and noticed Aimee was still sleeping soundly. He managed to grab his phone without jarring the bed much. He brought it up to his ear and cleared his throat.

"Yeah?" He asked without even checking the ID to see who it was.

"Hello Chet. This is Fenton."

"Hey Fenton, did you get into town yet?" He asked pulling the phone away just quickly enough to check the time.

"Yes, we have been here over at Callie's room for a short time. I was wondering if I could drop by your room later and get a briefing on your online progress. Perhaps offer some assistance if needed."

"Oh, yeah. That would be fine, Fenton. When were you thinking?"

"How about eight?"

"Yeah. That sounds good, Fenton. Will give me a chance to wake up a bit and hop in the shower."

"Sounds fine. What is your room number?"

"Six."

"Alright then. Will see you then."

"Right. Goodbye, Fenton." Chet tossed his phone down and blinked several more times to try to wake himself up. He attempted to sit up slightly. Aimee almost immediately pulled him back down.

"Don't go." She said softly, her eyes still closed. "You're nice and warm." Chet looked over at her. It was hard to say no. He wasn't sure he wanted to. He reached back over to the lamp and turned it back off.

"You're nice and warm too. He won't be here for a few hours anyway." Chet wrapped his arm back around her. He ran his fingers along her back.

"Mmmm. That feels good." She said. She took her foot and ran her toe along his foot. "I haven't had such big feet to rub mine against in a long time."

"Glad I could help." He felt her burrow even closer. her head lay at the base of his upper chest. She wrapped her left arm around him. Chet began to become drowsy again. Feeling her touch and the faint smell of her Caron Poivre perfume definitely offered him the notion of being distracted. But he really couldn't even seriously consider exploring such an action. As open minded as Aimee seemed, Chet was pretty sure she was just acting in friendship. Additionally, moral implications aside, He couldn't allow himself to think about anything except resting more so he could wake up shortly and focus on things with Fenton. The pair were both soon back to being sound asleep.

8:09PM

TAP-TAP-TAP

The sound on the door repeated.

TAP-TAP-TAP

Chet sat bolt upright, quickly reaching for the lamp. "Damn, overslept." He said tersely.

A moment later he flipped the switch. The room filled with the glow of the off-white bulb. Aimee slowly sat up. Chet rubbed his eyes and did his best to roll out of bed. He managed to get to his feet and turned towards the bed. He saw Aimee smiling up at him with a drowsy expression. His view dropped to her ample bare chest. Chet grunted and cleared his throat turning away quickly. He pulled his t-shirt off and tossed it on the bed.

"Here, put this on real quick." She giggled at his chivalrous gesture and accepted it. She slipped the double extra-large shirt on and smiled back. Chet approached the door as the tapping continued. He quickly viewed through the peep hole to confirm it was Fenton. He unlocked the door and swung it open. The figures of Fenton and Frank Hardy both slipped inside quickly.

"Sorry about that, guys." He said as he shut and locked the door. Fenton and Frank both took in the scene. Chet stood there in his boxer shorts with a somewhat forced smile. They looked over to the bed where Aimee was still sitting covered in what appeared to be Chet's large t-shirt. Frank grinned to his friend.

"Hey, Chet. If I knew we were coming to a sleep over I'd have worn my underwear like you." He needled. Before Chet could offer a retort, Fenton cleared his throat.

"Good evening, Chet. I sincerely hope we weren't interrupting anything." Chet seemed a bit flustered.

"Er, uhm, n..no, Mr. Hardy." He stuttered. "We..we.. were just resting. Afraid we didn't sleep much last night. So, we were just catching up. I'm afraid we fell back asleep after your call." Fenton placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Chet, please relax. You act as if my sister just caught you stealing some pie." He chuckled.

"Well, maybe some honey pie." Frank whispered under his breath with a wink at his friend. Chet's eyes rolled and he rubbed his forehead with embarrassment. Fenton walked further into the room and smiled at Aimee.

"Good evening, Aimee. So nice to see you again. It's been awhile." Aimee smiled, a bit embarrassed as she got out of bed.

"Hello, Mr. Hardy. Nice to see you as well." She said softly. Frank smiled at her.

"Hi, Aimee. Sorry, we interrupted. Nice to see you again."

"Hey Frank." She said, giving him a broad smile in spite of his incorrect assumption. Chet and Aimee exchanged amused looks. Aimee went over to Chet's bag and pulled out a spare t-shirt. She brought it over to him.

"Better put this on, Walter." She said with a southern drawl. He smiled and took it.

"Thanks, Brandy." He said and slipped the shirt over his head. Frank blinked at him, mouthing the names Walter and Brandy? with a comical expression.

"Ok, then." Fenton said, looking over at everyone. "Chet, as I understand it we haven't really had any return on your wanted ad?" Chet nodded affirmatively.

"That's right, sir. We attempted to use the ID you gave us, User327, and place a wanted ad in the domestic wanted section of this region. But so far all we have had was a bunch of disgusting replies from people trying to sell us customized kiddie porn video or webcam hookups." Fenton nodded.

"I understand. Did you offer any incentive in the ad? Primarily a bonus amount to the broker?" Chet shook his head.

"No, I wasn't really sure how to structure any of that. Perhaps you could login and help remedy my error." Fenton nodded.

"Certainly, Chet." Chet sat down at the table and flipped up his laptop and booted it up. Fenton sat down beside him. "I think we can hopefully get a little more action going for us." Chet logged in and brought up the stored settings. He repositioned the computer towards Fenton.

"If you wouldn't mind taking the liberty. The less of that site I have to look at the better."

"I will be happy to. I'd like to post a few specialty wants in the domestics wanted section. What I would like to do is make appeals for blondes, as well as virgins." Chet looked down soberly.

"Yes, I guess that would be the thing to do." He said softly.

"PPFV." Aimee said blankly, remembering the acronym that she and Chet had previously discovered on the site. Fenton nodded seriously. "You really think we have a chance of shaking any interest loose?"

"Well, the name of the game is money. If we can incentivize them enough, the risk may be worth it. All we need to do is get some of these brokers to show us their catalogs."

"Catalogs?" Aimee repeated. "Like we are ordering a washer and dryer. My mind can't wrap around these kinds of people. Even though I've met them firsthand. May he continue to rot in Hell."

"These people do not have a conscience." Frank said without emotion. "They view this as business. Product acquisition, marketing, distribution. To them, it's just the same as washers and dryers." Fenton worked quickly. He didn't care to spend any more time in front of the computer than necessary. Even though he had dealt with the worst criminal elements most of his life, he always considered crimes that hurt and exploited children were the worst.

"I am attaching an incentive of $25,000 bonus to the broker for those aforementioned criteria. This is an amount that you pay the broker either in crypto or in cash in addition to the main sale price. Some of the higher paying buyers use this technique to secure first picks of recently listed children. I feel this will stir the pot a bit and generate a couple people willing to take a chance on someone who doesn't have deep history established in this group." Aimee shook her head.

"God, are you saying these people have like a feedback system like they do on eBay?" Fenton nodded.

"Precisely, my dear. And much like an eBay transaction, sellers are infinitely more comfortable with a buyer that has established feedback. Especially with merchandise which is illegal." Chet pointed to the screen.

"So, even if we attract a response, you said that we will likely have to pass some type of in-person vetting?" Fenton Hardy nodded and looked over to him.

"I'm afraid so, Chet. I am not sure what kind of vetting it may be. But it will likely involve you doing something which an undercover agent or officer would not be able to legally do. That is the worst-case scenario. They may just monitor you very closely to ensure you are not in contact with law enforcement. Every broker has some degree of paranoia since they fear being detected. They do not wish to be entrapped. All we can do is hope that the broker is not one who wants to grind you through several processes. They have to validate you are a legit buyer in their eyes. But they also don't want to overly irritate their potential money source. They have to walk a fine line. My best advice for the two of you if you reach that point... Play out your roles convincingly. Your lives may depend on it." Another fifteen minutes in front of the computer had Fenton closed the notebook and looked over. "Well, I am reasonably convinced that a have done everything possible to this point. I placed various ads. All offering incentive. You can manage them in the control panel on the site. For now, it's a wait and see game."

"So, what are you and Cal going to be doing?" Chet inquired.

"I think we are going to go back to the site where Heather Norton was found. Not to be dismissive of Callie's skills. But in light of her ability to be distracted in such a time, I'd like to give it a look." Aimee sat pensively in a chair with her knees pulled up and her oversized shirt draped over them.

"Is there a chance that this is really a bust? I mean that maybe the guy did bring her way out here? That he isn't remotely close right now?"

"There is always that chance." Frank speculated. "But I don't think we want to draw conclusions until we check not only the crime scene, but determine the surroundings more. Get a good lay of the land in all directions." Fenton nodded his agreement.

"Yes. I am not prepared to call this a red herring until I can truly draw a blank here, and find some reason to look elsewhere. For now, I have operatives working with the FBI in both Roanoke and Richmond. Both of those locations have two missing girls."

"Why isn't the FBI here?" Chet asked with a perplexed expression

"Well, for one, even though a victim was recovered here, they seem more convinced that perhaps the area between Richmond, Roanoke and Greensboro bear more intensive investigation. Those three cities represent a triangle of activity. Keep in mind that the FBI did investigate here when Heather Norton was found. They found nothing remarkable according to their report."

"They have to concentrate their efforts where the crimes took place. Even though we suspect that he was just shopping in Bayport, the FBI does have 4 agents stationed there and working the possibilities he could be up there still." Frank looked down.

"As remote a possibility that such activity exists according to what we have gathered." He added. Chet shook his head and rubbed his temple.

"This is all giving me a damn headache, guys. I tell you that right now."

"Don't lose faith, man." Frank said softly. "I know it all seems like it's up in the air. Out of your control. But you need to keep your stress level as low as you can. If you get a reply on that group, you are going to need to be sharp and focused."

"Frank is indeed right, Chet." Fenton said calmly.

"So, we just sit here until that happens?" Frank shrugged.

"For now, yes. You can hang out around town and enjoy all that it offers. I understand you have taken up bowling." Chet gave his friend a comical look.

"Well, the other half and I did have occasion to the other day." Fenton rose from his seated position.

"Well, Chet, as hard as it may be for you." He looked over with a significant look. "I suggest you have occasion to go back and play again. Maybe consider becoming a regular. Because if by chance the ring is based hereabouts, it would be good to be a known local. I mean local to this region. Not necessarily this small town."

"I have a question." Aimee said standing up.

"Certainly, my dear. What would that be?"

"So... we are presenting ourselves as this redneck, rustic couple." Fenton nodded.

"Yes. I suppose you could use those terms with some accuracy."

"But, aren't we supposed to have money? I mean, correct me if I am wrong. But, don't the average redneck couple have a combined income of about $22,000 a year? Oh, my... that was my annual income before I got fired! I guess I really am a redneck!" Chet couldn't help but bust out chuckling.

"Isn't it ironic, baby?" Chet snorted. Fenton and Frank also both laughed. Fenton cleared his throat and pointed at her.

"Well, you do have a sense of humor, my dear. But, as to your question. I assume you are wanting to know how a seemingly low educated couple who hang out at the local bowling alley can have money?" Aimee nodded.

"Well, it did cross my mind."

"And it's quite understandable. The average person living in this demographic probably does have a fairly limited income. But, the thing to remember is this. You are not only a rustic couple who have some rather disturbing personal preferences when it comes to lifestyles. You also can present yourselves as those who markets your acquisitions to higher paying parties."

"So, we aren't just lecherous white trash looking for a girl for our own pleasure. We ultimately want them to sell to others who will pay us more?" Fenton nodded.

"Precisely. I would recommend when the times comes to say you represent parties in Dubai who are interested in acquiring American teenage females. It is a sad reality that many wealthy parties in Arab nations do indeed pay handsome amounts for American teenage girls. This is a well known fact. So, you will represent as one of the fortunate couples who has the right connections. You will be able to sell yourselves as exporters. This, will be all the story you need to justify why you have the resources to play ball with them. If you are able to make a connection, and sell that to them, I suspect you will have no problem being taken seriously."

"That car you have out there will support your cover as well. I'm sure it was a sacrifice to buy one of those, pal." Frank said enviously. Chet smiled.

"Well, yeah. Was tough talking myself into that ride." Fenton looked down at his watch, and gestured to Frank.

"Son, we should probably take our leave. I'd like to get myself some rest before we have to go back at it tomorrow. Our friend Chet looks like he could use some additional rest." Chet nodded slowly.

"Probably should. So, Fenton, if we need you should we just drop you a text or call?" Mr. Hardy nodded.

"Yes, that should be fine. We aren't likely to be more than ten miles away. We can also drop by the local bowling alley if you need a face to face. Seems like it might be easier than us showing back up here. We can just meet in the john if we need to confer about anything that may require direct contact." Chet nodded.

"Ok, though recommend you get a little more rustic yourself when it comes to wardrobe. Otherwise it sounds like a plan." Fenton looked down at Chet as he said words without much emotion. He had a weathered look. He appeared to be lost in thought. Well, perhaps not lost. Just thinking about his child and feeling worn out with worry. He placed his hand on his shoulder and smiled down.

"Chet, try to keep the faith, my friend. I know it's hard." Chet nodded slightly. Frank looked at Aimee and gestured for her to follow him to the front of the room. She walked over and looked over to him.

"Yeah?" Frank looked back over his shoulder to his friend who was sitting there looking depressed.

"See if you can do something with him, eh? He will go through some deep lulls before this is all said and done. I assume by the fact that you two have paired up that the past animosity has dissipated?" Aimee closed her eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I don't think we ever really had any real animosity. We just kind of feared what the other person may have thought about the other. After I actually met him I realized there was no need for any fear." Frank nodded.

"It's good to hear. I assumed you were getting along when we came in." Aimee held up a hand.

"Frank, you..." Frank cut her off.

"You don't owe me any explanation, Aimee. I just want Chet to have his stress kept at a minimum. If you can at all help with that, I'd surely be grateful." Aimee turned her head away from him and suppressed her frustration. It certainly wasn't the time to attempt to offer clarification to Frank. She took a deep breath, then turned back to him.

"I will do what I can. Ok?" Frank nodded.

"Thank you." He turned towards his dad, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm ready, son."

"Ok, dad. Let's go. Hey Chet, if you need anything, man. Just call." Chet looked up and nodded.

"Yeah, sure man." Fenton and Frank Hardy quietly slipped out the door and into the night. Aimee locked the door, then turned to look at Chet.

"I'd ask if you were ok, but that would be a stupid question."

"Yeah. I wish I was ok." He said without much emotion. "It just kind of snuck up on me out of the blue. The emptiness and all. Knowing she is out there somewhere. Feeling like my stomach got kicked in. The feeling comes and goes. I suppose when my mind shifts to it and I focus on it. Then when Fenton started placing those ads. Things kind of hit home. How our lives fall apart and part of the reason is money. I mean this guy who is kidnapping all these kids has to be in it for the money. Among other things, I'm sure. But it's the money that just blows me away. My child was viewed as a sellable commodity." Aimee felt sad watching him spill his heart out. Feeling useless to help his child. But she did know she had to somehow snap him out of it. To at least refocus. Or at least know that things were not going to be helped by beating himself up. She had her concerns on how much stress they would encounter by having to monitor that website, and to potentially deal with the kind of ilk who use it. Aimee had her own sensitivities to it all. She looked down at him.

"Chet, why don't you and I lay down. I thought we felt better earlier when at least we were holding each other. If you wouldn't mind me intruding upon you again, I think I'd like to tell you something. If you are willing to listen, I guess." Chet looked up with curiosity, then nodded.

"Yeah. You've listened to me enough. Maybe I can listen to you for a while." Aimee gave him an understanding smile and nodded.

"Thanks. I'd appreciate it." Chet managed to stand up and then take a few short steps and sit down on the bed. Aimee walked over and gestured to him to lift his arms.

"Let me get that tight shirt off you. Sorry, I picked an uncomfortable shirt out of your bag earlier. Just figured you didn't want to walk around bare chested like that." Chet felt fairly fatigued. So even though it seemed quite unnecessary, he complied.

"Ok, mom." He said with an amused look. Aimee pulled his shirt off and tossed it over on her bed.

"There, that's better. Would you mind if I lose this shirt? I like the smell, but I'm swimming around in it." At this point, Chet was beyond any need to feel discomfort over Aimee being topless.

"It's fine with me. But, do you usually sleep topless?" Aimee gave a faint laugh.

"I usually sleep nude. But, I will compromise and leave my shorts on so you don't feel grossed out or anything." Even though Chet was worn out, he managed to briefly chuckle.

"I don't think that would be possible." She shrugged.

"Yeah, but I know earlier when they were at the door, you saw me with my shirt off and quickly turned around. I know that even though a lot of young guys check me out that not every man is attracted to me. And that's ok." Chet looked up with a tired expression and gave a half smile.

"I'll try not to run in the other direction." She nodded.

"Deal." She pulled his borrowed t-shirt off. Though Chet was feeling worn out and stressed, he found his eyes opening a little wider as he gazed upon her bare chest. She stood there at the side of the bed. Wearing only a short pair of flannel pajama shorts. He cleared his throat.

"You know something?" He continued to look at her.

"What's that?"

"You've got great boobs. But what really melts me is your smile and those amazing eyes." He blinked a few times as she remained silent. "I hope I wasn't speaking out of turn." She slowly shook her head.

"Not at all. I think that must be one of the nicest compliments I've ever heard." She slid into bed next to him. Chet reached over and turned the light switch and the room turned dark. He felt Aimee snuggle up next to him. It felt good to know someone was there.

"You know..." Aimee began whispering. "I wasn't really sure if you did find me appealing or not. Callie told me the other day that I was definitely your type. But figure she may have just been saying that." Chet laughed briefly.

"Well, Callie is usually right. How did the subject come up?"

"Oh, something she saw over at the bowling alley. Remember after I got that strike, I was so excited and kind of jumped on you for a minute."

"Kind of hard to forget that." Chet admitted.

"Well, she saw that and we had a chat in the bathroom."

"Was she mad?" He felt her shake her head.

"No. I thought she was at first. And she was a little put off I guess. And we exchanged a few words. But after she kind of realized we were just playing our role, she lightened up. She even told me to do whatever I needed to in order that we do present a convincing front."

"Ah, so she gave you permission too."

"I guess. Though kind of leaves me confused in a way. I mean with how our relationship is. Or what I guess I thought it was."

"I wouldn't think too much about it. I'm glad you are here and we can hopefully get through this and find Maddie safely. I am in no mental place to ponder the status of my marriage. Kind of funny considering it was just a week ago that it seemed like the one of the only things I was wanting to think about. Now none of that matters to me." He sighed deeply. "But enough about that. If I keep thinking about Maddie, my screwed up marriage, and how useless I am being right now, I will just drive myself crazy. Anyway, you said you had something you wanted to talk about?" Aimee remained silent for a moment.

"Yeah. I think I do."

"I'm all ears."

She didn't start to speak right away. She ran her fingers through his chest hair. He guessed it helped her relax.

"You don't mind if I do that, do you?"

"No, not at all. If you want to do that thing that you were doing earlier with your feet, you can do that too." She laughed.

"Ok." She paused and laid her head on his chest.

"It's kind of hard to talk about this. So, hopefully you will bear with me."

"I understand. Take your time."

"Well, I guess you could say I grew up hating myself. When I was young, it was me and my brother. He was a couple years younger than me. His name was Will. I took care of him a lot. My mom worked nights in a factory for years. So, I remember being 7 years old and I'd have to get up and get Will dressed and fed. keep him happy for the day. But not make too much noise so my mom could sleep."

"Didn't you go to school?"

"No." She said. "We were technically home schooled. But, let's just say my dad didn't really follow through with it back then."

"Did he work?"

"Not usually. He was one of those guys who did odd jobs to make money under the table. He worked on cars, did carpentry and things like that. But half the time he sat on his ass at home watching me take care of Will. Well, one day we needed some grocery items and I was looking around for my dad to tell him. So, I looked around the house a bit and couldn't find him. I figured he was downstairs sleeping in his den. This was the basement that he had set up as some kind of man cave. Bar, pool table, Playboy centerfolds on the door. It was an area that my brother and I were pretty much forbidden to go."

"So..." Chet guessed. "You decided to go down there anyway?"

"Yeah. I mean there was next to no food in the damn house. I wanted to go give him a piece of my 7-year-old mind. And since my mom actually worked for a living, it wasn't really an option to go wake her. At least she earned her rest."

"I take it you and your dad did not have a warm and fuzzy relationship in those times?"

"To put it mildly. So, I tell my brother to chill in front of the TV and I go down the stairs with a firm mind set on demanding my sugar cereal and frozen meals that we were totally out of. I remember reaching the door at the bottom of the stairs and thinking about if I should really go in. Figured maybe he was asleep on the sofa and would get pissed if I violated the rule about not going in the basement. But, I heard a noise on the other side. Kind of a banging sound as I remember. I assumed he was working on something and getting mad. He had a pretty short fuse. Half the time he ever did a home repair and it didn't work out, he would be cursing at whatever inanimate object that had him pissed." Chet grunted.

"I take it dear old dad wasn't working on the pluming?"

"Well, depends how you interpret it. I mean he was cleaning the pipes."

"Oh my."

"Yeah." Aimee grunted. "I walked in on the neighbor lady cleaning dear old dad's pipes. As you might imagine, the neighbor lady finding herself in a rather awkward position immediately ran out of the basement. Not to mention she may have feared for her life if she thought I'd go up and get my mom."

"Yeah, I suppose that is bad enough when you catch mom and dad doing the pipe cleaning. But dad using outsourced labor for the task could present a good deal of embarrassment for all involved."

"I think I could have dealt with him just being embarrassed and telling me to get the hell out of there." She paused. He heard Aimee swallow hard as she continued. "But...uhm... he didn't tell me to go." Chet was beginning to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Are you sure you want to go on?" He asked her in a soft voice. He felt her head bob up and down.

"Yeah..." She sniffled. "Uhm, he was pretty mad. As I recall he bitched about me not even knocking on the door. Then muttering about how I should have had the courtesy to wait until she finished. I think I said I was sorry. Uhm, he was having this angry conversation with me and he still was just letting it all hanging out if you get my drift. I remember him pulling me out of the doorway and closing it after. Then looking at me with some strange expression..." Even though he couldn't see her face, Chet knew Aimee was crying softly. He felt her body convulse a bit, and thought he felt a few teardrops on his chest. He held her tighter.

"So, he abused you?" He commented softly. "He abused his own daughter..." He felt her nod and sniffle.

"He said it was my fault that she left. And that I would have to finish what she started. He, uhm, pushed me down to my knees..." At this point, Aimee pretty much lost all control and began crying uncontrollably. Chet reached over and placed both of his arms around her and let her cry. He ran his fingers through her hair and consoled her as best he could.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you." Chet himself felt tears welling in his eyes as he held her. After a few more minutes of Aimee holding him tightly, she managed to take a couple deep breaths to gain a little composure.

"I didn't really know what to think then. I was 7 years old. He told me something like this is what good daughters do for their fathers. But, of course I shouldn't tell my mom. She wouldn't understand." Chet closed his eyes and shook his head. The thought of it all completely disgusted him.

"So, I guess it became a regular thing?" He asked. She swallowed hard.

"Yeah. For about five years or so it happened at least twice a week. Right under my mom's nose. It didn't stop until one day shortly after I turned 13." Chet kept running his hand through her hair.

"Was that when you decided to turn him in?" She shook her head.

"No...uhm, one night my mom came home early because she wasn't feeling well. We were in their bed upstairs. He was... uh, he was going to town pretty good. Oblivious to his surroundings. And she opens up the door. I remember the look on her face. She looked at him with as much hate as I've ever seen. Then, uhm, she looked at me with just as much hate...if not more."

"What?!" Chet spoke up. Clearly not expecting to hear the last part. Aimee sniffled and rubbed her eyes.

"She called him just about every name in the book. Then, she looked down at me. And, uhm, she called me his whore..." Again, this admission reduced Aimee to start weeping again. It was all that Chet could do to keep composed enough not to join her. He held her close while she cried.

"You poor baby. How could any parents do this to their child?" He asked aloud. "If it wasn't disgusting enough to have your father do that to you. But, then your mother seeming to think you were some willing party to it. So, what happened after that?" Aimee did her best to slow down her weeping.

"Well, as you might imagine she divorced him. And uh... she took Will and moved to Spokane. She left me with her cousin's family."

"So, she took your brother, but not you?" Aimee nodded. "Yeah. She never really wanted to talk to me much after she discovered us in bed. She told him something like she wouldn't allow us to continue our relationship and he'd have to go find some other young girls."

"So, she didn't press charges or report him?!" He asked with a tone of disbelief. Aimee shook her head.

"No. I guess it's cause it happened for so long and she was clueless to it. I guess she figured the police or social services would come down on her. Or possibly take Will away from her. So, the divorce didn't have any of this disclosed and of course he was fine with that. I mean not as much as a slap on the wrist for 5 years of it."

"Did things become more stable with this cousin's family?"

"Well I guess so. I mean there was no abuse going on if that's what you are asking. But, I guess there wasn't much love either. At least none directed towards me. I figure they were on board with my mom wanting to keep it all quiet. They probably thought that I was also a willing party to the abuse. They said my mom couldn't bring herself to see me. Or think of me in the way that she used to. So, I never really got a chance to tell her that I was not exactly a willing participant. Though for years I second guessed that and somehow figured that I was. Or I was maybe subconsciously because I allowed it to go on for so long and never reported it."

"Oh, Aimee, I am so very sorry for that. I mean to not give a kid the benefit of talking to them and trying to get to the bottom of it all. I mean they didn't realize that maybe you were scared or ashamed?" Aimee sniffled and nodded.

"I was very much both. I really can't imagine going to some stranger when I was ten and saying hey, my dad likes to put his private in my butt, can you help me? I'd have rather died!" Chet groaned.

"Great, sodomy on top of things. What a piece of work." he said in disgust. Aimee sighed.

"Yeah. He called those days a triple header. I knew he would not be done with me until he was able to make a deposit in each of my three orifices. Then he would call me a good slut and tell me to go play." Chet shook his head in the darkness.

"And your mom thought that you were a willing party to all this and basically dumped you with distant relatives."

"Yeah. I hated myself growing up. I really thought that it was somehow my destiny to be a self-loathing person. To hated myself because I didn't have the ability to change things. My parents divorced. For years I thought that was my fault. And even though I've gone through a fair amount of therapy, I still have days where I ask myself why I did what I did. Why I kept a secret. Why I ruined my mom's life." Chet couldn't help but turn the light back on. Upon doing so Aimee looked down away from the light. He placed his hand under her chin and gently lifted it up. Her eyes were inflamed and red. She wore a very sad expression.

"Now listed to me. Under no circumstance was any of that travesty your fault. None. Granted, I have not known you long. But, I can very much tell you are an amazing woman. You are kind, smart, sensitive and beautiful. The only thing you are is a victim. If your own mother didn't have the maternal sense to comfort you when this all happened, I can't say it speaks anything for her. You had a terrible thing happen to you. At a time when you most needed the other parent to be there for you, she wasn't. There is no excuse for it. If you are having any stress or doubt about anything, I want you to talk to me. I want you to talk to a professional. I don't know how long it has been since you've done any therapy. But if you desire to go and talk to someone, please let me know. I'd be happy to arrange it." Aimee's face managed to change to a teary-eyed smile with his words. She took a breath.

"Thank you. I really appreciate what you said. It means more than you think." Chet shrugged it off.

"I didn't really say anything much." he dismissed.

"I do wonder something..."

"What's that?" She looked into his eyes.

"Guess I am just wondering how on earth Callie could have walked away from you." Chet smirked knowingly.

"She had her reasons. And if I am to look back on it objectively, they were pretty valid ones I suppose."

"Well, the past is the past. From what I can see from you now, I really have to admit I can't understand some of the things Callie has told me about."

"Well, like I say. She had some good reasons. I am just so sorry to hear this story of yours. And like I said, if you need maybe to find a good therapist, I am more than happy to hook you up, so don't worry about money." He paused thoughtfully. "But, I guess Cal probably offered you the same." Aimee shook her head slowly.

"Well, no..."

"Not sure I understand. She is a very compassionate person. Knowing you have limited income and your past issues, I'd have figured she would have you connected with a quality therapist of your choice."

"Well, uhm, Chet... Callie doesn't know about it." Chet's eyes widened and he nodded.

"Sorry, I just assumed with as close as you two are." Aimee shook her head.

"Not the kind of thing you can tell just anyone, I guess."

"Oh, well I apologize for making the assumption. But, my offer still stands if you ever want to talk to someone." She smiled and nodded.

"It's kind of you. And truth be told I am not really sure if I want to go back. I saw a therapist when I was nineteen and it lasted a couple years. Did some good for sure. Took a lot of the old thoughts I had about it all being on me and placing them where they needed to go. And I am grateful for that help I got. I am just not sure I want to go back in and open up some of those memories again." She placed her hand along his cheek. She noticed that he had also been crying a bit over what she told him. "I told you because I felt I could trust you. And, maybe it helped me get it out again. The other day when we first went on that website, I was browsing through those ads. And I came upon that one. The one I asked you to close for me." Chet nodded.

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, the image just brought back so many memories. The two people. The guy with the beard looked just like my dad. And the girl also bears a bit of a resemblance to how I looked back then. I guess something just clicked. Especially when I read the come on line... something like Daddy is happy to give up his lovely trained daughter to a new daddy. Just came at me like a train. That's why I had to step away from the screen. That is why most all of those ads make me want to puke." Chet nodded understandingly. He opened his arms and she immediately leaned over and clung tightly to him. She rested her head on his chest. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head and ran his hand along her back.

"No one will ever do that to you again. I promise."

It was quite the promise to be making to someone he was not intimately involved with. But it didn't matter to him. The friendship that they had forged was quite enough.