Chapter 3: "Are they still there?"

"Hello," Chandler said into his cell phone. Monica paced next to him frantic. "Can you tell him Chandler and Monica Bing are on their way to see him?" Chandler hung up the cell phone and waved for a cab.
Monica took the cell phone from his hand. She started to dial, Chandler looked at her questionably. "Hi, Joey, can you meet us at the police station?"

Twenty minutes later Chandler, Monica and Joey entered the office of Sergeant Akin. Sergeant Akin looked up when they entered; he was about to put on his jacket to go home.
"Hello folks, I'm sorry but we don't have any new information."
Monica sat down in a chair in front of his desk, and Chandler and Joey stood behind her. Monica spoke, "We think we do."
Chandler wasn't as polite, "Do you know someone by the name of Angela Akin?"
Sergeant Akin looked at Chandler then at Monica, "How do you know her?"
Monica leaned closer, "We met her today."
Chandler sat down next to Monica, "Her husband, Ricky died."
Sergeant Akin leaned back in his chair, he was at loss for words; "I can't believe it. I haven't talked to either of them for about seven years. Ricky he's my nephew."
Joey stood silently by the door; Monica had called him incase he had to identify the kidnapper. But Joey knew that was an excuse, he was there for support.
Monica and Chandler filled Sergeant Akin with the details, of the car rental and the hospital.
Sergeant Akin was shocked, "I didn't even know that any of this happened. My family isn't very close and I haven't seen any of my brother's family for years. My brother is nine years older than me. Him and his wife, Julia, live in Queens."
Joey spoke up for the first time, "Do you have any pictures, I could look at, and I could see if I recognize the kidnapper?"
Sergeant Akin looked at Joey blankly and then he stood up. He walked over to a filing cabinet and pulled out an old album. "This is my mother's album, she gave it me before she died. I can't bare to open it." He handed Joey the album and sat back down.
Joey opened it and flipped through some pages. Then he came to a picture of a wedding. The couple looked happy, but it wasn't the couple he was looking at. His eyes darted to a man on the edge of the picture, in a tuxedo, smiling. Joey's memory took him back to that afternoon.

"Uncle Joey, I'm glad you took me out, Mommy and Daddy are so boring." Jaron said as he sat in Joey's arms. Joey and Jaron were walking through a park near where they had been shopping for toys.
"Yeah, your parents are boring," Joey agreed.
"Where did they go?" Jaron asked.
"It's their anniversary," Joey said smiling at Jaron.
Jaron lost interest, "When are we meeting Rachel?"
Joey looked at his watch, "In a few minutes, she said she'd be here." Joey paused, "I think you're old enough to walk by yourself, Joey's getting too old to carry you everywhere."
Jaron held up his hand, "I'm only four."
Joey smiled, and set Jaron on the ground. The two walked silently, hand in hand, for a few minutes when a man ran up to Joey and grabbed him. Jaron fell over and his hands grasp on Joey's hand came loose. Joey yelled out and the man hit Joey's head on the sidewalk. Joey's thoughts went fuzzy for a moment. He yelled for Jaron. He could hear Jaron crying and screaming, and Joey's thoughts went fuzzy again. He forgot what happened next, but he soon looked up to see the man holding Jaron around the waist. Joey climbed to his feet and ran after the man. There were no people in this area of the park. The man put Jaron in the backseat and locked the door. Jaron looked back and Joey and screamed. The man climbed in the front seat and the car drove away. Rachel came running up to him a few seconds later.
"What's going on?" Rachel screamed, "Joey you're bleeding! Where's Jaron? Joey?"
Joey was speechless.

And now, standing in the police station Joey was glaring at the picture of the man who had taken Jaron two years ago. Monica looked worriedly at Joey and Chandler spoke, "Joey? Have you found him?"
Joey, without speaking, held the photo album in front of Monica, Chandler and Sergeant Akin.
Sergeant Akin took a breath and said, "That's Daryl. He's Angela's brother."
Monica let out a gasp, "Not her husband?"

Sergeant Akin had told them to meet him at his office at 8:00am the next morning. He told them he'd review all the evidence and figure something out in the morning. Monica exited the bathroom of the hotel and looked at Chandler who was still asleep. She sat down on the bed next to him, "Wake up." She said softly. He stirred in his sleep. His eyes flickered and he looked up at Monica.
"Hey honey," he said, smiling.
"Good morning," she said and kissed him.
He sat up and put his arms around her, "How did you sleep?"
"Not well." She admitted.
"Me neither." He groggily said.
"Are you ready for today?" She said starting to cry.
"Don't cry, Mon." Then he quickly said, "I've been ready for two years."

Sergeant Akin, Monica and Chandler stood on the step of a white house. Monica held tightly onto the red jacket. An elderly man came to the door; he looked at Sergeant Akin and his mouth opened in awe.
"Hey Daniel, how are you?" Sergeant Akin said. Monica recognized the man from the hospital the day before.
"Bill!" He said smiling and shook Sergeant Akins hand. "Julia will die when she sees you." Daniel held open the door for them to enter and the trio entered and sat in the kitchen.
Sergeant Akin motioned towards Monica and Chandler, "These are some folks I'm helping with a case right now. Mr. and Mrs. Bing."
"Nice to meet you," Daniel said, and shook their hands. "Julia's at the store right now." He scratched his forehead, "Ricky died yesterday."
Sergeant Akin nodded, "I'm so sorry, I heard. How is his wife?"
"Angela is completely heartbroken, such a freakish accident." Daniel shook his head.
"I was hoping I could talk to her," Sergeant Akin said. "It's a follow up from an old case involving her brother."
Daniel looked at his brother confused, "She's here, downstairs I think, I can get her for you." Sergeant Akin nodded. Daniel got up and came back a few moments later with Angela. He then excused himself and left the kitchen.
Angela smiled at Sergeant Akin, "Well, it's Uncle Bill. How are you?" She sounded friendly, but distant.
"I'm fine-" he began when Angela noticed Chandler and Monica.
"Hey, you folks are from the hospital." She said and sat down at the table. Monica and Chandler stayed speechless.
"Angela, I know it's rough since Ricky died yesterday, but can I ask you a few questions?"
Angela shifted her gaze back to Sergeant Akin, "Of course."
"Where's your brother?" Sergeant said.
Angela looked uncomfortable; "Daryl's in Florida with our parents."
Sergeant Akin looked to Chandler and Monica, "This is Chandler and Monica Bing their son was kidnapped two years ago."
Angela leaned back in her chair, "Chandler and Monica?"
Chandler took the jacket from Monica and held it out to Angela, "Do you recognize this jacket?"
"It's the kid's jacket." Angela said.
"The kid you told us about yesterday?" Monica said.
Angela nodded, she stood up and started to leave, "I have to go."
Sergeant Akin stood up, "Angela, sit down," he grabbed her wrist, "have you met the kid who wore this jacket?"
Angela nodded. She sat down. "We thought you were dead."
Sergeant Akin kept his grip on her wrist, "Angela, you must tell us everything."
Monica gripped Chandler's hand, as she fought with tears. "His name is Jaron."
Angela's eyes filled with tears. Chandler spoke softly, "He was four."
Sergeant Akin looked at Angela, who was staring at Chandler and Monica. "Is he alive?"
Angela wiped her eyes, "I think so." Monica let out a small sigh of relief. Angela said, "My brother came to Ricky and I four years ago with a little boy. He said the kid's parents had died. The kid cried a lot, he said his parents weren't dead. But, Daryl told us they had and the kid had nowhere else to go. Daryl was always in trouble, because he gambled a lot. Ricky and Daryl got along great, both drunks. Daryl needed us to get him home to Florida with the kid, so all the people after him would be far away. The kid kept screaming about his Uncle's and his Aunt's but Daryl said they had died too. We all thought the poor kid must be traumatized from this big accident. Daryl liked to make up stories; we should of known better. So we called my mom and dad and they came. The four of us were going to make sure Daryl and this kid got home safe. On the way to the airport we were hit by a car that ran a stop sign, the windshield smashed and cut me," Angela pointed to her scar. "But Daryl said we had to get out of there and to the airport. We tried to get on a plane, but we couldn't, so my parents and my brother took off in another rental car. I stayed."
Monica shook with anxiety, "Are they still there?" Angela shrugged. "I suppose."
Sergeant Akin let go of Angela, "Angela, how did the jacket get to the airport?"
She shook her head, "I don't know."
Chandler, about to cry said, "Maybe they've come back."
Monica looked at Chandler, "But he'll of grown out of it by now."
Chandler looked back at Monica, "Maybe that's why they left it at the airport."