Standard disclaimers apply.
Second Chance
When Gary got there it looked like police had invaded the Kelly's. As he started up the walk to the front door, an officer stopped him.
"Can I help you?" He asked.
"I know them." Gary stated.
"Your name?" The officer asked.
"Gary Hobson. I'm Ms. Kelly's boyfriend." Gary answered in frustration.
The officer let him pass. He headed into the house. Police were going in and out from room to room. Gary found Kaitlyn sitting on the couch in her mother's arms. Lily was rocking her daughter and saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." They both were sobbing. When Kaitlyn saw him, she rushed into his arms.
"She's gone!" She sobbed. "Gary, she's gone." Gary tried, to no avail, to contain his emotions, a single tear running down his cheek. "We're gonna find her. I promise you we're gonna find her."
The next hours seemed to go by in a tailspin. The police were busy collecting everyone's statements. They had several eyewitnesses and they were working their way through the information.
Gary and Kaitlyn were standing in the kitchen. He was holding her as tightly as he could, unable to let her go. When they heard, "The mother is in here." Gary looked up and saw the familiar face of Toni Brigatti.
"Hobson, what are you doing here?" She said in surprise.
"A…Kaitlyn this is Detective Brigatti." Gary stammered, keeping his arm protectively around Kaitlyn's shoulders.
"You're the mother." Brigatti asked.
"Yes." Kaitlyn said wiping her face with a Kleenex.
"I'm sorry." Brigatti said sincerely. "We're going to do everything we can to find your daughter." Kaitlyn shook her head in agreement, tears streaming down her face.
"Right now I need to ask you a few questions." Brigatti motioned toward the table. "Can we sit." She asked.
Kaitlyn nodded. She and Gary sat on one side of the table, Brigatti on the other. Kaitlyn was playing with the Kleenex in her hand. Gary had his arm on the back of her chair.
"Do you know of anyone who would want to take your daughter without your permission?" Brigatti asked.
"No." Kaitlyn fought to hold back the tears.
"What about the girls father?" Brigatti questioned.
"I haven't seen him in almost four years. He lives in another state. He has never seen Casey. He didn't want to be a part of her life." Kaitlyn voice barely above a whisper.
"Boyfriend?" Brigatti asked looking at Gary.
"No. Gary was with me all night and this morning." Kaitlyn said turning towards Gary as she talked. Gary looked at Brigatti and swallowed hard.
"Oh, so you're the boyfriend." Brigatti looked at Gary. He nodded.
"Do you have a current picture of her." Brigatti turned her attentions back to Kaitlyn.
"I do….a…not with me." Kaitlyn stuttered as she was trying to think. "My mother might though." Kaitlyn said shaking her head.
"I have one." Gary said reaching for his wallet. He opened it and pulled out a picture of he and Casey. Kaitlyn had taken the picture of them a few weeks ago when they were at the park. She had scanned it into her computer and then printed him out a small version so that he could keep it with him. "This was taken not to long ago." He handed it to Brigatti.
"Okay. This will do." Brigatti sighed. "Okay, I'm gonna tell you what we know so far. Your daughter apparently got into a car with a man. He was about 6', muscular with brown hair. He a had a tattoo on his forearm."
Kaitlyn's face dropped as Brigatti described the suspect. "Oh my god." She whispered. "It's David." She started to shake.
"David?" Brigatti asked.
"My ex-husband. David Detillo." She turned toward Gary and buried her face in his chest. "He took her. He took her." She kept saying repeatedly.