"We've got a hit," Danny grins towards me, tossing a file my way.
******
"What's this?" I question.
"Everything on a Mitchell Landau. He's our prime suspect at the moment."
I open the file that's filled with police reports on domestic abuse calls. "How does this fit into our missing persons case?"
"She divorced him four years ago," Vivian answers as we head towards the conference table.
"Four years ago? And now she goes missing," I read through the reports. "She didn't file anything until the divorce," I point out.
"According to her mother, she didn't want to put him away because she knew the system and how he'd likely be released. That is, until she became pregnant."
"With his child," I finish the thought.
"No with her boss's baby."
"What?" A startled look is etched on my face. "Her boss is female?"
"Yes, her boss here is. I'm talking about her boss from four years ago, Samantha," Vivian tells me. "She didn't work only at the bureau then. At the time she was working for a non-profit organization, Friday through Sunday."
"Extra money?" Martin questions.
"That was our original thought," Danny answers, "until we found out about the affair from her boss."
"Do you think he found out about the child and kidnapped Lisa?" I question.
"It's a possibility but I can't see why, especially if it wasn't his kid."
"So you're telling me that potentially we have two suspects not one: the boss she was having the affair with and her ex-husband."
"As of right now, yes," Vivian nods her head.
"Do we have anything on her former boss?" I question.
"Not much. He was a single guy, lonely and unattached. I'm not sure what happened exactly and whose child it was. We get the impression the baby is the boss's but a DNA test was never conducted." Danny states.
"It doesn't matter whose kid it is."
"It might if Lisa's former boss wants custody."
"Then why not kidnap the child?" Jack interjects as I glance up to see him approaching the table and then standing next to me.
"We're not sure," Danny nods, "but we're getting there."
"Vivian, I want you and Samantha to speak with the ex-husband, Mitchell Landau. Martin and Danny, you two go check out and investigate this former boss. What's his name?"
I glance down over the file, "Jonathan Matthews."
"I want you all to check in as soon as the interview is over. I don't want any mistakes being made. Is that understood?" Jack stares down Martin and then Vivian. The look he projects sends a sudden chill down my spine. Everyone nods, including Danny and myself because in truth we all fear the side of Jack Malone, that when he snaps, sends us so far into the depths of hell you feel like burying yourself in a pit of fire. Although I can't recall ever really being there, just witnessing it once or twice.
Vivian and I grab a copy of the file and head down to the parking garage. "So much for getting Christmas off," I quip, glancing over as we slip into the car.
"Tell me about it," Viv responds, as I sit behind the wheel and head out towards our destination.
My cell phone vibrates in my pocket and I shift around, grabbing it from my jacket. I glance at the unfamiliar caller ID. "Hello?"
"You're with him again, aren't you?" I hear the female voice on the other end of the phone. The voice sounds vaguely familiar.
"I think you have the wrong number," I answer politely.
"I'm trying to reach Samantha. Is this not her number?"
"It is," I reluctantly respond.
"What gives you the right to think you can interfere in my family, and take my husband away from his children and, of all days, on Christmas!"
"We're on a case," I reassure her. "One of our own disappeared. I'm sorry I can't share more with you."
"Yeah, well you've said more then Jack." My suspicions are confirmed that it is Maria on the phone.
"Listen, I think you should call Jack if there's something you need to talk about. I'm in the middle of an investigation and."
"I'm sorry for interrupting you," she tells me before hanging up.
Vivian eyes me intently. "You don't want to know," I warn her.
"Actually I do," Viv answers.
"Maria."
"Ouch," Vivian glances my way then back down at the file. "I thought you two were over."
"Over? There never was anything going on."
She laughs softly and glances at me with this look that says she knows. "You don't have to lie to me. I'm not Farrell," she states. "Besides, I know it's none of my business, but Jack seemed so happy and at ease when you two were sneaking around. Now he's.well he's back to his lonely, depressed self."
"He's not lonely," I correct Vivian. "He's married and he has a family."
"Have you talked to Jack lately?"
"Sure," I answer with a laugh.
"About his wife?"
"That's a sore subject between us, but for good reason," I remind her.
"I'm just saying things aren't so good in the Malone house. I'm sure you figured that out yourself when Maria called you."
"Yeah," I answer with a sigh, pulling up in front of our suspect's home.
"What are you going to do?" She eyes me, referring to whether or not I'll tell Jack.
"Interview Mr. Landau," I answer, changing the subject back to work. "Hopefully he'll shine some light on this investigation."
"Mitchell Landau." I knock on the door, waiting for a response. A few moments later a man in his mid-forties opens the door.
"I'm not interested," he states.
"We're with the FBI, Mr. Landau," Vivian tells him. "I'm Agent Johnson and this is Agent Spade." We show him our credentials. "May we come in?"
"I don't know what this is about. Did Betsy call you again? That damn woman," his voice bellows out as we step foot into his home. Immediately the place smells of stale cigarette smoke and I hold my breath to keep from feeling ill.
"We're here about your ex-wife, Lisa Harris," I begin. "She went missing sometime last night."
"That's a shame," he shrugs his shoulders like it's no big deal.
"Where were you, Mr. Landau, last night around six?"
"Let me think," he takes a seat on the ragged sofa. "At work, like I always am."
"On Christmas Eve?" Vivian questions.
"Man's got to eat."
"When was the last time you saw Lisa?" I question. His eyes rake over my body before they meet my face and immediately I feel sick in his presence.
"It's been awhile," he nods. "When I signed the divorce papers would be the last time."
"And you haven't seen her since?" I question.
"Hell no. That bitch was cheating on me with some scumbag lowlife. He even fuckin' knocked her up and got the whore pregnant."
We finish interviewing Mitchell and head for the door. As I step outside a fresh burst of air fills my lungs and I cough trying to inhale more then I'm allowed to.
"I think he's hiding something," Vivian eyes me as we climb back into the car.
"No kidding. I don't see why he'd wait four years though," I state with a sigh, backing out of his driveway.
"Maybe he thought he'd go off the radar by now. I'll call Jack and relay him the news," Vivian tells me.
After a brief conversation, she hands me the phone, her eyes telling me I should inform him of the call that was placed earlier by his wife.
"Hey, Viv said you had something to share? What's going on?"
I let out a sigh. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm in my office alone. What's on your mind, Sam?"
"Maria called me, Jack. What's going on?"
He lets out a sigh and there's a pause before he answers. "I don't know."
"Well, then how did she get my cell phone number?"
"Maybe from my phone. I don't know, Sam. What do you want me to do about it?" I let out a soft laugh.
"Absolutely nothing," I answer handing the phone back to Viv. She shuts it off, and slips it back into her coat pocket.
"It doesn't sound like he took it very well, but you've got to see this from Jack's point of view, Samantha," Vivian tells me.
"I know," I let out another sigh as we pull into the federal building. "I've given him his space; I'm not sure what else to do at this point, aside from transferring out," I state as we step into the elevator and make our way into the office.
******
"What's this?" I question.
"Everything on a Mitchell Landau. He's our prime suspect at the moment."
I open the file that's filled with police reports on domestic abuse calls. "How does this fit into our missing persons case?"
"She divorced him four years ago," Vivian answers as we head towards the conference table.
"Four years ago? And now she goes missing," I read through the reports. "She didn't file anything until the divorce," I point out.
"According to her mother, she didn't want to put him away because she knew the system and how he'd likely be released. That is, until she became pregnant."
"With his child," I finish the thought.
"No with her boss's baby."
"What?" A startled look is etched on my face. "Her boss is female?"
"Yes, her boss here is. I'm talking about her boss from four years ago, Samantha," Vivian tells me. "She didn't work only at the bureau then. At the time she was working for a non-profit organization, Friday through Sunday."
"Extra money?" Martin questions.
"That was our original thought," Danny answers, "until we found out about the affair from her boss."
"Do you think he found out about the child and kidnapped Lisa?" I question.
"It's a possibility but I can't see why, especially if it wasn't his kid."
"So you're telling me that potentially we have two suspects not one: the boss she was having the affair with and her ex-husband."
"As of right now, yes," Vivian nods her head.
"Do we have anything on her former boss?" I question.
"Not much. He was a single guy, lonely and unattached. I'm not sure what happened exactly and whose child it was. We get the impression the baby is the boss's but a DNA test was never conducted." Danny states.
"It doesn't matter whose kid it is."
"It might if Lisa's former boss wants custody."
"Then why not kidnap the child?" Jack interjects as I glance up to see him approaching the table and then standing next to me.
"We're not sure," Danny nods, "but we're getting there."
"Vivian, I want you and Samantha to speak with the ex-husband, Mitchell Landau. Martin and Danny, you two go check out and investigate this former boss. What's his name?"
I glance down over the file, "Jonathan Matthews."
"I want you all to check in as soon as the interview is over. I don't want any mistakes being made. Is that understood?" Jack stares down Martin and then Vivian. The look he projects sends a sudden chill down my spine. Everyone nods, including Danny and myself because in truth we all fear the side of Jack Malone, that when he snaps, sends us so far into the depths of hell you feel like burying yourself in a pit of fire. Although I can't recall ever really being there, just witnessing it once or twice.
Vivian and I grab a copy of the file and head down to the parking garage. "So much for getting Christmas off," I quip, glancing over as we slip into the car.
"Tell me about it," Viv responds, as I sit behind the wheel and head out towards our destination.
My cell phone vibrates in my pocket and I shift around, grabbing it from my jacket. I glance at the unfamiliar caller ID. "Hello?"
"You're with him again, aren't you?" I hear the female voice on the other end of the phone. The voice sounds vaguely familiar.
"I think you have the wrong number," I answer politely.
"I'm trying to reach Samantha. Is this not her number?"
"It is," I reluctantly respond.
"What gives you the right to think you can interfere in my family, and take my husband away from his children and, of all days, on Christmas!"
"We're on a case," I reassure her. "One of our own disappeared. I'm sorry I can't share more with you."
"Yeah, well you've said more then Jack." My suspicions are confirmed that it is Maria on the phone.
"Listen, I think you should call Jack if there's something you need to talk about. I'm in the middle of an investigation and."
"I'm sorry for interrupting you," she tells me before hanging up.
Vivian eyes me intently. "You don't want to know," I warn her.
"Actually I do," Viv answers.
"Maria."
"Ouch," Vivian glances my way then back down at the file. "I thought you two were over."
"Over? There never was anything going on."
She laughs softly and glances at me with this look that says she knows. "You don't have to lie to me. I'm not Farrell," she states. "Besides, I know it's none of my business, but Jack seemed so happy and at ease when you two were sneaking around. Now he's.well he's back to his lonely, depressed self."
"He's not lonely," I correct Vivian. "He's married and he has a family."
"Have you talked to Jack lately?"
"Sure," I answer with a laugh.
"About his wife?"
"That's a sore subject between us, but for good reason," I remind her.
"I'm just saying things aren't so good in the Malone house. I'm sure you figured that out yourself when Maria called you."
"Yeah," I answer with a sigh, pulling up in front of our suspect's home.
"What are you going to do?" She eyes me, referring to whether or not I'll tell Jack.
"Interview Mr. Landau," I answer, changing the subject back to work. "Hopefully he'll shine some light on this investigation."
"Mitchell Landau." I knock on the door, waiting for a response. A few moments later a man in his mid-forties opens the door.
"I'm not interested," he states.
"We're with the FBI, Mr. Landau," Vivian tells him. "I'm Agent Johnson and this is Agent Spade." We show him our credentials. "May we come in?"
"I don't know what this is about. Did Betsy call you again? That damn woman," his voice bellows out as we step foot into his home. Immediately the place smells of stale cigarette smoke and I hold my breath to keep from feeling ill.
"We're here about your ex-wife, Lisa Harris," I begin. "She went missing sometime last night."
"That's a shame," he shrugs his shoulders like it's no big deal.
"Where were you, Mr. Landau, last night around six?"
"Let me think," he takes a seat on the ragged sofa. "At work, like I always am."
"On Christmas Eve?" Vivian questions.
"Man's got to eat."
"When was the last time you saw Lisa?" I question. His eyes rake over my body before they meet my face and immediately I feel sick in his presence.
"It's been awhile," he nods. "When I signed the divorce papers would be the last time."
"And you haven't seen her since?" I question.
"Hell no. That bitch was cheating on me with some scumbag lowlife. He even fuckin' knocked her up and got the whore pregnant."
We finish interviewing Mitchell and head for the door. As I step outside a fresh burst of air fills my lungs and I cough trying to inhale more then I'm allowed to.
"I think he's hiding something," Vivian eyes me as we climb back into the car.
"No kidding. I don't see why he'd wait four years though," I state with a sigh, backing out of his driveway.
"Maybe he thought he'd go off the radar by now. I'll call Jack and relay him the news," Vivian tells me.
After a brief conversation, she hands me the phone, her eyes telling me I should inform him of the call that was placed earlier by his wife.
"Hey, Viv said you had something to share? What's going on?"
I let out a sigh. "Where are you right now?"
"I'm in my office alone. What's on your mind, Sam?"
"Maria called me, Jack. What's going on?"
He lets out a sigh and there's a pause before he answers. "I don't know."
"Well, then how did she get my cell phone number?"
"Maybe from my phone. I don't know, Sam. What do you want me to do about it?" I let out a soft laugh.
"Absolutely nothing," I answer handing the phone back to Viv. She shuts it off, and slips it back into her coat pocket.
"It doesn't sound like he took it very well, but you've got to see this from Jack's point of view, Samantha," Vivian tells me.
"I know," I let out another sigh as we pull into the federal building. "I've given him his space; I'm not sure what else to do at this point, aside from transferring out," I state as we step into the elevator and make our way into the office.
