"We'll find them," Martin reassures me, backing out of the driveway as I
give him directions to Jonathan Matthews' home.
****
We knock repeatedly on the door, and there's no answer. "We should go in," Martin states, eyeing through the windows.
"Do you see anything that gives us probable cause?"
"No," he whispers out after a moment.
"Then we question the neighbors." I nod towards next door and the woman sitting on her porch.
After an hour of speaking with friendly neighbors, who saw and heard absolutely nothing, we head back to the office.
"Tell me you have something," Jack states as we walk in through the door.
"No," I shake my head. "The most we got was that Matthews wasn't very neighborly. No one really knew him, or spoke with him, aside from the occasional hello."
"Did Vivian and Danny come up with anything?" Martin questions.
"They're on their way back now. They spoke with the parents but didn't get anything useful. In fact, they've never heard of Lisa Harris."
"Just great," I mutter and glance down at my phone that's vibrating. The unfamiliar number is glowing. "Agent Spade," I answer.
"Is this Samantha?"
"Who is this?" I question, glancing towards Jack confused.
"Stop hassling my family, and leave us alone."
"We can't, Mr. Matthews. You've kidnapped two innocent people."
"They're being cared for."
"That may be the case, but they deserve more then that. Let me come to you and help."
"You can't help. You see what happens when you get involved."
"Mr. Matthews, I know what you're going through. You love her, but you couldn't be with her, because she was married. She's not married anymore. You don't have to do this."
"That's what Lisa said," he lets out a sigh. "She loves me; you know that," he tells me.
"If you love her, you'll let Lisa and Ashley go."
"Do you know that she never told me about her daughter, until Ashley turned two? I offered her support-a husband, my life--and she refused. I love her and I would never hurt her."
"Can I talk to her?"
"Samantha," I hear her fragile voice.
"Are you hurt?"
"No," she lets out a sigh. "Ashley's frightened and so am I."
"I know," I whisper out. "Can you tell me where you are?"
"That's enough chatting," Jonathan's voice sounds through the phone, giving me a location and telling me to come alone.
"Sam?" I hear Jack's voice, as he tries to get a trace on the call, but it's too late. "You're not going, are you?"
"What other choice do we have?"
"He didn't ask for money, Sam. It's not a good situation to go into alone."
"You'll be around," I point out. "Besides, maybe he needs someone that will listen. Someone that is going through what he did."
Martin glances between us, as Jack stares me down. "Don't make this about what it's not," Jack warns me quietly.
"I'm just saying, maybe if he realizes what he's doing is wrong, he'll let them go. He didn't sound like an irrational man, Jack."
"Yeah, well."
"I can go with her," Martin offers.
"No," Jack shakes his head. "You'll stay here with Vivian. Danny and I will accompany you. We'll be across the street."
I nod my head, and Jack quickly heads on over towards Danny who's making his way into the office, relaying him the news.
I grab my gun and my phone, driving separately to the destination, with Jack and Danny following behind. I step out of the car slowly and alert of anyone watching. The air is still and the world seems mute. I let out a breath, heading towards the address and knocking on the door. "Come in," I hear the familiar male voice from the phone.
I slowly open the door, my hand over my gun, ready to draw it at an instance notice.
I step inside the neatly arranged townhouse and can only imagine Jack or Danny next door, surveying and interviewing the residents. "Samantha Spade?" I hear the voice from deeper inside the house.
"Yes, I'm with the FBI," I remind him.
"I know who you are. Leave your gun on the table."
"How do I know you're not armed and prepared to shoot me?" I answer, slowly stepping towards the living room.
"You don't. It's a chance you'll have to take. Besides, I could have killed you already." I put my gun down between the fridge and cabinets, ready to grab it if necessary and in a place where only I will know it exists.
I step inside the room with my hands up as I see Jonathan with a revolver in his hands.
"Turn around," he states briskly.
"So you can shoot me in the back?"
"I need to know you're not wired and without a weapon."
"I didn't bring it. I could get fired for this," I warn Matthews. "I'm here to help you, because I know what you're going through."
"That's what Lisa said." I eye Lisa, who's holding Ashley on the sofa.
"Why don't you let them go?" I question.
"I love them," he retorts dryly. "You know about love."
"I know you don't force someone to love you in return. Ashley's scared." I glance at the little one, who is shaking and visibly crying on her mom's shoulder.
"She doesn't know me, but that's not my wrong doing," Matthews glances towards Lisa angrily. "You should have told me sooner!"
"Maybe she didn't know how," I offer the words.
"She knew, and instead she stayed with that jerk of a husband, Mitchell."
"They've been divorced four years now," I tell him. "Did Lisa tell you that?"
He nods, "doesn't make what he did right."
"This isn't right either." I remind him. "..kidnapping the people you love."
"I'm saving them from Mitchell. Eventually he would go after Ashley and Lisa. He's got a temper that he can't control. He'd hurt, or worse.kill"
"You're saving them?" I eye him questionably. "Let them decide if they need saving, Jonathan."
"I know what's best for my daughter."
"What about what's best for Lisa? Doesn't she get to decide what she wants?"
"She made her decision a long time ago." He takes a seat on the table, between the girls and myself, waving a gun around when he speaks.
"You have to let them go."
"I want them in my life. I won't take no for an answer. You've got to help me. You're the only one that's been through what I have."
"If you love her, you'll let her go," I state softly. "It's the right thing to do," I remind him. "Give me the gun, Jonathan. You don't want to do this."
"Yes I do," he nods with cold dead eyes. "I've been in pain far too long. We'll be together."
"No," I shake my head.
"What other choice do I have? Go to jail, because I love a woman that had my child?"
"You put yourself in this situation. I can help you out of it the easy way, or you can make things harder for yourself."
"What can you do for me?"
"If you let them go, I can help you."
"No," he shakes his head. "You'll let me die. When they're gone, you won't need me. I just want to be with my family," he sighs out.
"You'll have me as collateral." I offer the words that remind me of the one thing that terrorized my own life. "That's all you need."
"You don't understand! I want to be left alone with my family."
"That's not your choice to make. You took them from their homes. Don't they have a right to be happy, on Christmas?"
"They are happy!" His voice shouts loud and clear.
"Do they look that way to you?" I question. "Let them go, Jonathan," I softly tell him while slowly approaching. My hand comes to rest on his hand that's holding the gun. "Do what's right. She loved the man she met," I remind him. "Do you want to take that away from her?"
"No," his voice cracks as the gun falls into my hands. "Go," his head nods towards Lisa and Ashley. Her eyes thank me, as she carries her daughter down the stairs.
I pull out the handcuffs, putting his hands behind his back and locking them in place. I escort him outside, to see half a dozen squad cars with weapons drawn. They lower their weapons and take custody of him.
"Samantha," I hear Lisa's voice and turn around to see her with her daughter sitting down in an open squad car. "I knew you were the one who could make sense of the situation."
I smile softly in response. "Glad we could get it all worked out." I watch as she holds her daughter close, trying to gently soothe and rock her little girl. "You're more than welcome to have Christmas over at my place," I offer her.
"No," she shakes her head with tears. "Thank you, though. I'm going to stay with my parents for a few days till things are settled."
"Good idea," I tell her, shutting the door and heading over towards Jack. "You should head home," I point out. "You still have a few hours left of Christmas to spend with your family."
"What about you?"
"Don't worry about me," I answer with a smile playing on my lips.
****
We knock repeatedly on the door, and there's no answer. "We should go in," Martin states, eyeing through the windows.
"Do you see anything that gives us probable cause?"
"No," he whispers out after a moment.
"Then we question the neighbors." I nod towards next door and the woman sitting on her porch.
After an hour of speaking with friendly neighbors, who saw and heard absolutely nothing, we head back to the office.
"Tell me you have something," Jack states as we walk in through the door.
"No," I shake my head. "The most we got was that Matthews wasn't very neighborly. No one really knew him, or spoke with him, aside from the occasional hello."
"Did Vivian and Danny come up with anything?" Martin questions.
"They're on their way back now. They spoke with the parents but didn't get anything useful. In fact, they've never heard of Lisa Harris."
"Just great," I mutter and glance down at my phone that's vibrating. The unfamiliar number is glowing. "Agent Spade," I answer.
"Is this Samantha?"
"Who is this?" I question, glancing towards Jack confused.
"Stop hassling my family, and leave us alone."
"We can't, Mr. Matthews. You've kidnapped two innocent people."
"They're being cared for."
"That may be the case, but they deserve more then that. Let me come to you and help."
"You can't help. You see what happens when you get involved."
"Mr. Matthews, I know what you're going through. You love her, but you couldn't be with her, because she was married. She's not married anymore. You don't have to do this."
"That's what Lisa said," he lets out a sigh. "She loves me; you know that," he tells me.
"If you love her, you'll let Lisa and Ashley go."
"Do you know that she never told me about her daughter, until Ashley turned two? I offered her support-a husband, my life--and she refused. I love her and I would never hurt her."
"Can I talk to her?"
"Samantha," I hear her fragile voice.
"Are you hurt?"
"No," she lets out a sigh. "Ashley's frightened and so am I."
"I know," I whisper out. "Can you tell me where you are?"
"That's enough chatting," Jonathan's voice sounds through the phone, giving me a location and telling me to come alone.
"Sam?" I hear Jack's voice, as he tries to get a trace on the call, but it's too late. "You're not going, are you?"
"What other choice do we have?"
"He didn't ask for money, Sam. It's not a good situation to go into alone."
"You'll be around," I point out. "Besides, maybe he needs someone that will listen. Someone that is going through what he did."
Martin glances between us, as Jack stares me down. "Don't make this about what it's not," Jack warns me quietly.
"I'm just saying, maybe if he realizes what he's doing is wrong, he'll let them go. He didn't sound like an irrational man, Jack."
"Yeah, well."
"I can go with her," Martin offers.
"No," Jack shakes his head. "You'll stay here with Vivian. Danny and I will accompany you. We'll be across the street."
I nod my head, and Jack quickly heads on over towards Danny who's making his way into the office, relaying him the news.
I grab my gun and my phone, driving separately to the destination, with Jack and Danny following behind. I step out of the car slowly and alert of anyone watching. The air is still and the world seems mute. I let out a breath, heading towards the address and knocking on the door. "Come in," I hear the familiar male voice from the phone.
I slowly open the door, my hand over my gun, ready to draw it at an instance notice.
I step inside the neatly arranged townhouse and can only imagine Jack or Danny next door, surveying and interviewing the residents. "Samantha Spade?" I hear the voice from deeper inside the house.
"Yes, I'm with the FBI," I remind him.
"I know who you are. Leave your gun on the table."
"How do I know you're not armed and prepared to shoot me?" I answer, slowly stepping towards the living room.
"You don't. It's a chance you'll have to take. Besides, I could have killed you already." I put my gun down between the fridge and cabinets, ready to grab it if necessary and in a place where only I will know it exists.
I step inside the room with my hands up as I see Jonathan with a revolver in his hands.
"Turn around," he states briskly.
"So you can shoot me in the back?"
"I need to know you're not wired and without a weapon."
"I didn't bring it. I could get fired for this," I warn Matthews. "I'm here to help you, because I know what you're going through."
"That's what Lisa said." I eye Lisa, who's holding Ashley on the sofa.
"Why don't you let them go?" I question.
"I love them," he retorts dryly. "You know about love."
"I know you don't force someone to love you in return. Ashley's scared." I glance at the little one, who is shaking and visibly crying on her mom's shoulder.
"She doesn't know me, but that's not my wrong doing," Matthews glances towards Lisa angrily. "You should have told me sooner!"
"Maybe she didn't know how," I offer the words.
"She knew, and instead she stayed with that jerk of a husband, Mitchell."
"They've been divorced four years now," I tell him. "Did Lisa tell you that?"
He nods, "doesn't make what he did right."
"This isn't right either." I remind him. "..kidnapping the people you love."
"I'm saving them from Mitchell. Eventually he would go after Ashley and Lisa. He's got a temper that he can't control. He'd hurt, or worse.kill"
"You're saving them?" I eye him questionably. "Let them decide if they need saving, Jonathan."
"I know what's best for my daughter."
"What about what's best for Lisa? Doesn't she get to decide what she wants?"
"She made her decision a long time ago." He takes a seat on the table, between the girls and myself, waving a gun around when he speaks.
"You have to let them go."
"I want them in my life. I won't take no for an answer. You've got to help me. You're the only one that's been through what I have."
"If you love her, you'll let her go," I state softly. "It's the right thing to do," I remind him. "Give me the gun, Jonathan. You don't want to do this."
"Yes I do," he nods with cold dead eyes. "I've been in pain far too long. We'll be together."
"No," I shake my head.
"What other choice do I have? Go to jail, because I love a woman that had my child?"
"You put yourself in this situation. I can help you out of it the easy way, or you can make things harder for yourself."
"What can you do for me?"
"If you let them go, I can help you."
"No," he shakes his head. "You'll let me die. When they're gone, you won't need me. I just want to be with my family," he sighs out.
"You'll have me as collateral." I offer the words that remind me of the one thing that terrorized my own life. "That's all you need."
"You don't understand! I want to be left alone with my family."
"That's not your choice to make. You took them from their homes. Don't they have a right to be happy, on Christmas?"
"They are happy!" His voice shouts loud and clear.
"Do they look that way to you?" I question. "Let them go, Jonathan," I softly tell him while slowly approaching. My hand comes to rest on his hand that's holding the gun. "Do what's right. She loved the man she met," I remind him. "Do you want to take that away from her?"
"No," his voice cracks as the gun falls into my hands. "Go," his head nods towards Lisa and Ashley. Her eyes thank me, as she carries her daughter down the stairs.
I pull out the handcuffs, putting his hands behind his back and locking them in place. I escort him outside, to see half a dozen squad cars with weapons drawn. They lower their weapons and take custody of him.
"Samantha," I hear Lisa's voice and turn around to see her with her daughter sitting down in an open squad car. "I knew you were the one who could make sense of the situation."
I smile softly in response. "Glad we could get it all worked out." I watch as she holds her daughter close, trying to gently soothe and rock her little girl. "You're more than welcome to have Christmas over at my place," I offer her.
"No," she shakes her head with tears. "Thank you, though. I'm going to stay with my parents for a few days till things are settled."
"Good idea," I tell her, shutting the door and heading over towards Jack. "You should head home," I point out. "You still have a few hours left of Christmas to spend with your family."
"What about you?"
"Don't worry about me," I answer with a smile playing on my lips.
