Disclaimers can be found in the first chapter.
A/N: I can't thank everyone enough for the reviews..you guys are so wonderful! Thank you.
*
Bring $10,000 in unmarked bills to the alley behind West 12th Avenue at seven PM tonight. Drive halfway into the alley and get out with the money in a plain duffel bag. Don't look for anyone. I will find you and make the exchange: Margo for the ten thousand. Be there with the money at seven, and do not speak with the police.
Dylan Bradshaw took several deep breaths and glanced feverishly around his office. Satisfied that he was alone, he dropped the red ink stained white paper onto his desk.
What are you doing, Margo? Wha--
Heart racing, he leaned closer to the words and sucked in a fierce gasp of air.
Jesus..
Folding the paper back into the envelope marked with only his first name, he slipped it into his pocket and left his silent office behind.
*
"So the eye-witnesses were worthless?" Vivian asked Jack and Samantha when the team had gathered back at the unit.
"They all verified what we saw on the tapes. Nothing else," Samantha told her, and Jack nodded.
"Danny, Martin, how'd it go with the brother?"
"He's convinced that Margo would never run off with anyone," Martin replied. "According to Dylan, something had to've happened to her."
"Did he have any idea what?" Jack asked, and both agents shook their heads.
"I'm running background on the family," Danny told him. "Someone's not telling us something."
Jack nodded. "Good. We need her credit card and phone records, too, and I want to see what we can get out of her co-workers."
Before Jack could start dividing up assignments, Danny looked up from his computer, barely concealing a smile.
"Hey, Jack, guess what Julie Bradshaw's maiden name is?"
Jack shrugged. "What is it, Danny?"
"McClennan. And she has an older brother, who used to live in Chicago." The small smile became a full-fledged grin. "He has a son."
"Named Ben." Samantha filled in, looking to Danny who nodded in confirmation.
"Christ," Jack shook his head. "He's Margo's cousin." Wearily, he turned to Martin. "Check the other witnesses, make sure neither of them occupy branches of Margo's family tree. Danny--"
"Wait, listen to this," Danny cut Jack off, scanning his computer screen. "Margo and Dylan had an older brother, William."
"Had?" Vivian said with a raised eyebrow. "What happened?"
"William was murdered when he was nineteen," Danny told the other agents. "Ten years ago, so Margo and Dylan were sixteen. Anyway, they put someone away for it, but about a month ago he was released on new evidence."
Jack rubbed his eyes in frustration. "Who'd they put away?"
Danny held up a hand, searching the screen before replying, "Guy named Cameron Marks."
"We're going to need to talk to him," Jack said immediately. "But let's get Ben McClennan and the Bradshaws in here first. Martin, run a quick check on the other witnesses, then Margo's credit card and phone records. Danny, see what you can find out about William Bradshaw's murder." Turning to Samantha, he said, "Let's see if Ben'll tell you the truth."
*
"Hey, Ben," Samantha smiled at the wary-looking man, who said nothing but offered a shaky smile in return. "Know why you're here?"
Ben McClennan shook his head, and relaxed enough to allow himself a bit of indignance. "I already told you people everything I know.."
"See, there's the problem, Ben." The smile faded from Samantha's face as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a glare. "You didn't tell us anything." She pushed a picture of Margo across the table. "You forgot to mention that Margo Reed is your cousin."
For a split second, Ben's gaze left hers and swung to the door, but surprise and fear quickly gave way to defeat, and he sat back in his chair. "Okay. I guess I didn't tell you that."
Samantha folded her arms across her chest and pinned Ben to his seat. "Why?"
She had to give him a bit of credit for not spouting out the tiresome 'I didn't think it was important' line when he finally spoke.
"I was scared," he said honestly. "I didn't realize the woman in the lot was Margo until I saw that guy start walking with her, and when you called me in here the first time.."
Samantha's raised eyebrow prompted a continuation.
"I thought it had something to do with William, okay? Now that Cameron's out.."
Frowning, Samantha stopped him. "What do you know about William and Cameron Marks?"
Ben sighed. "I moved to New York when I was twenty-one, started hanging out with William and his crowd. They were heavy into the drug scene, and I was too, until Will got shot and Cameron got put away for it. After that.." Ben trailed off.
"Why do you think what's happened to Margo has anything to do with her brother's murder?" Samantha asked.
"Hell, I don't know. It might not. I'm just saying, it's weird that she goes missing around the time Cameron gets out, is all."
"Have you spoken to Cameron?" Samantha watched him closely, but Ben shook his head.
"No. I haven't seen him since Will was killed."
"Are you sure? Because you've lied to us before, Ben, which makes it a little difficult for me to trust you.."
"Look, I swear. I should have told you that Margo's my cousin, but I'm not lying about this. No way. I haven't been anywhere near that crowd for years." Leaning forward, he lowered his tone to a whisper. "Will was in debt. Like, thousands in debt. I figured that's why he was killed, and I got myself out of that kind of life."
"We're going to need to talk to you again, Ben," Samantha said slowly, her mind reeling.
Ben McClennan looked less than enthusiastic about the idea, but nodded. "You obviously know where to find me," he told her.
"No more lies," Samantha warned him as he stood to leave, and she figured the slight dip of his head would have to suffice for a promise of honesty.
*
Robert and Julie Bradshaw looked terrified and small sitting in the FBI interview room, and Jack wondered briefly if they were remembering ten years ago and the implications of rooms like this.
Vivian glanced at him briefly before beginning.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw, why didn't you tell us about your oldest son?" The question was asked in Vivian's gentle, soothing tone, but even so Julie Bradshaw's face paled whiter than it already was, and tears gathered immediately in her eyes.
"What does Will's murder have to do with Margo?" Robert asked, clutching his wife's hand.
"It could have everything to do with her," Jack replied. "Especially since the man accused of killing your son has been released from prison."
Julie Bradshaw shook her head. "I still don't understand," she said tearfully. "That was ten years ago, and Margo wasn't involved in any way. She was only sixteen! Why would Cameron Marks want to hurt her?"
"We don't know," Vivian answered. "But it's a possibility."
"Have you had any contact with Cameron since his release?" Jack wanted to know, and both Bradshaws shook their heads.
"Cameron and Will were friends," Robert told the agents. "But he.." A deep breath. "He was the one who introduced Will to drugs in the first place. I don't know if he killed my son or not," he said honestly. "It seemed that way at first, but these new witnesses were enough to get him out and re-open the case."
"New witnesses?" Vivian repeated.
"Not witnesses of Will's death," Julie clarified. "But two people now swear Cameron was on the other side of town the night he died."
"Where were they ten years ago?" Jack wondered.
Robert Bradshaw shrugged. "I don't know. Scared, maybe." He shook his head. "They didn't tell us much. You'd have to speak with NYPD for that information."
"We've got agents on it," Vivian assured him.
Julie, wringing her pale hands, said, "I still don't see where Margo fits into this."
"She may not," Jack told her honestly. "But if she does, we need to know as much as possible."
"Please," Julie pleaded. "Get what you need from the police. I can't..I can't relive that, not now, with my daughter gone too.."
Jack and Vivian exchanged glances.
"We're going to need to speak to you again," Vivian said gently.
The Bradshaws nodded and left the room, broken but supporting each other as they went.
*
"Margo's phone and bank records are normal," Martin told Vivian, Samantha and Jack when they had finished relaying the highlights of their interviews. "Maybe the husband and brother are right, and something really did happen to her."
"It would seem that way," Jack muttered. "We need to talk to the brother again, and find Cameron Marks. Martin, I want you, Vivian and Danny on the William Bradshaw case and this Marks. Sam, you and I'll have a talk with Dylan Bradshaw. Maybe he'll remember something he conveniently forgot to tell Martin and Danny."
As if on cue, a young agent led an uncertain-looking Jillian Bradshaw into the center of the unit. She scanned the faces of the team for a moment before speaking.
"Dylan's gone."
*
"He just left the restaurant," Jillian told Jack and Samantha once they'd ushered her into an interview room. "He was reading mail in his office, and then he walked out. I tried to ask where he was going, but..he didn't stop, or listen, and his phone isn't on.." She buried her head in her hands. "I don't know what's happening."
"What time did he leave?" Samantha asked.
Jillian wiped her eyes. "Around six, I think," she replied. "I know it's only been a few hours, and it may be nothing, but with Margo gone..oh God, I don't know.."
"You said he was reading mail?" Jack asked, and she nodded in confirmation. "Business or personal?"
Shrugging, Jillian replied, "Business. He always reads it as soon as it comes."
"Hand-delivered?" Samantha wanted to know, exchanging a quick glance with Jack.
"We have a box in the waiting area," Jillian explained, a little perplexed. "The carrier just puts it in there everyday."
"Does everyone have access to this box?"
"Well..I guess so.." the other woman answered. "What's going on?"
"There may have been a ransom note," Jack told her. "Did you look through the mail when your husband left the restaurant?"
Jillian nodded slowly. "Yes, but there certainly wasn't a ransom note in the stack."
"We need his bank records," Jack said quickly, and Samantha nodded, slipping out of the room.
"Mrs. Bradshaw, you're sure you have no idea where Dylan was going?"
Shaking her head, Jillian replied, "I don't know. I was just afraid, so I came here..Agent Malone, why would someone ask Dylan for the ransom money? Why not Simon?"
"I'm not sure," Jack told her. "What kind of car does your husband drive?"
"A Nissan," Jillian said, swallowing the tears that threatened to overflow. "Pathfinder. It's silver."
"Thank you," Jack told her. "We're going to run these things down, Mrs. Bradshaw, and we'll let you know as soon as we have any information."
"Okay," she replied uncertainly, looking around as if for some kind of instruction. "Okay," Jillian repeated, and left the room slowly.
*
"Dylan made two five-thousand dollar withdrawals this afternoon," Samantha announced to Jack and Vivian. "He has three separate bank accounts."
"Ten thousand dollars?" Vivian said. "That's not much of a ransom."
"Yeah, well, maybe it's not all about the money," Jack pointed out, just as Vivian's cell phone rang.
"You think it has something to do with Will Bradshaw's murder?" Samantha wanted to know, and Jack shrugged.
"It's all we've got right now."
"Not anymore." Vivian hung up the phone. "Dylan's car was just found in some alley behind West 12th. Forensics is going to meet us there."
"We should bring Jillian, make sure the car's his," Samantha suggested, and Jack nodded.
"Let's go. Viv, call Danny and Martin at NYPD, let them know what's going on?"
"Sure," she replied, pulling out her phone again as the three made their way to the unit's exit.
*
"That's his car," Jillian whispered from the back seat of the government issued vehicle. Samantha had just pulled into the alley, and Jack glanced back at the shaken woman.
"You're sure?"
She nodded. "Positive."
As they left the car and Vivian approached from the opposite side of the alley, a young crime scene technician made his way over to the agents, holding a plastic bag in his gloved hand.
"The car was open," he informed them. "We found this on the passenger seat. We're not quite finished processing yet, but there doesn't appear to be any obvious sign of a struggle or blood."
"Thanks," Jack told him, taking the plastic bag.
Inside was a small sheet of white paper, marred by the lines of red ink that had pointed Dylan to the alley in which they now stood.
"Ten thousand," Samantha read off the note. "Viv's right, Jack. That's nothing."
Jack and Vivian glanced to the deserted Pathfinder.
"I guess it wasn't about the money," Vivian said.
"Jesus. We've got two missing now," Jack pointed out in frustration.
Samantha added, "Two missing and a ten year old murder case."
Before anyone could reply, Jillian Bradshaw approached them.
"Can I..can I see that?" She asked.
They exchanged glances, and, shrugging, Jack handed her the bag.
Her eyes flicked quickly over the words and widened in shock as she raised them to the agents.
"This is Margo's handwriting."
TBC…
