"I can't believe it. It must be a mistake. Richard Kendall hasn't spoken to Kathryn in years. John and I just saw him at the country club a few weeks ago. He has a new wife and baby. He's not the type to become obsessed…this is ridiculous," Maggie stated defiantly.
"Your neighbor, Mrs. Kopeckie, positively identified him as the man who has been using her apartment to gain entrance to your bedroom," Jack said as he watched Danny.
Danny stood up and started pacing the room as Maggie continued, "Their bedroom? You think that Richard has been breaking into their apartment?"
"Yes," Jacked replied as he continued to study Danny. "We found several of Kathryn's personal items in the apartment…jewelry, lingerie and other articles of clothing."
"She thought she was losing it," Danny finally said. "She told me she couldn't find certain things. I thought she was just scattered because of all the stress. But he was here…he was in our home. How could I not have known that?"
Maggie then stood and went to Danny. "There has to be a mistake. There just has to be. Richard Kendall wouldn't…"
"Maggie…stop it. Just stop it," John finally said. "The FBI doesn't just pick random suspects. If they say it is Kendall, then it is Kendall. We barely know him, Maggie."
"That's not true. We've known him for years. He was going to marry our daughter, John."
"I know. And she was so tortured on her wedding day because she didn't want to disappoint us. She was going to go through with marrying someone she didn't love because you planned the wedding of the century. She was only with him because she thought he was a part of some plan that we wanted for her. But we never really knew him, and neither did she. And to be honest, I never really liked him," John said as he looked at Jack.
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"He always acted like Kathryn was some sort of prize. When she wanted to go to law school, he tried to talk her out of it. I thought he was a bit controlling with her, but then I didn't think I would ever think any man was good enough for her…so I never pushed it," he replied as he glanced at Danny. "I just wanted her to be happy. But I was relieved when she called it off with Kendall. I thought she was better off going to law school and being on her own for a while."
"You've never told me that," Maggie said with surprise.
"Yes, I did. You just never listened, Maggie."
Maggie sat down stunned at all she was learning. Then Jacked continued. "Another reason I think it is Kendall is because of the e-mail. I read that e-mail over and over again because something didn't sound right in it. This morning when I interviewed Kendall, he said that Kathryn rebelled against the life she thought you wanted for her," he said as he looked at John and Maggie. "The e-mail has almost the same words that Kendall used."
John stood up and looked at Jack and then Danny. "What do we do now? Do we arrest him? How do we knew he hasn't…"
Danny looked down as he heard the desperation in John's voice. Danny knew it was possible and maybe even probable that Kathryn was already gone. And even if she wasn't, he didn't want to think about what Kendall may have done to her.
"I have an agent sitting outside his house. We know he is in there right now. We are working on deep background. We need to find out as much about him as possible before I can take another step. Obviously, we hope that he leads us to her, so it's important that he not know we are on to him."
"When you talked to him this morning, did he have an alibi?" Danny asked as his mind automatically started going down a list of questions he would ask in any normal missing person's case.
"He did. And Samantha checked it out. His secretary confirmed that he was in his office for most of the day. He says he went to a lunch meeting at noon. We are bringing the secretary back in, and we'll re-verify the lunch meeting."
"He could be working with someone else…someone besides the PI?" Danny added.
"Possibly, but then why would he take the chance to come into your apartment. Why wouldn't the partner do all the dirty work? There are still a lot of things to consider. On that note, I should really get back."
"There has to be something…something I can do. I can come to the office and help with background or…" Danny pleaded.
"Your place is here, Danny," Jack said as he stood up. "You can't do anything that might tip off Kendall. Is that understood?"
"Yes," Danny replied quietly. "Just call us as soon as you know anything."
"I will," Jack responded as he reached the door. "You'll hear from me soon."
Danny sat down on the couch next to Maggie. She hadn't said a word in quite a while. "They are going to do everything they can to find her. There's no one else I would want looking for her than the people that I work with. They are the best," Danny reassured.
"All this time, I wanted this to be your fault," Maggie finally said as she looked at Danny. "I thought that somehow you brought this on…that it had to be someone connected to your life….your past. And it's actually my fault."
"Maggie…it's not…"
"Kathryn didn't want to go out with him…with Richard. She called me the day after she met him and said that she didn't want to go out with him. But I…I made her do it. I told her that she would embarrass me if she didn't. She was so scared…so unsure of herself, and I manipulated her. She was my little girl, and I wanted her to have the perfect life…or my version of the perfect life. I pushed her into the relationship with Richard. I was so angry with her when she called off the wedding. John didn't let me show her how angry I was, but I felt like she betrayed me by giving it all up. That's why she kept her relationship with you a secret for so long. That's why she didn't want me to know anything about you…because she was afraid I would ruin it for her."
"You couldn't have known that Kendall was capable of this. Maggie…to be honest…I thought the same thing you did. I thought someone in my life had to be involved. This isn't the time to blame yourself. We just have to have hope that they find her and bring her back to us. If it weren't for you Maggie, we wouldn't even be looking for her," Danny said as he touched her shoulder.
Maggie looked at Danny as tears fell from her eyes. "You have no reason to comfort me, Danny. I've done nothing but doubt you all this time."
"And all you've done is love our daughter," John said quietly. "I know I've never said it, but I for one, am glad that she has you. I remember the first time I saw her face light up when she talked about you, and I thought this is what I want for her. I wanted her to feel that way forever. You're a good man, Danny. And you've taken good care our daughter and our grandson. We should never doubt you."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me," Danny responded slightly uncomfortable with John's show of feelings. "How about that coffee? I'll get it. It's going to be a long night."
"Your neighbor, Mrs. Kopeckie, positively identified him as the man who has been using her apartment to gain entrance to your bedroom," Jack said as he watched Danny.
Danny stood up and started pacing the room as Maggie continued, "Their bedroom? You think that Richard has been breaking into their apartment?"
"Yes," Jacked replied as he continued to study Danny. "We found several of Kathryn's personal items in the apartment…jewelry, lingerie and other articles of clothing."
"She thought she was losing it," Danny finally said. "She told me she couldn't find certain things. I thought she was just scattered because of all the stress. But he was here…he was in our home. How could I not have known that?"
Maggie then stood and went to Danny. "There has to be a mistake. There just has to be. Richard Kendall wouldn't…"
"Maggie…stop it. Just stop it," John finally said. "The FBI doesn't just pick random suspects. If they say it is Kendall, then it is Kendall. We barely know him, Maggie."
"That's not true. We've known him for years. He was going to marry our daughter, John."
"I know. And she was so tortured on her wedding day because she didn't want to disappoint us. She was going to go through with marrying someone she didn't love because you planned the wedding of the century. She was only with him because she thought he was a part of some plan that we wanted for her. But we never really knew him, and neither did she. And to be honest, I never really liked him," John said as he looked at Jack.
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"He always acted like Kathryn was some sort of prize. When she wanted to go to law school, he tried to talk her out of it. I thought he was a bit controlling with her, but then I didn't think I would ever think any man was good enough for her…so I never pushed it," he replied as he glanced at Danny. "I just wanted her to be happy. But I was relieved when she called it off with Kendall. I thought she was better off going to law school and being on her own for a while."
"You've never told me that," Maggie said with surprise.
"Yes, I did. You just never listened, Maggie."
Maggie sat down stunned at all she was learning. Then Jacked continued. "Another reason I think it is Kendall is because of the e-mail. I read that e-mail over and over again because something didn't sound right in it. This morning when I interviewed Kendall, he said that Kathryn rebelled against the life she thought you wanted for her," he said as he looked at John and Maggie. "The e-mail has almost the same words that Kendall used."
John stood up and looked at Jack and then Danny. "What do we do now? Do we arrest him? How do we knew he hasn't…"
Danny looked down as he heard the desperation in John's voice. Danny knew it was possible and maybe even probable that Kathryn was already gone. And even if she wasn't, he didn't want to think about what Kendall may have done to her.
"I have an agent sitting outside his house. We know he is in there right now. We are working on deep background. We need to find out as much about him as possible before I can take another step. Obviously, we hope that he leads us to her, so it's important that he not know we are on to him."
"When you talked to him this morning, did he have an alibi?" Danny asked as his mind automatically started going down a list of questions he would ask in any normal missing person's case.
"He did. And Samantha checked it out. His secretary confirmed that he was in his office for most of the day. He says he went to a lunch meeting at noon. We are bringing the secretary back in, and we'll re-verify the lunch meeting."
"He could be working with someone else…someone besides the PI?" Danny added.
"Possibly, but then why would he take the chance to come into your apartment. Why wouldn't the partner do all the dirty work? There are still a lot of things to consider. On that note, I should really get back."
"There has to be something…something I can do. I can come to the office and help with background or…" Danny pleaded.
"Your place is here, Danny," Jack said as he stood up. "You can't do anything that might tip off Kendall. Is that understood?"
"Yes," Danny replied quietly. "Just call us as soon as you know anything."
"I will," Jack responded as he reached the door. "You'll hear from me soon."
Danny sat down on the couch next to Maggie. She hadn't said a word in quite a while. "They are going to do everything they can to find her. There's no one else I would want looking for her than the people that I work with. They are the best," Danny reassured.
"All this time, I wanted this to be your fault," Maggie finally said as she looked at Danny. "I thought that somehow you brought this on…that it had to be someone connected to your life….your past. And it's actually my fault."
"Maggie…it's not…"
"Kathryn didn't want to go out with him…with Richard. She called me the day after she met him and said that she didn't want to go out with him. But I…I made her do it. I told her that she would embarrass me if she didn't. She was so scared…so unsure of herself, and I manipulated her. She was my little girl, and I wanted her to have the perfect life…or my version of the perfect life. I pushed her into the relationship with Richard. I was so angry with her when she called off the wedding. John didn't let me show her how angry I was, but I felt like she betrayed me by giving it all up. That's why she kept her relationship with you a secret for so long. That's why she didn't want me to know anything about you…because she was afraid I would ruin it for her."
"You couldn't have known that Kendall was capable of this. Maggie…to be honest…I thought the same thing you did. I thought someone in my life had to be involved. This isn't the time to blame yourself. We just have to have hope that they find her and bring her back to us. If it weren't for you Maggie, we wouldn't even be looking for her," Danny said as he touched her shoulder.
Maggie looked at Danny as tears fell from her eyes. "You have no reason to comfort me, Danny. I've done nothing but doubt you all this time."
"And all you've done is love our daughter," John said quietly. "I know I've never said it, but I for one, am glad that she has you. I remember the first time I saw her face light up when she talked about you, and I thought this is what I want for her. I wanted her to feel that way forever. You're a good man, Danny. And you've taken good care our daughter and our grandson. We should never doubt you."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me," Danny responded slightly uncomfortable with John's show of feelings. "How about that coffee? I'll get it. It's going to be a long night."