Area
of Queens.
4
hours missing
"Maybe the people who live here saw something," Danny said with more than a trace of sarcasm. They'd been knocking on doors for over two hours now and covered most of the block.
"Maybe we should have asked the NYPD for help," Martin suggested knocking on the door.
"What for a fishing expedition, yeah right," Danny replied. Just then the door opened a crack, held in place by a chain.
"Yes." A wavering voice greeted them.
"I'm Special Agent Taylor, this is Special Agent Fitzgerald, we're with the FBI ma'am" Danny held his badge up to the narrow opening for inspection. After a moment the door closed, the chain removed and the door opened fully. Standing in front of them was an elderly lady. Danny and Martin exchanged a glance, they make have hit the jackpot.
"What can I do for you gentlemen?" the lady asked.
"We're investigating the kidnapping of Emily Mason," Martin explained, holding up a picture. "She was snatched this afternoon in Central Park. The getaway car was found torched and abandoned in a alley near here. We're interviewing everybody who lives in this block in the hope that somebody saw something."
"You better come in then," the lady said pushing back the door further and retreating into the house. Danny and Martin followed. "When was this," the old lady asked sinking into her armchair.
"Between three and five this afternoon," Danny told her looking longingly at the couch. As if he knew what he was thinking the tabby cat in the corner, walked past Danny and jumped onto the couch, stretching full length on it.
"There would have been three men or two men and a woman, we're not too sure about that. They would have had a four year old girl with them." Martin handed her the picture of Emily Mason. "That four year old girl."
"Between three and five you say. Now let me see, around three I was out the front watering my petunias when three men and a little girl walked past. The little girl was asleep in one of the man's arms. I thought it odd at the time because all the men were wearing black, on a sunny warm day like this you don't see that."
"Did you see where they went?" Danny asked eagerly.
"Yes of course, they headed through that alley down there. That leads directly to October street where there's a taxi rink." the old lady smiled at them. "Just because I'm old doesn't mean I don't notice things you know."
"We never suggested otherwise. Thank you very much ma'am," Danny thanked her, they then ran out of her house as fast as they decently could.
"I'll call Jack." Martin reached for his cell phone.
FBI
Headquarters.
4
hours missing
"Yeah thanks Martin. I'll tell him." Vivian hung up. She then walked to Jack's office. "Jack that was Martin. They interviewed this old lady who thinks she sighted the three men and Emily. From what she said Martin thinks they got a cab. I'll call the cab company, try and get hold of the driver." Jack nodded to show he'd heard. Today had been a very long day, over 24 hours in fact. He hadn't slept last night worrying about today, the decision the judge was going to make over the custody of Hanna and Kate. He knew it had been stupid to worry about it, considering he couldn't change it, but worry he did. It was only now he realised how close he'd come to losing Hanna and Kate altogether, the judge had almost ruled that he should have no visitation rights at all.
"Jack." Sam came into his office. "I just started a background check on Dr Mason. I found two marriage certificates." Jack closed his eyes.
"Bring him to the interview room will you, I think it's time we had another talk with Dr Mason." Sam walked into the unit and over to the conference table.
"Dr Mason." Sean looked up, Sam's expression was unreadable.
"What is it? It's not bad news right?" Sean jumped up and started panicking.
"No it's not bad news. Could you come with me though, we have some more questions for you," Sam told him. Aimee frowned, what could they want to ask him that she couldn't be there for, for the first time ever Aimee began to doubt her husband. Sean followed Sam somewhat quizzically to the interview room, where Jack was waiting.
"Look what is this?" Sean protested.
"Sit down Dr Mason," Jack ordered, frowning and somewhat chastised Sean sat down. "Explain this to me." Jack laid down the two marriage certificates, Sean looked at them clearly not shaken at all.
"What's there to explain. I'm not a bigamist if that's what you're suggesting. I was married to Chloe, then I wasn't married to Chloe. Then I married Aimee, end of story," Sean quipped.
"Did you and your ex-wife part on good terms?" Jack asked.
"Yeah reasonably, she died." Jack turned to look at Sam, who shrugged her apology, she'd jumped to conclusions when she hadn't found a divorce certificate.
"How did she die?" Sam quizzed.
"Stroke," Sean answered, Sam frowned wondering if she'd been a lot older than him. "It was caused by an internal bleed and severe internal haemorrhaging." Jack motioned for him to go on. "You see she'd had a er, miscarriage a few months before. The internal bleeding was caused by that, it's always incredibly difficult to catch and with Chloe there was no exception."
"Was there any animosity from her family because of her death?" Jack asked. Sean shook his head.
"Nope, not because of that."
"But there was animosity," Sam noted, Sean bit his lip.
"Yeah a little. I wasn't exactly the perfect husband. I was there when it really mattered but not when I should have been." Sean ran his hand through his hair, he's uncomfortable Jack noticed, silently Sam this time motioned for him to go on. "You see . . well . . as soon as we got married Chloe wanted children. That was fine by me, we'd already agreed she'd be the one that stayed at home so I could work. At that time in my life that was what really mattered to me. Anyway we tried and it just didn't happen. I guess I felt pressured, like all the love had gone out of the marriage and she was just using me."
"You had an affair," Jack guessed, Sean nodded.
"Yeah with Aimee. I'm not proud of it, I mean even considering the subsequent relationship that developed from it, it was the wrong thing to do, starting another relationship before I finished the first one. Chloe fell pregnant as I was about to tell her it was over. I couldn't break it off then, I mean I was going to be a dad, so instead I broke it off with Aimee. After she miscarried I couldn't tell her either and then she died." Jack sat back thinking furiously allowing Sam to ask the next question.
