Samantha and Viv were surprised and slightly wary to find Fred Jones room full of people. The middle-aged couple seated close together were obviously his parents, but there was also a gangly scruffy looking guy with a goatee and a bespectled girl with short brown hair, wearing an orange sweater. Samantha had to do a double take at that. She didn't think that anyone had fashion sense that bad. At the feet of the lad was a huge brown Great Dane. Samantha grimaced, she hated dogs, especially big ones like that.

The small assembly of people looked up expectantly as the female agents entered the room. "I'm Special Agent Vivian Johnson, this is Special Agent Samantha Spade" Viv introduced, flashing their IDs. "Were here to try locate the whereabouts of Miss Daphne Blake and we need to speak privately with Mr Jones" she glanced pointedly until she and Samantha were alone with Freddy. The 20 year olds blond hair was matted with blood and he had a huge bandage around his forehead and a few cuts but was otherwise OK.

"Mr Jones" Samantha bluntly stated "You need to tell us exactly what happened last night." Freddy looked the pretty blond agent in the eye and sighed "Well the music started which signalled the start of the dance. I sneaked out hoping to get out of it. I have two left feet you know!" Viv smiled encouragingly. "Well I uh went to the buffet room which was empty when I suddenly heard someone come up behind me. I turned round and was caught in the face by this masked man brandishing something heavy. I crumpled to the floor and that's all I remember"

"You didn't see who this man was, what you were hit with or how you ended up in the closet?" Samantha prompted.

"No, I mean, I think he was quite tall with brown hair but that's all I saw, next thing I knew I was waking up surrounded by cleaning products and mops"

"When was the last time you saw your girlfriend, Freddy?"

"Er it would have been about 10.30pm about half and hour before the dance."

"Ok Mr Jones, that's it for now" Viv said snapping her notebook shut. "We will be back, try get some rest" She and Samantha got up to leave. Freddy stopped them. "Agent Johnson, Agent Spade Find Her" He pleaded.

All the women could do was nod and hope that they could

6 a.m 6 hours missing

Danny and Martin had spoken to as many guests as possible, which were still there trying to help. Still they didn't have a suspect. Anyone could have played a role in her kidnapping, it was frustrating. Danny had started to run background checks nothing had come up as criminal or suspicious until then.

"Hey" Danny called his partner, excitedly. "Tyrone Dawson accused of fraud and has also done 3 years for GBH. An associate of Ryan Blake age 32."

Martin came across grinning, "Would that be the same Tyrone Dawson who was seen leaving the party at 11:45 with a mystery woman?"

Danny smirked triumphantly "Bring him in"

10 am 10 hours missing

"Aw man, I knew this would happen, just because I'm the only one of those geeks without a whiter than white record" Tyrone protested as Danny and Martin proceeded to interrogate him. "I didn't take his daughter! I swear I never saw her"

"Mr Dawson, were you not recently fired from your position by Ryan Blake's company and downgraded to a lesser position. You weren't too happy about it at all were you?"

"We have a number of employees who heard you swear revenge on Mr Blake" Martin added.

"Just a week later, his only daughter is kidnapped from a ball you attended and a ball that you disappeared from. Coincidence?" Danny spelt out the facts. "Where is she Mr Dawson, where did you take her? Danny was getting right in his face.

"I don't know where she is I didn't take her you got the wrong guy!" He yelled.

"Then why did you leave the party when she disappeared? She disappeared sometime between 11.00 and 12 am. You were seen leaving at 11:45pm. What did you do? Hide her for a bit, subdue her then took her huh?" Danny was getting into his stride now, Dawson was beginning to crack. "Then you came back acted all innocent and pretended not to know what the fuss was about, when in reality you knew exactly what happened because you were responsible!"

At this point Dawson snapped, lunging manically at Danny, who stepped back shaken, the guards stepped in and hauled the still screaming Dawson away.

12 pm 12 hours missing

"You know even though Dawson fits the crime perfectly, there's something not quite right about this" Martin brought up as they were seated in around the table to debrief. "Why go to the trouble of locking up the boyfriend, if he didn't see anything?"

"Maybe because if he saw Daphne with anyone else he would flip but others wouldn't notice. The kidnapper had to get rid of the boyfriend. Sam suggested reasonably.

"I guess, but not kill him just hit him hard enough to be absolutely sure he couldn't identify him. That's a smart thing to do. Dawson doesn't seem pretty smart" Danny commented

"Dawson is refusing to tell us where she is insisting he didn't do it. We don't have enough to pin it on him" Jack stated simply. "Lets talk to him again, but this time with a softly, softly approach, Samantha, but remember time is running out"

5 pm 16 hours missing – Hospital

Freddy sat up in bed as he talked to his friends. "I can't believe this has happened, why was I not there to save her?"

"Don't beat yourself up about this Freddy" Velma consoled "There's nothing we could have done. These aren't the nut jobs in Halloween costumes we have dealt with before, these are real ruthless criminals"

Freddy sighed defeated "Thank God I'm going home soon then we can really get to grips with this case" Velma and Shaggy exchanged worried glances. Finally Shaggy spoke up, his voice was gravellier than usual and he looked much older, taller if possible but to Velma, he was still the same old Shag. "Hey did the Blake's receive a ransom note yet?"

"No, which is starting to get odd, she has been missing for 12 hours now and surely the kidnappers know the FBI is already all over this case. They should just get the money and run. They longer they leave it, the less chance they have of getting what they want"

They all pondered this for a moment but still even though they had a shady past not one of them considered that this might not be about money and the Blake's after all.