Chapter Two

Don had to cancel dinner with his family .They were supposed to be trying a new restaurant but there was no way he could leave the office yet. There were so many reports to finish on the kidnapping case , and Don didn't want to have to deal with them the next day. The quicker he closed this case the quicker he could try to forget it all. The family had been wealthy ,yet no ransom was ever received. When the FBI were first brought in it was obvious to both Don and Megan that there was more going on, the father claimed the FBI weren't needed and that when the demands were made, he'd pay. Yet the kidnappers weren't after money.

Don strode through the door to the mansion overlooking the beach and walked directly up to Megan.

"What have we got?"

"Eight year old girl, we believed to have been kidnapped between 11 PM and 7 AM. The upstairs window is broken from the outside in. Neither parent heard anything ."

"Really?"

"Mum asleep upstairs with the help of some valium, Dad asleep in the study with the help of some Jack"

"Nice family"

"Yeah, well, the guilt sure is setting in now"

Megan and Don walked through the dining room, full of business awards and photographs of the father with famous celebrities . They stepped onto the balcony overlooking the beach to find the two parents sitting on either side of the decking . Megan knew this wouldn't be easy. Already the division between the two was noticeable to all, not just the trained eye.

"Mr Sanderson? Mrs Sanderson?"

Don sat next to the woman, her white knitted jacket wrapped around her slim frame shook from the chills she was unable to control. She looked to Don with red rimmed , desperate eyes. Megan sat next to the man. He barely looked up. Instead focused on the glass of whiskey being held in his steady hands.

"We're going to do all we can to get your daughter back, but we're going to need details. You need to give us a list of anyone you think may want to harm your daughter, anyone who has been around asking for money, any strangers in the house , repair men that sort of thing"

Don handed Mrs Sanderson the work sheet and a pen. She looked so lost, almost like she was unsure as to what to do with the pen. Don had the distinct impression that this was a woman who ran everything past her husband. Down to the last mundane detail.

Mr Sanderson however was greatly concerning Megan. He refused to make eye contact with either agent and only risked the quickest of glimpses toward his wife. Megan exchanged a look with Don, he nodded toward her. They needed to talk to him separately .

"Mr Sanderson?"

Don stood in front of the man.

"Mr Sanderson I'll need to talk to you in the other room while your wife fills out the work sheet"

Sanderson glanced around Don and looked at his wife. Megan couldn't read the look but there was something there she didn't like. Not in the professional sense, it was more to do with her feeling like the man was paying no respect to not only his wife, but women in general. Not once had he looked Megan's way. Not once had he even acknowledged her. The looks he gave his wife were ones meant to catch her eye. Send silent warnings .

"I need to help Molly with the work sheet, she hasn't got the greatest memory"

Megan moved to sit next to Molly Sanderson.

"Why don't you let us worry about that Mr Sanderson and go with Agent Eppes."

The man seemed undecided as to the course of action he should take. Don made his decision for him, hooked a hand through his arm and led him out of the room and into the living room at the front of the house. Molly seemed like she needed space so Don was determined to give her as much as he could.

"Molly? Is there anything you need to tell me? Anything at all that you can add that'll help us find Kaylee?"

Molly looked at Megan. Her eyes seemed to be searching for a truth, for some hope. Megan had rarely seen such loss in one persons eyes.

She moved to take the pen and paper away and Molly flinched.

"Anything you can tell us will help."

"Why my daughter?"

"Mrs Sanderson , Molly , I need you to think . Was there anyone here doing maintenance on your house? Anyone who may want to harm your family?"

Molly stared at Megan, she seemed like such a good person. Kind eyes, but her eyes were searching Molly. She was so unused to being looked at that way. By someone who seemed to be truly concerned. It was too much. Molly gave into the tears and hugged her legs to her chest. She buried her head in her knees and sobbed so long and hard that she barely noticed the kind hand on her back, helping her cry.

--------------------------------------

Don sat opposite Mr Bill Sanderson. The living room was elaborately decorated with many pieces of art on the walls and statues on the shelves. Not a living room where he could imagine an eight year old running through playing. Don had the impression that Bill Sanderson wasn't the kind of father who cared for children very much. He suspected that certain places in the house where his, and his alone.

"Mr Sanderson, is there anything further you can tell me which will help with this investigation ?"

"There's nothing further I can tell you Agent Eppes. We woke this morning, came down stairs as always and when Kaylee didn't appear for breakfast my wife went upstairs to find her. Only she wasn't there"

Said in such a matter of fact manner. Don could have smacked the guy. Instead he raised his eyebrows.

"You don't get your daughter up? She comes down at a set time?"

"Children need discipline Agent Eppes. They must live by rules and schedules so they don't go off the rails and become rowdy."

"Some may disagree with you on that one"

"You may not agree with my methods , but they are mine, passed down from my father and his father before that. Now when you've quite finished judging me I suggest you do your due diligence and find my daughter"

Don sighed heavily. This wasn't going to be easy. Although he already knew the answers to his next question he needed to play it cool . No need to alienate this man any more than he had to. Although he was pretty sure that Mr Sanderson was well aware that Don knew he'd been investigated for fraud the year before.

"What kind of business are you in to ?"

Sanderson regarded Don with a calm, controlled look. Don suspected that behind those cold eyes the man was screaming inside , not wanting to answer the question he shifted in his chair and gazed toward the dining room, through which was the decking where Megan was trying to coach more information out of Molly.

"My work is varied Agent Eppes. I run a shipping company. A very successful shipping company"

"That I can see"

"Do you have children Agent Eppes?"

"No Sir, I don't"

"Well, then obviously you don't know how frustrating it is to sit here and have to answer these questions knowing that all the while she's out there and you're in here interrogating me"

"I'm trying to do my job Mr Sanderson, in order to narrow down the search we need to know who would want to take your daughter. If you continue to evade my questions then I'll have to ask you to answer them at my office instead."

------------------------------------------------------

Megan watched as Molly calmed down. What was going on here? Those tears seemed to be coming from so many different emotions that it was hard to pinpoint.

"Molly, what time did you call 911?"

"You don't know?"

"I do , it's just I need you to talk me through the whole morning. It helps, trust me. You may remember something else you never knew was there. Please?"

"I went to Kaylee's room at 7.30 , she wasn't in her bed and her bears were all over the floor . Her duvet was bundled and stuffed by the door and there was glass all over the floor from the broken window .I checked her bathroom and all the other rooms but I couldn't find her. I couldn't find her, I didn't know what to do , I should have called Bill but I didn't know what to do"

"It's ok. You didn't call your husband right away?"

"I know that was wrong of me but I panicked and called 911 instead"

"It wasn't wrong of you" Megan placed a reassuring hand on Molly's back. "You did the right thing. The sooner we're involved in a kidnapping the greater the chances of recovery."

"Bill , he , he didn't cry. He didn't shout. He just went upstairs , saying I should cancel the police because she was bound to be hiding somewhere, playing hide and seek , Kaylee doesn't play hide and seek, she's not allowed"

"Not allowed?"

"Agent Reeves, you have to understand my husband is very strict." Molly glimpsed toward the dining room and lowered her voice as she continued , " Everything has it's place and we're all to act properly. He never allowed horseplay , never allowed games." Molly gave a sad laugh " He wanted a boy. To carry on the family name."

"Did he ever show affection to Kaylee ?"

"Don't get me wrong, he loves her. But a daughter won't carry on the family name for him. He's the third Bill Sanderson. He was hoping for a fourth"

"You've never wanted other children?"

"The birth of Kaylee was very difficult."

Molly looked guilty and lowered her head. She took the pen and paper back from Megan and started to write the list . Megan knew she could push the conversation but she felt she'd built up a certain amount of trust. It wasn't something she wanted to lose.