Author's Note: I do apologise for the long wait. But the event of a family member taking his own life had shifted my priorities to aid and be there for those in need. I hope to continue updating the stories on a weekly basis if I'm not needed as much. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Mr. Bartlett has the look of thunder on his iconic face as he sat in the same position as his wife was with Patrick in the same place as before. I don't anticipate this being pleasant at all.

"Let's get this over with Constable."

I can see Ms. Stillman is the one with the patience.

"Mr. Bartlett, Ms. Stilmann is significantly younger and wealthier than you are is that correct?

"Yes, she is."

He didn't hesitate or look to Patrick for approval in answering. Maybe I can get more out of him than his wife.

"Ranches like yours are usually money guzzlers am I correct in this assumption?"

"Yes, you are."

"Were you or your ranch in any sort of debt while in a relationship?"

"No, to both."

"Ms. Stilmann is a very astute businesswoman and has her wealth very well secured."

I look for an answer but nothing is forthcoming. My gaze fixed on him trying to gauge his body language.

"You just made a statement, I'm not sure what you expect me to add to that."

"Is Ms. Stilmann a generous woman, Mr. Bartlett?

"Excuse me."

That got him off guard.

"Is she generous with her money?"

"Yes, she is."

"Would you say you've significantly benefitted financially by being in a relationship with Ms. Stilmann?

"No, I have not. Lisa has her money and I have mine. Our relationship has nothing to do with money."

"All relationships have to do with money, Mr. Bartlett?"

"Well, what can I tell you ours isn't."

"At your age Mr. Bartlett maybe you decided that starting another family wasn't for you and decided to rather cash in by plotting to kidnap and sell your unwanted children for personal financial reward thereby killing two birds with one stone?"

I see a man that is holding himself back from possibly doing me grave physical harm. Before I know what's happening the bulk of a man that Mr. Bartlett is, is now towering over me with his eyes fixated and boring into me like daggers.

"My children were not unwanted and Constable if you ever imply anything as disgusting as that again, I will do to you what we do to a gelded horse."

"I'll assume by that reference that you didn't have anything to do with the kidnapping of your children."

Still towing over me he leans even closer before uttering "no" in a deadly reverberating whisper before Patrick pulls him away.

I see Patrick guide, Mr. Bartlett, out of the room before I start to relax.

"I'm sure you've got the answers you came for even though they weren't pleasant to ask."

"Yes, I'm satisfied both Ms. Stillman and Mr. Bartlett didn't have anything to do with the kidnapping."

"I assume you've cleared them of any involvement after the interrogation and your investigation into them which I'm sure has yielded nothing of suspicion."

"You would assume correct Patrick, the in-person questioning was my last task before clearing Ms. Stilmann and her husband."

"Good, now can you and I get down to the actual business of trying to reunite them with their children."

" Yeah, we can try."

"Constable Keller we are not just going to try, we are in fact going to get their children to them as soon as humanly possible."

"The red tape Patrick will not allow for that to occur."

"Leave the red tape to me, Keller. You provide me with the assistance I need and we'll take care of the rest."

Lisa meets me back in the great room where we fall into each other's arms. I feel mentally and emotionally depleted and I'm sure Lisa does feel similarly. I guide Lisa to the couch where we hold onto each other taking the comfort we need.

I assume she was watching me get questioned by the Constable on the computer screen as I has done the same when she was questioned by Keller.

I am grateful Patrick's team is extremely organized and we were able to watch each other's interrogation instead of reliving it by repeating it to each other.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Jack. The things he implied were unforgivable."

I take Lisa's hand into mine before enfolding her whole.

"Lisa he made you relive the entire thing. That was way worse than what I had to put up with."

"I'm sorry you had to hear it that way, Jack. I've never ever told anybody about that day until today."

I enfold Lisa into my chest before lifting her chin to look at me.

"Lisa, I just wish I could have held your hand while you were recalling the events of that day. I can only imagine what you were feeling recalling the events of that day."

Lisa and I are interrupted by Patrick who has more news for us.

"Ma'am, Sir I just wanted to make you aware that Constable Keller has cleared you both of any involvement and will assist us with what we may need to get your boys to you."

"We still don't know how it happened Patrick, do you have any more answers."

Lisa voices what is on my mind as well. I hope he has answers for us because my mind has been going a mile a minute coming up with scenario after scenario of how it could have happened. I'm sure Lisa's had those same thoughts.

Patrick takes a seat across us, once again reaffirming if we are absolutely sure we want all the details of that day.

Lisa and I both in agreement that we need to know what exactly happened that day.

"I'll start at the point when the elderly man and woman appeared to accidentally bump into you Ms. Stilmann."

"What do you mean appeared to accidentally bump into Lisa?"

"The elderly couple stage the accidental mishap by appearing to bump into you accidentally. Keller and his team have the elderly couple in custody. Through interrogation, they were able to ascertain that the elderly couple are part of a wider team involved in this adoption scheme ring."

"I don't understand how did they…?

"Ms. Stilmann the spray into your face was liquid fentanyl."

"What does this fen….ta…..nyl do?" I honestly have no idea what Patrick is talking about and by the frown on Lisa's forehead neither does she.

"Fentanyl is estimated to be 50-100 times stronger than morphine and is used to treat severe pain, often after surgery and in cancer patients when morphine is no longer effective in pain reduction.

It can be prescribed in the form of slow-release patches, nasal sprays, injectable formulations, tablets, etc.

The equivalent of two grains of salt is enough to cause an overdose that may be fatal.

The symptoms of an overdose may consist of difficulty breathing, choking, ashen skin, limp body, nausea, vomiting, seizures, headache, slow or irregular pulse, and loss of consciousness."

"Those are the symptoms I experienced… they … they dosed me with this fentanyl. Why?"

"It is a way to incapacitate a person within a specific timeframe to force them to a hospital where they would be unconscious and unaware of what was taking place while they induce labor and take the babies without the mother being aware.

The purpose of the overdose is to cause panic among those around the pregnant woman and to ensure those around see the dire effects never questioning the death of the mother and thereby easily able to mislead about the welfare of the child or children in this case."

I feel a cold sweat envelop my body. I grasp tighter onto Lisa's hand after Patrick's revelation that she wasn't meant to make it.

"Are you saying Lisa was meant to…. d….d…?"

"Yes, Sir. The modus operandi of the group is to make sure the mother doesn't survive. From Keller's investigation, it would appear that more than 75% of the victims had died from the dose of fentanyl they were exposed to."

"Is that why I was in a coma for five days?"

"Yes, Ma'am. That you didn't die of an overdose is a miracle in itself considering your small stature and how your body would metabolize the drug."

"The doctor and nurses told me the long coma was because of the trauma my body experienced miscarrying triplets."

"Ma'am they had their stories well planned out and after such a loss people are not in any state of mind to question anything. Once the grieving starts people are unlikely to revisit the cause of death and these people knew that and used it against the victims and their families."

"If I was meant to overdose and die what about my babies."

"They give the newborn infants a counteracting drug called Naloxone which when given in time does reverse the effects in most cases."

"Thank god." I am so grateful that the boys did not suffer any lasting effects. Both Lisa and I cling desperately to each other after these revelations.

"My team and I will be here working all night. I suggest you both try and get some rest. When I have a line on bringing your boys to you, I will get Craig to inform you."

"Patrick, I want them here yesterday." Right now all I want is to meet my boys and hold them and I'm sure Lisa wants the same.

"I know you both do and we are doing everything we can to make it happen as soon as possible."

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