Chapter Seven

Just as she had been expecting, the second that Natalie entered the small prison meeting room, she was met with the usual insults. "Well look who the cat dragged in… it's Llanview' heiress. Why Natalie, have you decided to go back to your old roots of slumming it?"

Ignoring her, Natalie took a seat, but the other woman continued her taunting. "Tell me Natalie are what the papers reporting true? Has Jessica gone off the deep end as created herself an alter?" When Natalie was silent, the other woman began to laugh hysterically. "So it is true. Perfect little princess Jessie, has lost it. Well if that's true then the rumors that Nicki Smith is back must also have some truth to them."

Natalie still remained quiet, suddenly realizing she could use Allison's taunting to her advantage.

Smirking, Allison ignored her and continued. "Well with Jessica going loony, I guess all the attention is back on her, just as it always was. Tell me Natalie was I right all along? Did the Buchanan's ever care about you? Ever really accept you as one of their own? Because I don't think they did. I think that their attention stayed right on the good twin Jessica. I mean even last summer when you were kidnapped, it took them weeks to find you. I remember the day I kidnapped you as a baby, Asa Buchanan went crazy, vowing up and down that he would do anything in his power to bring his granddaughter Jessica back. I never saw any of that press when you were gone." Allison paused examining her nails. "Then again, you're the expendable twin – the one no one really cares about. Vicki proved that when she just about chose you to be the one Mitch killed. Poor little Natalie, no matter what you do, you're always going to be the girl from the wrong side of Jersey… you'll never fit in to the Buchanan's perfect family."

Trying not to lose it, Natalie managed to smirk back at the woman. "Yeah Allison, you were right… even after three yeas the Buchanan's never accepted me."

The other woman smiled widely. "I told you they never would."

Natalie nodded. "I should have listened to you. That's why I am here; I need your help with something."

Intrigued, Allison leaned back in the steel chair, her face all serious. "I'm listening."

Standing up, Natalie began to pace the small room, silently praying that Allison would buy the act. It had been awhile since she had had to pull one over on someone, and Natalie hoped that she still had it. "See, the Buchanan's cut me off… that bastard Asa tied up my trust fund, and left me with nothing. All because I refused to sit around and help Jessica in her time of need. Lucky for me, I met this guy. He's such an easy mark, just like Jessica and Vicki were when I first came to town. He's a cop, but is full of issues. Seriously, this guys a total mess, but his dead fiancée left him pretty well off, so there's reason to stick around."

"What's the bait?" Allison asked, curious about the scheme Natalie was playing.

"Aside from me?" Natalie asked. Going back over to the chair she sat back in front of Allison and shook her head in defeat. "Right now nothing. I mean for the time being I have him hooked with sex, but he's a guy, its not going to work forever, especially since there's this attorney after him. This is where I need your help. I need some sort of scheme to run on this guy quick or else I am going to miss my chance with John McBain and his money."

Allison's face lit up in delight. "Did you say McBain? The son of Thomas McBain?"

Natalie acted confused then nodded. "Yeah I think that was the old mans name. Why? Did you know him?"

All insults gone, Allison looked like a kid on Christmas. "What a small world. Yeah I knew the guy; he was one of the easiest marks I ever hit."

"You scammed his father?" Natalie asked, feigning awe.

Allison nodded. "Actually, I used you to do it."

Now truly confused Natalie looked at Allison in puzzlement. "You used me?"

Allison nodded. "After Mitch died, Walter got involved in his own illegal dealings, started working with two other doctors at the hospital and got involved in selling things through the black market… drugs, organs, babies… you name it, if they had access to it, they turned a profit. Well, that bastard Walter turned me out of it, told me this was just between them Doctors and there was no place for a nurse. Well that pissed me off. So I went to McBain and started feeding him bits of information. Made it seem like I was fearful for my life, and that these guys would kill me. Managed to get nearly fifty thousand from him before Walter and his team found out he was on to them.

"That doesn't explain how you used me." Natalie said, surprised that she had managed to get this much out of the woman.

"You were my insurance. I wanted to get money out of this guy, not some investigation. So, I told him about you… that Walter had kidnapped you from some couple and that he wouldn't hesitate to kill you if he had too. A dead child didn't sit well with that guy, so it kept it off record. Paid me to kept tabs on Walter and give him any information that he could use. I guess he hoped that through my information he could get something he could use to get you away from him."

"What happened?" Natalie asked unable to believe the story he was hearing.

"Somehow Walter and his group found out this cop was on to him. I split town, but I guess they took care of him."

"What about the other two Doctors, who were they?"

Allison's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you care?"

Going back to her feigned expression of awe, Natalie smiled. "I'm just surprised you managed to pull it off is all. Wondering if I ever knew these other two Doctors."

Allison shook her head. "Walter never told me their names… Trenton General was a big hospital, it could have been anyone. You know, if your guys anything like his father, play the damsel in distress card. Make it seem like someone's after you, that you owe them money, hell even fake a ransom – either way, it will be like taking candy from a baby."

Having watched the entire interview on a closed circuit camera, John understood when Natalie went storming out of the building and over to his car. She waited out there for him, and even once he arrived at the car remained silent. He couldn't believe the Natalie he had just witnessed. Seeing her in there, pulling a scam over Allison was shocking, as John hadn't been sure she had it in her.

He sure was learning a lot about Natalie these days.

Both of them spent the drive back to Llanview trying to control their rage. Natalie beating her self up over the fact that once again she had managed to let Allison get to her and the fact that she had been forced into a role that resulted in Thomas's death. As she did, John was stewing over the realization that this woman had pretty much set his father up for his death.

At first John found himself getting angry at his father for falling for the scheme, for giving Allison money rather then start an official investigation, but then he thought of Natalie. All his dad knew was that there was a child caught in the middle of this, a child who he believed was in immediate danger. He knew his dad well, and Thomas McBain would have done anything to protect a child. Plus, John thought back to all the times he had broken procedure to help Natalie and realized that when he was in the same circumstances, he had done exactly the same thing.

Like father, like son.

Just as they were approaching Llanview, Natalie spoke. "I can't go back there yet… Do you want to grab a beer?"

Knowing that was exactly what he needed John nodded. "Did you want to hit one of these bars along the way?"

Natalie shook her head. "I can't deal with people right now. Can we take them back to your room? Maybe order a pizza or something."

Though, slightly surprised at her suggestion, John just nodded and headed toward a 24/hour liquor store he knew of. Once he had pulled into the parking lot, Natalie jumped out before he had the chance to. "I'll get it."

Nearly 20 minutes later she came back, carrying a 24 pack of beer, along with large bottles and whisky and tequila. "I wasn't sure what you had."

Nodding, John pulled out of the parking lot and continued to drive toward his hotel room. Based on what Natalie had purchased, she was planning to get completely drunk tonight, and based on the day they had just had, he was very much inclined to join her.