Chapter Twenty-Three

After returning from booking Walter, John made his way back upstairs toward his office. It was nearing 9:00pm, and too late to be interrogating him.

As much as John hated it, the questions about his father's death would have to wait until tomorrow.

"John, you mentioned needing to talk to me about something?" Bo's voice broke John out of his thoughts.

Knowing it was now or never, John nodded. At that moment Natalie and Rex made their way out of his office. Giving her brother one final hug, she whispered "I love you Rex." John took note of the younger mans puffy, red eyes and the way he was holding on to Natalie. Finally he broke away, "I love you too Natty."

Without another word he turned and left the police station, leaving a worried Natalie behind. "How's he doing?" Bo asked his niece, having grown a soft spot for Rex.

Natalie sighed, and for the first time John realized her eyes were also red-rimmed. "I don't know Uncle Bo, he's taking this pretty bad. Seems to think all the Buchanan's and McBain's are going to hate him for this."

"That's ridiculous he isn't to blame for Walters actions."

"I know… the trouble is just getting him to believe it."

Bo paused for a second, and made a metal note to track down Rex later that night. "John said there was something else you found, something you guys needed to talk to me about. Are you going to come into my office for this too Natalie?"

Natalie suddenly stiffened. "Well Lieutenant McBain is primary on this investigation so I suppose that's his decision."

Deciding that two could play at this game John's face went blank. "Since Ms. Buchanan here was part of the reason we secured this information, it seems only fair she's in the room."

Bo rolled his eyes. "I want you both in my office now."

Without waiting for a response, he stormed toward his office leaving Natalie and John with no other option then to follow. Once they were both seated across from him, Bo fixed them both with a look that clearly showed he was in no way amused.

"For three years I have witnessed the two of you pulling the same ridiculous crap. Being mad and ignoring each other one minute then playing pool the next, acting all formal and snappy one day, and then making out in the hallway the next. Not once have I ever said anything about it, it was never my business and to be completely honest, it amused me. But the second it starts to come into this station, it becomes my business."

Feeling like teenagers in the principal's office, Natalie and John just remained silent.

"Now, this is the last time I ask you before I refuse to ever let the two of you work together again. Is there a problem here?"

"No." John answered.

"Not on my end," Natalie replied with her arms crossed defiantly over her chest.

"Good. Now that that's settled, will one of you fill me in?"

John sat forward in his chair and started to speak. "Natalie and I went down to Grand Cayman with the assumption that Spencer Truman is the reason that Walter faked his own death."

"Truman?" Bo's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What does Truman have to do with this?"

"Natalie and I visited Allison Perkins in jail last week and she admitted to blackmailing my father. She had told him that Walter had kidnapped a child, and that he would kill her if he launched a formal investigation."

"So your dad kept it off the books?" Bo finished.

John nodded. "Yes, and Allison got nearly fifty thousand dollars."

"I am assuming that child was you?" Bo asked turning to Natalie.

"Yeah."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with Spencer?"

Since she was the one that had talked to Allison, Natalie decided to take it from there. "Allison admitted that the reason she started blackmailing Thomas McBain was because she was mad at Walter. Apparently he started working with two other doctors at Trenton General and got into the business of selling drugs, organs and babies over the black market."

"And Truman was involved?"

"Well that was the assumption." Jon began. "And it was actually confirmed by Walter. We were able to get him back here by sending him a threatening letter which we signed from Spencer. Basically the letter told him that Spencer now knew he faked his death and better be in Llanview A.S.A.P."

Bo took a deep breath trying not to lose it on them. "Do you realize how risky that was? You could have put the department at risk for a lawsuit from Truman."

John shrugged. "No one besides the people in this office knows it was us who sent the letter."

"Besides Uncle Bo, the assumption paid off and we got him here." Natalie chimed in sticking up for their actions.

Bo just sighed, deciding to leave that issue alone for now. "Okay, so we know Truman was involved. Do we know how? Or what his motivation in all this was. Everything I have heard about the guy has been bad, especially from Pa."

Seeing the guilty look that came over Natalie's face, Bo focused directly on her. "You know something."

She just remained silent.

"Natalie, did you speak to your grandfather?"

"Yes."

"Did he tell you what Spencer has against the family?"

"Yes."

"Well then what is it?" Bo said exasperated at the production that was being made out of it.

"I can't tell you." Natalie said with her arms still crossed.

"What?"

Natalie shook her head. "I'm sorry Uncle Bo, but I promised Grandpa I wouldn't. You'll have to talk to him."

"If this information relates to this case then you have to tell me." Bo tried not to get angry with his niece.

But she beat him too it as her eyes began to flash. "First off, I am not an officer under your command. All I am to this department is the receptionist, and am not bound by any legal authority to tell you what was told to me. Secondly, what grandpa told me has nothing to do with the case at this time, it just adds to the overall character and motivation of Spencer."

Bo looked over at John. "Do you know what this information is?"

John used his best poker face and shook his head. "Nope."

Bo studied the two of them for a second before bursting into laughter. "You two are something else. First you come in here all pissed off with one another, and now you're working together to protect Asa. This is just great."

Natalie sighed. "We are not protecting Asa. I gave him my word I wouldn't say anything, if you want to find out what it is, then you go talk to him."

Seeing that he was going to get no where with this either, Bo once again went back to the basics. "Okay then, aside from Asa what made you two suspect Spencer was involved?"

Natalie and John glanced at one another for a second, both unsure what to say. Finally John spoke up.

"We decided to try and find out who the drunk Doctor that operated on my father was. Because of the new information about the black market thing, we thought that the fact the doctor was drunk and no one noticed was too strange. So we sent Rex in to get the information."

Bo nodded. "Makes sense that this doctor could have been part of the plan. So what did you find out? Was it Spencer?"

Once again they shared a look, but this time Natalie took the lead. Fixing her uncle with a sympathetic look, she took a deep breath. "It was Paige."