August 10th 2006 – Central Park, New York

Jack, Martin, Sam and Elena arrived at the playground. Jack grabbed hold of the first cop he saw

'Where's the mother?'

'That's her over near the sandpit talking to my colleague'

Jack looked over and saw a woman standing with a female police officer. She was tall, with glossy chestnut hair that fell in loose waves to just below her shoulder. She was dressed in loose fitting khaki coloured linen cropped trousers that sat on her hips and a close fitting beige T shirt. There was a gap between the T shirt and the linen trousers that showed a small amount of toned, tanned flesh.

Jack turned to the cop 'What's the story'

'The mothers a doctor, I think she said she's an Attending at the ER Dept at NYU Downtown. Anyway the Doc there was in the park with her daughter. Daughter was playing in the sandpit with another child. An old man gets knocked over by some punk on a skateboard, the doc goes to help leaving the other child's mother to watch her daughter. While the doc's trying to save the old man a woman arrives, claims to be the doc's nanny and takes the kid'

Martin looked sceptical 'And this mother didn't think to check this woman was who she said she was?'

'Don't know, that's all I've heard so far'

'OK' Jack closed his notebook 'Martin, talk to the other child's mother and make sure we get a sketch of the supposed nanny. Sam, Elena, talk to anyone else who saw anything and see if we can get a sketch of this 'punk on a skateboard', I'm going to talk to the mother'

Jack headed over toward the sandpit 'Hi, I'm Special Agent Jack Malone with the FBI. I need to ask you some questions'

She turned to face him; she was stunning, with creamy skin and deep green eyes, deep green eyes that showed the terror she was feeling. Jack gently touched her arm

'Why don't we sit down?'

She stared blankly at him and then jerked her head in agreement. They sat on the bench; Jack turned towards her and saw she was sat with her head down and her hands clasped together. She took a deep breath and looked up at him

'Dr McCardle can you tell me what happened, in as much detail as you can remember please'

Flashback to an hour earlier

'Mommy I want to walk'

Caitlin looked down at her daughter strapped into her stroller

'I know honey but it's a long walk to the playground. Why don't you sit in the stroller and have a rest so that you've not too tired to play when we get to the playground?'

Molly stared up at her mother; her face showed she was giving her words some serious thought. Caitlin struggled not to laugh, the look of intense concentration on that baby face was so adorable.

'Well……..okay' Molly settled back in her stroller clutching Ben, her well loved and distinctly grubby cuddly dog. Molly didn't go anywhere without Ben.

Caitlin headed across the park to Molly's favourite playground. It was busy with lots of preschool children enjoying the sunshine; Caitlin found a spot on a bench and un-strapped an eager Molly from the stroller.

'Honey, remember what I've told you, play nicely and stay where I can see you'

Molly turned, but Caitlin kept hold of her 'Hey, hey, what about my kiss?'

Molly threw her arms around her mother's neck and kissed her. Caitlin hugged her, breathing in her scent and marvelling for the millionth time just how much she loved her.

She dropped a kiss on her head 'Go on then, have fun'

'Mommy, look after Ben' Molly pushed the grubby toy into Caitlin's hands and ran off to the sandpit.

Caitlin relaxed in the sunshine watching Molly play in the sandpit with a girl who looked to be about the same age. The two little girls were busy building something; Caitlin was willing to bet a years salary that it was Barbie's castle.

'Hi…….Is that your little girl playing with Lucy in the sandpit?'

Caitlin turned and saw a pleasant faced, middle aged woman stood next to her. She smiled

'Well if Lucy is the pretty little girl in the purple top playing in the sandpit then yes she is playing with my daughter.'

The woman laughed 'Yes that's Lucy'

Caitlin moved her bag from the bench and placed it and Ben on the ground 'Would you like to sit down?'

'Oh thank you, that's very kind. I have to admit this heat is getting to me'

'I know, it amazes me how Molly seems totally unaffected by it'

The two women sat relaxed in the sunshine and chatting idly about the challenges of three year olds while they watched the girls play.

'Help, we need some help here'

Caitlin jumped up and looked around. She could see some people a short distance away huddled around a figure on the ground

'We need a doctor….is there a doctor?'

Caitlin looked at her companion 'Look I'm a doctor, can you keep an eye on Molly for a moment while I just make sure everything is OK?'

'Of course' the woman looked in concern at the figure on the ground, 'don't worry about Molly.'

Caitlin looked over at Molly playing unconcernedly in the sandpit then she turned and headed over to the figure on the ground……..

End of flashback

'That was the last time I saw her' Jack could see the whites of her knuckles as she clenched her fists in an attempt not to break down.

'Ok, how long were you with the man that had been knocked down'

'I don't really know, I guess it must have been about 10 minutes before the paramedics arrived and then I was with them for another 10 minutes before I called it'

'Why did you stay with him after the paramedics arrived? Surely you could have left him to them?'

Her head turned and she met his gaze. He saw the beginnings of anger in her eyes

'Agent Malone, his heart had stopped. I was administering CPR. The paramedic's carry a defibrillator; I used it to attempt to restart his heart but I couldn't. I also administered adrenalin, but nothing was working. The paramedics were from St Lukes; I spoke to the ER Attending there and we decided that there was nothing else that could be done and so I pronounced him dead at 11:42am and then I called the coroner. I stayed to do all of that because that's my job.'

Jack regarded her steadily for a moment; her eyes blazed with anger and he was sure that she was telling him the truth.

'Thank you…I have to ask'

The anger vanished from her eyes and the panic returned; she nodded her head.

'So, once you had called the coroner you headed back to where Molly had been playing?'

Her knuckles were white again as she clenched her hands together; her voice shook

Flashback

Caitlin looked over at the sandpit, Molly wasn't there. She felt a stab of panic as her eyes frantically swept the playground looking for a little girl with long brown hair and brown eyes wearing a pink t shirt and shorts and a pink and white sunhat.

She spotted Lucy on the swings but couldn't see Molly. She ran over to Lucy's mother

'Where's Molly?'

She saw the surprise in the woman's eyes 'Your Nanny arrived just after you went to help that poor man and took her home'

Caitlin felt her legs almost go from underneath her as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing…..

'I don't have a nanny….'

End of Flashback

'Dr McCardle, I'm just going to talk to my colleagues for a minute. This Officer will wait with you, OK?'

'Caitlin'

'Sorry?'

'My name is Caitlin'

Jack rested his hand on her arm in a brief comforting gesture 'Ok Caitlin, I'll be right back'

She nodded as he stood up. He could feel her eyes watching him as he walked across to where Martin and a middle aged woman were working with a sketch artist.

Martin saw him coming; Jack saw him excuse himself and head over to meet him

'What you got?'

'Her name is Gail Trenton, her husband is Roger Trenton.'

'The billionaire Roger Trenton?'

Martin nodded 'Oh yeh, anyway, she arrived at the playground shortly after Dr McCardle, and her daughter Lucy started playing with Molly in the sandpit. She said she approached Dr McCardle and started a conversation with her. She reckons they were talking for about 15 minutes before they heard someone call for help'

'Hmm, that fits the timeline that we have. What happened after Dr McCardle went to help the guy that had been knocked down?'

Martin checked his note book 'She said she turned back to watch the girls. About 1-2 minutes after Dr McCardle went to help a woman approached Molly in the sandpit. She said Molly seemed to know her and was laughing up at her. She went over and the woman introduced herself as Rose Henry and told Mrs Trenton that she was Dr McCardle's Nanny'

'She said she was Dr McCardle's Nanny. She didn't say she was the Doctor's Nanny?'

'Yeh, I checked, she definitely used her name and she knew Molly's name too'

'OK, what happened next?'

'Well apparently she claimed that she had arrived at the incident at the same moment as Dr McCardle and that the Doc had told her to take Molly home because she thought she would probably have to go to the hospital with the old guy who had been knocked down. Mrs Trenton was unsure and so the 'Nanny' suggested that she go and check with Dr McCardle.'

'So why didn't she?'

Well she was going to but she could see that Dr McCardle was giving CPR and she said it was obvious that Molly knew her and was completely happy with her….she's absolutely devastated Jack, I don't think she had anything to do with this.'

Jack and Martin headed to where Gail Trenton was sitting. She looked up when the two men approached

'Mrs Trenton, this is Agent Malone, he's got a couple more questions to ask you'

'I'm so sorry, I feel so bad about what's happened, if there is anything I can do…..' tears were pouring down her cheeks.

Jack sat down next to her 'Mrs Trenton, you told Agent Fitzgerald that you were sure that Molly knew this woman, was there anything in particular that led you to believe this?'

Gail Trenton took a deep breath 'Well Molly called her by her name and she seemed very comfortable around her……..' she paused thinking hard.

'There is something but………' she looked frustrated as she tried to remember. As Jack waited for her to remember he glanced over to where Caitlin stood next to the bench she and Gail Trenton had been sitting on. He watched as she bent down and picked up her bag……

'Yes…..that's it' Gail Trenton sounded relieved. Jack looked at her and could see she was staring at Caitlin, watching her pick up her bag.

'The Nanny, that woman…..she put Molly in the stroller and was about to go when she stopped and asked Molly where Ben was.'

'Who is Ben?' Jack sounded confused

'Ben is her toy dog. Molly told her that she had given it to her mommy. When I first got to the park and started chatting to Dr McCardle she moved her bag on the ground so that I could sit down. She moved Molly's toy dog, Ben at the same time. That woman picked up Dr McCardle's bag and found the dog underneath it. She handed it to Molly and then she put the bag back and asked me to watch it until Dr McCardle came to get it. Then they left'

Jack thanked Gail Trenton and then he and Martin started to walk back toward Caitlin. Jack turned to Martin

'So, she knows Dr McCardle's name, she knows Molly's name and she knows the name of Molly's cuddly toy……..this isn't a random snatch, this is personal'