A/N: Disclaimer: I tried to get the backstory here correct, or as correct as my alternate version of events would be. I was much younger when this aired, so my memory may be faulty and some episodes are missing on YT, so if I got something wrong here, we will call it creative license. :)
He looked up when he heard the knocking on his office door. Bo stood there, and John couldn't read the expression on his face. He stood and came around to the front of his desk.
"Hey Bo" he said, and Bo finally stepped in to his office.
"Hey" he said, "how you doing?"
"I'm fine" he said.
"Really?"
He looked down. His recent conversation with his dad definitely left him far from fine.
"No" he answered, "but that doesn't really matter"
"Balsom is coming up, too"
John nodded, setting his resolve for the meeting that was about to happen. Balsom wasn't his biggest fan on the best day, and Natalie wouldn't want Bo and Rex to know about what happened over night.
"McBain" Rex said by way of greeting. He handed Bo a coffee before he sat on the couch.
John was sure he didn't get a coffee on purpose. He shut his office door and poured himself a mug.
"Hey Balsom" he said, going back to leaning on his desk, "How are you holding up?"
Rex looked into his coffee "I'm okay. It's been three days. I'm just worried"
"We all are" Bo said, looking between the two younger men, trying to communicate to keep the peace while they were all working towards the same goal.
"Yeah" Rex said, "Anything you can share, McBain?"
"It's Truman" he said.
"You have proof?" Bo asked.
Well, he had proof. Of course, he'd sworn it wouldn't see the light of day, because Natalie wouldn't want such a vile picture of her out in the world, but she especially wouldn't want her uncle and her brother seeing her like that.
"Nothing that would hold up in court" he paused, "but I had a talk with him yesterday, and one of the notes- I can't explain it, but I know it's him"
"It makes sense, all the distraction and personal stuff" Bo said, "but the one about 'she wasn't the one they were supposed to find' and the million dollars, that doesn't line up with Truman"
"Actually" Rex started, "McBain got a lead that might be related to Truman's time before he got involved with his dad. So I looked into his mom-Emma Bradley"
"That name sounds familiar" Bo said.
"Yeah, get this. Emma Bradley met Ned Truman while she was working as a casino girl in AC. She got to AC after running away from her former job in Vegas. In Vegas she was a bordello girl –"
"Wait" Bo said.
"Yeah, she was one of Renee's girls"
"Hold on" John said, feeling like he'd just been hit with a bunch of bricks, "Renee? Like Renee?"
"Yeah, she ran a bordello in Vegas before she married Pa the first time. She did it for a while, actually, that's how they met"
"So I asked around. Some of the, ugh, girls, I got a hold of said she ran because she got pregnant"
"Some?"
"Not all. Some forgot, or didn't know why she ran"
"Bo, uh, is it possible-" John started.
"Yeah" he said, "Pa doesn't have the best track record on marriages. Even when he was with Renee, if he saw a girl he liked, he probably went after her"
"Wow" John whispered.
"It gets better" Rex said, "So Emma gets a, ugh, job in AC. Meets Ned Truman, marries him, has two kids real fast. When it all goes south, she grabs the two kids and runs to Texas"
"Texas?" John asked.
"Renee moved when she married Pa" Bo finished, and then added, "set up a new business down there"
"So you think-"
"I think Spencer could be Asa's son" Rex said, "And I think he's holding a grudge against Nattie because he'd have a bigger share of the inheritance than she would, but when she showed up, she earned all of your trust, but he's persona non grata with the Buch's" Rex said.
"I mean, it wasn't easy for her" Bo said, "but the theory makes sense"
"But why a million dollars?" John asked, "His share would be bigger than that, right? I mean Natalie's trust is more than that and like you said, her share would be smaller"
"Maybe he doesn't know that?" Bo speculated.
"But the guys a millionaire of his own right"
"Yeah, but a million dollars cash and a million dollars in assets is different" Rex said, "besides, when you're not used to having money, a million still feels like a lot"
"And you know he did also ask for the jet. That would cash out to a lot more than just the one million" Bo said.
"But why now?" Rex asked, "Nattie's been here for years"
"Because we're starting to close in on him for murder in the second and murder in the first" John said.
"On your dad's case"
John nodded.
"So once again my sister is playing second fiddle to your need to fix your life" Rex said, "and don't think I didn't hear that you know how much she's got in her bank account"
"Rex-" Bo started.
John looked into his coffee mug. Rex wasn't saying anything he hadn't thought himself. He didn't have a sister, but he knew where Rex was coming from.
"It's alright, Bo" he paused, "Believe me, there's nothing he's said that isn't true. I would change it if I could, but I can't. I won't stop til I find her" he looked right at Rex.
"No one doubts that, John" Bo tried to say.
"I do" Rex interjected.
"Rex" Bo snapped, "Stop it. The three of us need to be on the same page if we're going to find her in one piece"
Rex looked down, "You're right" he paused, "What's our next move?"
"Bo, what do you think?"
"Pa's condition isn't great. I could try and ask him. I think a DNA test is our best bet"
Rex and John both nodded.
"I can try and get a sample from Truman and get it to a lab" Rex said.
"How are you going to do that?" John asked.
"don't worry about it" he said, "How are you going to get Truman in a cell?"
"I'll check with my informant, see if I can keep working on a warrant"
Rex nodded. John was sure Rex was going to ask about the informant or say something else smart, but they were interrupted when Hugh came barreling in the door.
"John" he yelled, "Why did I just hear that you let Lenny Kravitz walk away?"
Of all the things he could have expected, John had not expected that to happen. It was a matter of public record, so it was easy to find, but he hadn't made a call and he hadn't thought the night sergeant had any idea what was going on.
"Lenny?" Bo and Rex yelled at the same time.
"I thought we were together on this, John" Hugh yelled, "Getting Bo back is priority number one"
"Finding Natalie is priority number one" John yelled right back.
"Don't you think getting Bo back on the force would get her back faster?" Hugh yelled, "You know what maybe Natalie was right, maybe you have lost all perspective. You can't do this all by yourself without losing your mind"
"I know what I'm doing" he yelled back.
"You know what you're doing? You let our biggest lead walk away"
"He was brought in on a traffic violation. I can't let a traffic violation sit in a cell, even if he's the reason Bo got kicked out"
"You could have waited for me to scrounge up a charge"
"I can't let a traffic violation sit in a cell for twelve hours. IA would have my head on a platter, and then where would we be?"
"You could have gotten him to crack if you wanted to"
"You think I didn't try?"
"I think you've lost all your common sense. I was afraid this would happen, I should report you to IA"
"Hugh" Bo said, "if he was brought in on a traffic violation, he shouldn't have been brought in at all"
"But Bo-"
"John has a job to do, you need to let him do it" Bo said, "We all wish this was different, but it's not. If you two can't trust each other to do your jobs, I don't have a shot in hell of getting my badge back. Now I have all the faith in the world in both of you but you need to have faith in each other"
"Sorry Bo" Hugh said before glaring at John one more time and leaving.
John shut the door behind Hugh, sure that the two guys left in his office had plenty to say to him off the record.
"What the hell was that about McBain?" Rex said.
"John, did you really have Lenny in a cell?"
"Yeah" he said, "And he really was brought in for a traffic violation"
"And you let him go?" Rex yelled.
"I couldn't let him sit for a traffic violation" John said, "I let him sit for a few hours, but he wasn't talking without a lawyer and a lawyer would have-"
"Did you try and get him to talk about the forgery?" Bo asked.
"yeah" John said.
"Anything?"
"No"
"I hope Nattie wises up and leaves you, you idiot" Rex said, "You get her kidnapped and you let the biggest lead just walk"
"Lenny is not our biggest lead"
"I thought you wanted me back on the force"
"Bo, I do" John said, trying to put an end to it.
"I can't understand why you wouldn't try harder on this one, then"
"Bo-" he started, "Truman sent another note"
"What did it say, 'abandon your common sense'?" Rex said.
"Rex!" Bo said, "What did it say?"
John sighed, thinking he could try and paraphrase it, "basically, it said-"
"Not basically, what did it say?" Rex said.
John looked down, not wanting to think about it again, "'Lenny walks or I start harvesting her organs'"
They were all silent for a beat. John watched the look on Rex's face change over from anger to worry. Bo's face was distant, calculating the next move.
"What did forensics say?" he asked, flatly.
"Uh, I'm not giving it to forensics"
"Why's that?"
"It came with a picture"
"Another photo?"
John nodded.
"Why can't you hand it over?" Rex asked, and John could tell he was afraid of the answer.
"Because I know its Truman and I don't need forensics to tell me it's the same"
"John-"
"It's a real graphic picture and those are Natalie's future coworkers and if they get leaked- she wouldn't want it all over the news"
"Can I-" Rex started.
John shook his head, "Natalie wouldn't want me to-"
"She's my sister, McBain"
"I know, but she wouldn't want you to see her-"
"Yeah, you're probably right" Rex said, "I, uh, I got to go. Keep me posted" Rex said as he left.
John looked back into his coffee, "I'm sorry Bo"
Bo shook his head, "Don't be" he said, "It's a tough call, but you did the right thing. I would have done the same"
"Thanks" he said.
"And you know, don't mind Balsom, he just-"
"He just blames me for what happened to Natalie. And you know what, he's right, Hughes is right. It's all my fault"
"You can't be too hard on yourself" Bo said, "You got a lot riding on this"
"We all do" he said, "We'll get Lenny and we'll get Truman, Bo, we will"
"We'll get Natalie back, too" he said, "and she won't want to leave you"
"Couldn't blame her if she did" he said, "but none of that really matters til we find her"
"yeah" he said, "and I guess I have a lot of talking to do to my father"
"Bo, you know I wish we could trade places. You'd be so much better than me at all this"
"I told you, I would have done the same thing"
"Yeah, but you don't have an option, if you were actually my boss and I sat on evidence-"
"You what?" they heard yelling from John's doorway.
John looked up to see Clint at his doorway and seething.
"Clint, I didn't-" John started.
"You know I overlooked all the bad you've brought on Natalie all these years, Bo and Viki said all these nice things about you I thought it was all coincidence- and now I find out you're just sitting on evidence that could find my daughter-"
"It wouldn't find her" John said.
"I should call Internal Affairs on you right now"
"Clint if I thought it would get her back faster, I would call them myself, but it won't" he said.
"I mean isn't this a conflict of interest?"
"Clint-" Bo started.
"What's a conflict of interest?" John asked.
"The news is saying the notes are directed at you, that the kidnapper has something to do with your dad's murder"
"How do they know that?" John yelled.
"So it's true. My daughter got taken so someone could blackmail you"
"You think that's not lost on me" John yelled back at him, "You think I don't know this is my fault?"
"You're nothing but trouble, Natalie was better off without you" Clint stormed off.
John paced back towards his desk. There was silence between the two for a beat.
"He doesn't mean that" Bo said.
"It's true" John said, rubbing his face.
"He's a hot head, he's a lot like Pa that way" Bo said.
"Natalie's going to kill me" John muttered.
"You'll have to find her first" Bo said, "and I know you will" he paused, "besides, Buchanans don't tend to like cops"
"Guess I had a slim chance there"
"mmm" he said, "I'm going to go calm him down. Keep me posted if you need anything"
"Yeah, you, too" John said, looking down as Bo left.
He took a breath. Alone again. The silence was deafening. He turned to the bulletin board. His eyes went to hers first. Immediately, his mind's eye saw her passed out with her organs outlined. Damn Truman. His fingers instinctively went into his overcoat pocket. He pulled out the St. Jude metal he'd carried with him each day for months. His eyes shifted to the depiction. He makes the impossible possible. Maybe the job was too big for him this time. There was only so much ground he could cover-
He could find out which properties Truman owned. He headed around to his desk, pulling up the data base from the town.