He walked into Michael's office and saw far too many people in the small space. There were four guys around his desk hooking up equipment and another four wiring the place so they could hear from across the hospital. Mike stood in the corner, looking confused.
"Hey" he said to his brother, "I'm sorry about all this"
"I didn't know this many people could fit in here" he said.
"They'll be gone soon" John said, trying to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal.
"What's all this for anyway?"
"It's starting to look like Truman took Natalie for a payday, so we're going to tap Asa's room and see what they say"
"Not to get to you?"
"Both, most likely" John said, looking down.
"If it helps find her, John, you can shove the whole precinct in here"
"Thanks, brother" he said, "I'm going to see how Bo and Asa are doing"
"You ever talked to him before?"
"Not without her" he said, "he, uh, doesn't have a great affinity for police work"
"I'll get out of here, good luck, John" Michael said.
John followed him out shortly. He paused before heading into the old man's room. He'd been in the hospital as long as he and Natalie had been together. He was sure she'd told him why, but he couldn't remember. He wasn't sure what to think about walking in. On the one hand, he believed this would help him find Natalie. On the other hand, he was Natalie's grandfather, the head of a very powerful family, and he probably hated his guts at the moment. He tried to take a deep breath and he entered.
"Hey, Bo, Mr. Buchanan" he said.
"I don't want any cops in here" Asa said.
"Pa, John's Natalie's boyfriend, if he wants to help, he can help" Bo said.
"I know damn well who he is. He's the reason she's missing" Asa retorted.
John looked down. He'd probably heard from Clint or from the news that it was all about him. He didn't think much of the insult, he figured he probably deserved it. As far as he was concerned, he was the reason she was missing.
"It's alright Bo, he's not wrong. I'm here because if you can get Truman to say he's consented to being recorded and he says anything we can use against him, I can submit it as evidence. My goal is get him in a jail cell by the end of the day" John said.
"So I gotta get him to say he's okay being recorded and then I got get him to talk about Natalie?" Asa asked.
"You probably also want to talk about his mom, let him know you know he's your son" Bo said, "I think that's what he wants, he wants the Buchanan money or recognition or something"
Asa nodded, "I don't believe this is happening to me again. Bo, don't make the same mistakes I've made. When you got a good woman, you don't risk that" he said, and then he turned his gaze on John, "And you don't go cheating on my granddaughter"
"Pa!" Bo yelled.
"I would never" John said, "Then again, Natalie wouldn't let me live if I did"
"Yeah, that granddaughter of mine's got a real temper, goes to show somethings are genetic after all" he said, "So what do I need to ask to get him to talk about Natalie?"
"We think he wants money" Bo said, "bring up a reward you're thinking about posting for her return"
Asa nodded. "I can do this"
"We'll be listening in, and I'll come in if it goes off the rails" Bo said.
He and John headed back towards Michael's office, where the crew had thinned out to only two tech guys. They went around to the desk and waited for the tap to pick up something.
"I'm sorry about him" Bo said.
"He didn't say anything you need to apologize for" John said.
"You talk to Hugh?" he said.
"Yeah" he said, "he's not thrilled with me at the moment"
"He's still gotta do his job"
"I know" he said, "but no job is worth her life"
Bo nodded, and voices started coming from the tap.
"Mr. Buchanan, the nurse said you'd like to talk to me?" they heard Truman's voice come over the wire.
"Yeah" Asa said, "there's something we have to talk about"
"I'm not your doctor, Mr. Buchanan"
"I know" he said, "this isn't about that. I've had a private investigator looking into a matter for me"
"What's that?"
"Emma Bradley"
"My mother?" Spencer asked, "Well, I'm sorry to tell you she passed away some time ago"
"Yeah" he said, "it turns out, she may have been pregnant before she married your dad"
"What are you getting at, Mr. Buchanan?"
"I think there's a chance that you're my son"
"Yeah" he said, "I know"
"So" Asa paused for a second, "I'd like record this conversation for my lawyers, when I get out of here, I'll need to talk to them to change my will" he paused for a second while he pulled out a cell phone. "the thing is, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all people being recorded need to be aware, and I've been through this before and my lawyers are going to make us do all this over again – once I hit this button, would you just say you know you're being recorded and we can hammer all this out"
"This is Dr. spencer Truman and I consent to this recording"
"He's good" John whispered to Bo.
"So you are Emma Bradley's son?"
"yes, I am. And yours"
"Emma and I- she was one of Renee's girls back in the day"
"Yeah, I know. She told me before she died, that she was pretty sure you were my father"
"I really didn't know until this morning" he said, "So let's talk about your place in my will"
"What about my place in the family?"
"I think we're going to have to table that discussion" he paused, "you see, Natalie's been kidnapped. And I really need all the press and all of the family resources focused on that"
"But Natalie's your granddaughter, I'm your son"
"I'm not saying I'm not going to claim you, it's just that – "
"It's just that you're going to keep me secret"
"Just until Natalie gets found"
"You know, I've known I was your son for some time. And I watched you accept that piece of trailer trash and give her a seat at your table and she's amounted to nothing. I'm your son and I became a doctor, all without your precious prestige or money"
"Bastard" John whispered.
"He can't take the bait" Bo whispered back.
"I know you must be frustrated. But she is a Buchanan, and I care about the girl, she's got that same Buchanan spirit I should have seen in you"
"Good" Bo whispered.
"Now, in my will at the moment, all my children are set to receive a portion of BE, then grandchildren get another portion" he said, "Since I'm spending some money on a PI to find Natalie, and I'm going to post a reward to incentivize getting her found, I don't want to promise you-"
"It seems to me like you're saying I won't get money because it's going towards Natalie's rescue efforts"
"Well, I really want her to come home safe and sound"
"And if she never gets found?"
John and Bo locked eyes.
"Why wouldn't she get found?"
"I've been watching the news. John McBain needs to drop the murder investigation and he won't"
"John McBain can kiss my ass, cops are the worst, I'm counting on my guy to find her"
"As reparation, I'd like you to match what you're spending on Natalie and give it to me in cash"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I just think Natalie may be gone forever. I don't want my inheritance impacted"
"Why would you think that? She's your niece"
"Buchanans haven't done anything for me yet, I don't have any reason to care that that good for nothing uneducated piece of trash is dead or alive"
"Watch your mouth" Asa said.
"Natalie and I are both going to have a very telling twenty-four hours"
They heard the door shut over the wire.
"Damn it" John said.
"It's not nothing" Bo said.
"Yeah, it ain't something, either" he said.
"Pass it on to Hugh anyway" Bo said, "maybe he can make that last threat count as something, it was pretty targeted"
"Yeah, fine" John said, "I can't stand the way he talks about her"
"Yeah, it was pretty mean" Bo said, "Maybe there's something in there Hugh can use. Who knows?"
"I don't like this, Bo. I think that whole thing just made him angrier"
"Anger driven crime makes criminals sloppy"
"Yeah, but at what cost?"
"Well, you oversee all this, I'm going to go talk to Pa. That was probably real rough on him"
John nodded, "Thank him for me"