Chapter 8

"Hey Bo. You heading out?" Roman had just entered the office.

"Yeah, I was just going to check in at the hospital and then head home to see my girls."

"The hospital? What's going on?" Roman asked him.

"I guess you haven't heard. I'm a dad. Again." Bo told him.

"Come again?"

"Apparently Hope and I had a child some 20 years ago who's recently resurfaced here in Salem."

"What the hell?" Roman was stunned to say the least.

"It gets better. Stefano has had her all these years." Bo told him.

"Damn. Will that man ever stop messing with the Brady's." Roman was confused. "You said you had to check in at the hospital. Umm who's in the hospital?"

"My daughter, Alicia. She was with Doug and Julie over at Doug's Place when the explosion hit and knocked her unconscious. She's in a coma."

"So how did you find out she was your daughter?" He asked Bo.

"Uh can't get into any details on that. Just trust me. She is." Bo didn't want to get Kayla into any trouble with their by-the-book brother. "I'm going to go and see if there's any changes. Hope was with her when I left."

"Before you go, I think there's something you should know." Roman stopped him from leaving.

"Why don't I like the sound of this?" He asked his brother.

"That license plate that Hope pulled off the SUV, belongs to Officer Higley."

"Off…HIGLEY! What the Hell is going on here?" Bo was upset. "Have you questioned him?"

"He claims his vehicle was stolen. But, get this, he never reported it stolen." Roman was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hope knows who Higley is. She said she didn't recognize the guy driving the vehicle."

"There's more. I think we might have a lead on the perp we've been looking for. There was another rape tonight. Don't worry." Roman could see Bo getting anxious over the news. "She's not dead. Reynolds is questioning her now. With any luck we may have some evidence that leads us to this creep."

"Looks like he slipped up tonight. I'd like to see this guy put away so the city can be safe again."

"Bo, I've been doing some investigating on this and there's something interesting I've come across in the files." Roman was telling him as Reynolds came into the office.

"Reynolds? Was the victim able to give you a description of the guy? Any leads to go on?" Bo grilled him.

"She was a little shaken and kind of sketchy with the details. Higley might have gotten more out of her. He was at the scene when I arrived. She didn't say much to me once I got there." Reynolds relayed the facts.

"Thanks Reynolds. Is Higley here?" Bo asked him.

"No. He's still at the hospital trying to get more information out of the girl." Reynolds left the office.

"Bo, I don't like the sound of that." Roman told his brother.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Like I was telling you before Reynolds interrupted, I came across a common denominator in all the crime scenes.

"What's that?"

"Higley has been the first one on the scene in every one of those rape/murder victims crime scenes. Something's fishy here."

"I don't like the sound of this. Seems to me we got a crooked cop on our hands. Do you have and evidence that could link him to any of the scenes?" Bo asked him.

"Nothing so far. He must have cleaned up any evidence before anymore of our guys arrived on the scene."

"Man. That's just great. So we have nothing." Bo punched his fist down on the desk. "I need to get out of here. Call me if you hear anything else."

"No problem Bro. You headed to the hospital?" Roman asked him.

"No. I need to go clear my head and get some perspective on all this." Bo left the office. His cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Bo, it's me Shane. I just got in to Salem. Can you meet me?"

"Yeah I can meet you. Name the place. I…I thought you weren't going to be here for a few days?" Bo asked him.

"I got in last night. I've been working on a case. I couldn't let you know my where abouts. But it seems I don't have a choice. I've got some urgent information that I need to share with you. Why don't we meet at the hotel? I'm in room 226." Shane seemed worried.

"I'm on my way." Bo left to go meet Shane. He called Hope on his cell. "Hey Fancy Face. Sorry I missed you. I'm going to be late tonight. I'll try calling you later. I love you." Bo said as he hung up the phone.

……

"Shane! So good to see you man." Bo grabbed Shane in a hug.

"Bo. Good to see you. Can I get you some tea?" He asked.

"No, thanks. So what's this information that's so pertinent you needed to see me right away?"

"My guy found some information on the disc that I think you should see." Shane told him.

"Already? Man that was fast. So what is it?" He asked again.

"Now, it's not everything. But, we did find a few things. Why don't you come sit down here and have a look for yourself." Bo and Shane sat on the couch facing Shane's laptop. "I've got it right here."

Bo sat staring at the computer as images of his wife were playing on the screen. Hope was sitting in a rocking chair holding a baby and singing a lullaby to the child. Another video started. Hope and a toddler were playing with blocks on the floor. The little girl was calling to Hope. "Mommy!" Her hands upraised to Hope wanting to be picked up.

"That has to be Alicia. It looks just like her." Bo was saying as another image came on the screen. A young Alicia was learning kick boxing. Another image of her now a few years older training on a shooting range. "What the hell?" Bo asked scratching at his head. "What is this? Why does it keep jumping?"

"Like I said Bo, we haven't gotten all the information off the disc yet. This is just what we've ascertained so far. "I believe Stefano was training her for his own use as a weapon."

"No. It can't be. She was running from him. That's what she told us. She can't be his soldier." Bo sat there stunned. "Man I got to …I need to tell Hope. We need to find out more. How soon before your guys can get anymore information from this disc?" Bo wanted answers and with Alicia in a coma, he wasn't going to be able to question her.

…At the hospital…

Hope sat by Alicia's side lightly stroking her hair. "I'm sorry. I know now why you've been so mad at me. You must have felt so betrayed." Tears were slowly beginning to stream out of the corners of her eyes. "I should've been there for you. My baby. You were so young when Stefano took you from me. You must have been so frightened, wondering where your mommy was. Thinking I had left you." Hope laid her head on Alicia's shoulder and cried. She couldn't bear the pain she felt over abandoning her child. "I should have known you were out there. I should have felt you in my heart even if I couldn't remember you because of what Stefano did to me. You were just a baby." She continued to sob. She held on to Alicia. "I'm so sorry. My poor baby. I'm so sorry." Hope cried herself to sleep.