Chapter 43

Robin kept reading her book as Marcus came in with her lunch. She had spent the last three days ignoring every attempt he made to communicate with her. His continued insistence that Emma and Patrick were dead just reinforced her belief that they weren't. She wasn't giving him an inch because she knew that the bastard would take a mile.

"Robin?" Marcus walked over to the bed. "Robin, please stop ignoring me."

Robin looked up at him. "Fine – where is my engagement ring?"

Marcus pulled the ring she had thrown across the room three days ago out of his pocket. "Finally…"

"No." Robin shook her head. "My engagement ring – the one Patrick gave me right before your cohort kidnapped me."

"I know that the dream you had confused you but Patrick is gone." Marcus went back to the tray and took a newspaper off it. Walking slowly, he headed back over to Robin and handed it to her. "I had hoped to spare you this."

Robin looked at the paper. It was a copy of the Port Charles Press and the headline read 'Local Doctor and Daughter Killed in Car Crash'. Under the headline was a picture of Patrick and Emma together. Robin read the story intently and, as soon as she was finished reading it, placed it on the bed and picked her book back up.

Marcus watched her carefully for a few minutes before speaking. "Robin?"

"Yes?" She didn't look at him.

"Did you actually read the paper?" Marcus was confused by her reaction.

"Yes." She turned the page and continued reading.

"Robin, I know you don't want to believe it but there it is in black and white…"

Robin interrupted him. "Did you really think that sloppy fake paper was going to fool me? Please." Robin set her book down, careful to mark her place. "The vehicle was wrong – Patrick got rid of that car months ago. The date was wrong – you said that the accident was six months ago but this paper is dated 4 months ago. There are several other small errors but what it all boils down to is that that" she pointed at the paper, "isn't a real article. My husband and daughter are still alive."

"Yes, I am here Robin but Emma is gone." Marcus attempted to touch her hand but Robin pulled back on the bed.

"I have only ever been married to one man and I will only marry one man and that man is Patrick." Robin picked her book back up. "Now I would like to finish my book. I'll eat in a little bit."

Marcus grabbed the paper and stood up – frustration practically pouring off him. "Robin, if you don't face reality soon I am going to have no choice but to have you committed."

Robin looked at him and smiled. "Then do it. Take me to the hospital and have me committed. But we both know you won't do it because you and I both know the truth."

"And what truth is that?" He turned away from her as he headed towards the door.

"That Patrick and Emma are alive – just the same as I was for all those years when Jerry and Helena hid me away. You want me to believe that they are dead so I will agree to be with you but that is not going to happen. There is one thing I want to know though – why Grant Putnam?" Robin had been trying to figure out the connection between the two madmen. "I mean, Helena has money and connections but Grant is just a run of the mill psychopath."

Marcus tried to control his anger. His father was a brilliant and misunderstood man and Robin only knew her parents side of the story. He clinched the door knob tightly as he prepared to leave. "I don't know this Mr. Putnam but I'm sure that there is more to the story than you have heard."

Robin rolled her eyes. "He kidnapped me and my mom in an attempt to get back at my dad. He murdered my grandmother and tried to take my daughter." She stood up and started to cross the room. "He is insane and I hope he burns in hell for what he has done."

Marcus lost it. He turned around and pushed Robin into a corner, roughly grabbing her shoulders as he shoved her. "You have no idea what you are talking about!"

Robin really stared in his eyes for the first time since this whole ordeal began and gasped. "Oh my God – of course, he's your father. I can't believe I didn't see it before."

Marcus released her and backed away. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I have never even met the man." Needing to regroup, he quickly headed to the door. "I'll be back later with dinner."

Robin watched him leave and sat back down on the bed. Finally all the pieces were falling into place. It wasn't just about Marcus's obsession with her - it was also about revenge against her parents. Robin got up and did another search around the room. Somehow, someway she needed to find a way out of here and she was certain that there was something she could use in this room to help her – she just needed to find it.

_

Marcus went into the kitchen and threw the paper in the garbage. All that time spent creating the perfect newspaper article and it was for nothing – Robin still was no closer to believing him than she had been three days ago. It was time to try a new tactic.

He walked over to the cabinet above the sink and started going through the different bottles stored there. He knew what he was looking for, he just needed to find where he put it. It took a minute but he finally found exactly what he needed – Mescaline.

Working quickly, he opened up the capsules and emptied them into a bowl. One of the best things about Mescaline was that it was a fine powder - the kind of powder that would mix easily into a drink. Plan A hadn't worked so it was time to move on to Plan B.