Notes: Just a short chapter this time. The next one will be longer. Thanks for the reviews.
85 Hours Missing
As Danny walked quickly out of the gate after getting off the plane, he suddenly heard his name called.
"Agent Taylor? Agent Taylor?"
Looking up, he saw a young woman walk towards him holding up an FBI badge. Immediately, his heart sank. Interrogating Karen Palmer on his own wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.
"I'm Danny Taylor," he finally answered.
"Great. I'm Special Agent Christina Matthews. You can call me Chris," she said extending her hand.
Shaking her hand, Danny responded, "How'd you know what flight I'd be on?"
"Agent Malone called my SAC to let him know you were on your way."
Danny resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course he did," he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"If it's okay, I'd like to take a few minutes to get your statement. We understand you are personally involved with Lauren Palmer. You may be able to help—"
"I gave my statement to NYPD," he cut her off quickly. "Look, I know I can help. And I know exactly how I can help. But getting my statement now will only waste time. The best thing you can do to find Lauren Palmer is to take me to her mother."
"SAC Meadows instructed me to bring you back to our office, so we can get your statement and then you can debrief us. Agent Malone told us you had information—"
"There's no time for that. Do you want to find Lauren Palmer or not?"
"Of course I do," the young agent answered.
"Then take me to her mother right now. I'll give you my statement and tell you what I know while we drive there," he demanded. Not waiting for answer, he started to walk through the terminal.
A half an hour later, they were almost to Karen Palmer's home. Danny wasn't sure how, but somehow he'd convinced Agent Matthews that going there was the right thing. Now he only hoped that her boss wouldn't call her and convince her otherwise.
After the young agent pulled the car into the driveway, they both got out and proceeded to the door.
As soon as the door opened, Danny knew this was Lauren's mother. She was tall like Lauren with the same blonde hair, blue eyes and well-defined, model-like features. She even had a small tumbler of vodka in her hand. The only difference was that this woman had aged features that she tried to cover up with a lot of make-up.
"Mrs. Palmer—" Chris started, but was quickly cut off.
"Did you find her?" Karen Palmer asked.
"No ma'am. We are still looking for her, but this is Agent Taylor from New York. He's been investigating Lauren's disappearance on that end."
When Danny's eyes met Karen's, he tried to see if there was a flicker of recognition, but if Lauren had to her mother about him, Mrs. Palmer wasn't revealing it in her reaction to him.
"I've answered all your questions. I don't see how I can help anymore," Mrs. Palmer responded.
Danny stepped forwarded. "This won't take long, ma'am. I just have a few questions and then I'll be out of your way. Do you mind if we come in?" he asked politely.
Karen opened the door wider to let them enter. "Can I get you a coffee or an ice tea?" she offered as they walked into the living room.
"No, thank you," they replied.
Danny took a seat on the sofa, across from Mrs. Palmer. "I've been doing some background work on Lauren's life in New York. It's very likely that the reason she is missing is because of something that happened there."
"Well, I know she was having a rough time of it. She wasn't getting any steady acting work, and that made her depressed. That's why, I assumed, she returned home…because she was finally giving up that crazy notion of being an actress."
Danny couldn't help but frown. From his conversations with Lauren, she'd given up on her acting over a year ago when she'd gotten mixed up with the mystery man.
"How could she afford to live in Manhattan if she wasn't working, Mrs. Palmer?" Danny asked just to see what her response would be.
"Well, I was supporting her, of course. She certainly wasn't paying the bills."
"Awfully generous of you, considering that Lauren was living in a huge loft and frequently using a limousine to go out in the evening. That's pretty steep for someone who works in an art gallery," Danny responded.
"My husband left us some money. I've indulged Lauren…letting her live in Manhattan and have that lifestyle. But I was going to cut her off eventually."
"You indulged her?" Danny asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of voice.
Mrs. Palmer shrugged. "Yes."
"What about Dr. Cameron?"
"Melinda Cameron? She and I went to Wellesley together. She's one of my oldest friends."
"She's also Lauren's doctor, and you pay for that as well?"
"That's correct. Lauren has no job, so she has no insurance," she replied as in an annoyed tone.
"Do you find it odd that Lauren has had to go to Dr. Cameron at least six times in the last year?"
Mrs. Palmer shook her head. "I haven't given it a second thought. Young women have various health issues—"
"She was being abused, Mrs. Palmer," Danny said, finally cutting to the chase.
Danny could almost feel the surprised stare of Agent Matthews next to him.
"Abused?" Mrs. Palmer responded in an amused tone. "You must be mistaken. I-"
"It's no mistake," Danny interrupted, and he knew he was glaring at her now.
Mrs. Palmer smiled. "You don't know my daughter. She's overly dramatic about everything. She probably just—"
"No…ma'am…you don't know your daughter."
Mrs. Palmer sat back and stared at Danny intently as if trying to put pieces to puzzle together. "I think we are done here. You are barking up the wrong tree, Agent," she said as she stood.
Danny stood up as well. "Am I? What about the fifty grand you dropped at Perfect Connections? Do you know what that place is or did you just follow orders when you sent them the money?"
"I don't know what you are—"
"Who is he, Mrs. Palmer? Who are you protecting? Chances are, you're covering for whoever made your daughter almost kill herself or who probably has your daughter right now. Who is he? Huh?" he asked, and now he wasn't even trying to hide his anger and frustration.
"I'm not saying another word to you. Please leave."
"Come on, Agent Taylor. I'm sorry, Mrs. Palmer. We'll call you when we have news of your daughter," Agent Matthews said as she followed Danny out of the house. When they got outside, Matthews was going to ask him what the hell that was about, but he didn't give her a chance.
"I need every phone record on that woman. And I need a list of known associates of hers and Lauren's father. We need to cross-reference those lists with the list of attendees at the FBI awards dinner that NYPD sent you. There has to be a common thread," he said as he opened the car door.
"What common thread?"
"She knows more than she's saying. I know she does," he replied and then paused for a moment before asking, "Where was Lauren living when she got back to D.C.?"
"At first, her mother told us she was living with her, but then she said she had recently leased an apartment for Lauren, but I don't think Lauren had moved into it yet."
"Let's go to that apartment," Danny said as he closed his car door.
XXXXXXXXX
"This doesn't seem strange to you?" Danny asked as he and Agent Matthews rode up in the elevator of a posh Georgetown apartment building.
"Strange how?"
"Lauren's an out-of-work actress with no job at all, and yet, her mother rents her this new place once she comes down here? Why would she do it?"
"Maybe she doesn't want her daughter living with her."
"But why a $2000 a month apartment? It's a bit much for woman who doesn't seem to have much use for her daughter," he said as he followed the doorman off the elevator.
The doorman walked down the hall and put the key in the door. "Ms. Palmer never moved all of her stuff in. She just brought a couple of bags over, but that was it," he said as he opened the door and let the agents in.
Danny felt a since of deja'vu as soon as he walked in the door: the same cold, leather furniture was in the living room. And then he walked back to the bedroom. First, he saw the two suitcases at the foot of the bed. And then his eyes drifted across the room and rested on the all-to-familiar mirror on the far wall, directly across from the bed.
"Son of a bitch," Danny muttered.
"What?" Matthews asked.
Danny shook his head as his eyes drifted back to the foot of the bed. For a moment, he saw Lauren sitting there, crying helplessly, and then she faded away. Slowly, he walked over to the mirror and grabbed one side of it, pulling the false door open to reveal the same chair, the same wet bar and closet that were in Lauren's Manhattan apartment.
"What is that?" Matthews asked as she came up behind him.
"It's Lauren's worst nightmare coming back to haunt her," Danny replied quietly.