Notes: Sorry for the super-short chapter this time. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Danny couldn't look at Martin. He could feel Martin glaring at him, but didn't want to see it.
"Martin—" Jack started.
"It's a mistake!" Martin cut him off. "Look at me, Danny. Look at me!"
Finally, Danny looked up to face Martin, whose eyes showed betrayal and hurt.
"It's not true. It's a mistake," Martin said as he continued to glare at Danny.
Shaking his head, Danny tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
"Martin, your father knew Lauren's father, Eric Palmer, for many years. They worked on some Senator's campaign in the 80's," Jack tried to explain.
"I've never met the Palmers…Lauren, her father—"
Finally finding the strength to speak, Danny interrupted, "The day I introduced you to her in the coffee shop, you said she looked familiar."
"It was from the awards dinner, like you said—"
"He made her go to other things, too. Other events you probably would have attended with your parents. And you're father was definitely at that awards dinner. He was the only person there who had such close ties to the Palmers. There was no other reason for Lauren to be there, Martin. I'm sorry, but it…it's true," Danny stammered.
"I cant…. So now you think that he's kidnapped her? Or killed her?" Martin asked as he looked from Danny to Jack.
"Yes," Danny replied in a weak tone.
"Impossible, Danny. It's impossible. He's been in Los Angeles all week on business. He calls my mother every night while she's been vacationing on Martha's Vineyard."
Jack and Danny exchanged glances after Martin made the statement.
"What? What?" Martin asked.
Jack sighed heavily. "After SAC Meadows and Danny interviewed Jason Palmer and he confirmed the information about Victor, Meadows called Victor's office. Victor's secretary told Meadows that he was vacationing with your mother this week and was not to be disturbed."
Martin didn't say anything in response at first. Suddenly, he rose from his chair and headed for the door. Before he opened it, he said, "This is a mistake. I'll prove it's a mistake."
As Martin hurried into the bullpen, Samantha looked up from the center table and smiled. "What's with the covert meeting with Jack and Danny? Should Viv and I feel left out?"
"It was nothing," Martin responded in a harsh tone as he scrolled through his contact list in his telephone.
"Didn't look like nothing—"
"Drop it, Sam. I'm in the middle something," Martin said as he dialed his father's cell phone number.
Slightly stunned, Samantha took a moment to take in Martin's frantic appearance. "Martin, are you okay?" Sam asked, voice full of concern as she stood up.
Martin closed his eyes for a moment as he heard his father's cell phone go to voicemail. Quickly, he left a message. "It's Martin. Um, I need to speak to you as soon as possible. It's urgent."
"Martin—" Sam said again.
"Sam, please! I just need a minute," he said as he dialed his mother's cell phone. When he got her voicemail, he ended the call without leaving a message.
His desk phone started to ring and Martin rolled his eyes. He didn't want to deal with a business call right now.
"You might want to answer that," Sam said in a short tone as she started to walk out of the bullpen. "It's been ringing off the hook this morning. When I tried to answer it earlier, whoever it was just hung up."
Turning quickly, Martin looked at his desk phone still ringing. Feeling nervousness in his stomach, he slowly picked it up.
"Fitzgerald."
At first, he didn't here a response, so he repeated, "Fitzgerald."
"Martin Fitzgerald?" a small, female voice asked.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I think you can," she answered in almost child-like tone.
"Who is this?"
"Lauren Palmer."
Martin took a deep breath as he looked up, his first instinct to find Danny, but Danny still hadn't come out of Jack's office.
Before Martin could think of anything else, Lauren continued. "Don't tell anyone I'm on the phone. If you do, you'll regret it."
"Where are you? Are you safe?" he whispered.
"I'm safe."
"Are you being held against your will? We'll come get you—"
"You need to come alone, Martin. There's something you need to see, and we need to talk."
Frowning, Martin asked, "What? Why me? Don't you want to talk to Danny?"
"No!" she responded vehemently. "He can't know about this. No one can know about this."
"I need more information. I need to know if you are in danger," he asked, voice full of concern and worry.
"I'm not in danger, but your father is. If you don't come here alone in the next thirty minutes, I'm going to put a bullet in his head," she replied, her voice suddenly going from child-like to cold and calculated.