"Well?" The woman asked Henry again.
"Let me introduce you first, Vicki Nelson, Christi Edwards, Christi, Vicki.." He said sweeping his hand back and forth between the two women. In true Vicki form, she reached out and shook the woman's hand. Vicki couldn't imagine what she was going through, she hoped she would never have to.
"And, sir, why did you agree to help me before the police were even called? How do you know I wasn't just some fruit loop?" This woman was as bad as Vicki with the hundred question routine.
"Are you?" Henry asked her using his sexy smile to charm her.
"Well, no, I mean, some days I feel like it but..no. Sorry, I'm just not used to others being so nice. Braidon is sometimes rather difficult and most people don't understand. So, I should be saying, thank you, not why."
They offered her a seat and something to drink, a water. She took both gratefully.
"You still didn't answer me." The woman pressed Henry again. This time he noticed that Vicki was staring at him as well, crossing her arms over her chest as if to say, yes why?
"Let me just say that there was time I could have helped someone out and I chose not to. I've regretted it ever since. I made the decision that day that if the opportunity ever came along to help someone out again, I wouldn't let it pass." Henry looked at both women hoping that was enough. For Christi, it was. Guess what Vicki's reaction was? Yep, they'd be talking later.
"Well, I came here because the police said there was nothing they could for now. They set up a command center and I should just go home and wait, but I can't, I can't go home..." tears were forming in her eyes once again.
Henry sat down beside her, putting his hand on her hand, very tenderly offering the comfort he felt she needed. Vicki let Henry handle the onslaught of emotions the woman was having. He was an expert at that.
"Now, Henry, what did you see?" Vicki was an expert at that, asking questions, getting answers.
He turned to face Vicki.
"I saw a white van, idling by the curb. I saw a man with a little boy. He put the boy into the van. It didn't seem odd to me at the time."
"Did you get a plate number or were there any words on the van?" Vicki was now getting her pad and pen out, just in case.
"No, I didn't look at the plate but there were words on it..Medical..something medical. Sorry, I was trying to get to the vendor."
Vicki looked at him and tilted her head, smiling knowing that he was getting her flowers. She was really a flowers kind of girl but Henry insisted, she obliged.
"Medical Miracles?" Christi suddenly shouted making Vicki nearly drop her pad.
"Yes, that was it..do you know them?" Henry asked.
"Those fu...I mean, sorry, yeah I know them." Christi was angry now, very angry. Vicki liked the way this woman thought.
"Who are they?" Vicki asked.
"They are a bunch of idiotic so-called doctors that want to use my son for tests. They are trying to study the brains of autistic children but I refused."
Vicki's voice softened a little. "What kind of tests?" She hated to ask, but she hoped it would help them find him quickly now.
They at least knew who might have him, that was a start, easy case..yeah right!!
"Barbaric. They wanted to hook him to machines, pump him full of drug cocktails, cut a hole in his skull and insert electrodes into it. Many autistic children have some kind of talent, drawing, music-things like that, they want to find out why that happens. Of course, they also say they offer a cure. I told them I didn't want a cure, he's not sick, just different. I love him as he is, that's all that matters to me. "
"So, do they have people willing to participate?"
"Yes, they have and their children have never been seen again. You have to sign a waiver, basically giving your child away."
Damn, not an easy case after all..