Chapter Three

John McBain stared down at the photo his face a mixture of confusion and concern. It had been pushed under the door to his hotel room sometime during the night and he had just noticed it as he was leaving. The picture was of two young girls, maybe 4 or 5 years old, huddled together on a couch, both of them looking terrified. On the back of the photo the words, "How does it feel?" had been messily written.

John tucked the photo into his back pocket and made a mental note to drop it off to the Baltimore PD after he checked into work. Neither of the girls were familiar to him and none of his recent cases had involved children so John surmised that whoever had slipped the photo under his door had gotten the wrong room.

Grabbing his jacket, John locked up the room and made his way toward his car, knowing he needed to get into work. Since leaving Llanview, John had drifted around the eastern coast taking temporary jobs at PI companies. None of them had been permanent, just a few weeks here, a couple cases there, until John got bored and moved on. He had been in Baltimore for nearly three months, the longest he had stayed any place in the last four years.

The drive from the hotel to the PI company was short, and John made it there in 5 minutes flat. Locking up his car, John entered the small office and gave a nod to the secretary Rita, as he picked up his mail from the corner of her desk.

"Listen Rita I need the Roberts file… Nick wants that case wrapped up as soon as possible." John said turning his attention to office secretary who attention was focused on the TV across from her desk.

"It's just awful isn't it?"

"What is?" John asked trying unsuccessfully to mask his irritation with the often flighty secretary.

"You mean you haven't heard?" Rita looked up at him in surprise. "Two twin girls were kidnapped from somewhere in Pennsylvania. You know Johnny you really should really turn on the news once in awhile, it's been on every station. Someone broke in during the night, knocked their mamma unconscious and took off with them."

John continued to skim through his mail. "Yeah that's terrible. The file Rita?"

Rita began to tap her long, acrylic fingers on the desk. "I wonder if its someone after a ransom… the family is worth a fair amount of money… I think the announcer said they have something to do with oil. Then again maybe it's the father… usually in things like this, it's always the other parent right Johnny?"

"Yeah sometimes." John said not really paying attention to her. Even after all the years he had spent in law enforcement he still couldn't get over how transfixed people became on the tragedy of others. But her comment did make him think of the photo he had received, and reminded him he needed to get over to the police station and drop it off. "Rita, I need to get the Roberts file…"

Rita interrupted him with an excited shush. "The twin's mamma is about to make a statement – I've been waiting all morning to hear from her. They showed some pictures of her and the girls – it really looked as if she loved those girls, not like a lot of those snotty rich people."

Rolling his eyes, John walked past her desk and started digging through the unorganized file cabinet deciding it would be faster to do it himself. He had just put his hand on the file, and was about to cross the room to sit at the other desk when he heard her unmistakable voice, a voice that four years hadn't been able to erase from his mind. Turning around slowly, John raised his eyes to the television screen and froze with shock.

"My name is Natalie Buchanan, and I am the mother of Sydney Anne and Eve Victoria Buchanan. I don't know who has taken my daughters or why, but I am urging whoever you are to please return them to their mother… they are just innocent children and they… they are all I have." Natalie's voice began to break, but she took a deep breath and continued to stare into the cameras. "They are both four years old, weigh approximately 40-45lbs and are about 3 foot 4." Natalie took another shaky breath, and this time Rex stepped up and put his arm around her.

"Both of them have blue eyes, but Sydney has red hair that goes just past her shoulders and Eve's hair is brown." He finished for Natalie. "They were last seen wearing pajama's, and it is believed that Sydney is carrying a pink teddy bear."

"Mr. Balsom, do know if the police have any idea who would want to take the children?" The voice of a reporter rang out.

"Commissioner Bo Buchanan is looking into all leads and is confident that the girls will be found unharmed."

"Have the Buchanan's been contacted about a ransom?" Another one asked.

Rex shook his head. "Not at this time."

"Is the children's father being considered a suspect?"

At this question Natalie's head shot up and she took a step forward. "No," she said without any hesitation. "He is a good man, and would never do something like this."

"But Ms. Buchanan…"

Natalie held up a hand to stop them. "At this time the Llanview Police department are doing everything they can. Please study these pictures of my daughters and contact the local police if you know anything. Thank You." Barely holding it together Natalie turned away from the cameras and made her way back inside the police station.

Suddenly two pictures of the girls flashed up on the screen and the news announcer begin listing the description Natalie had just given. John's eyes widened in shock and he grabbed the photo from his back pocket.

"Oh god," he said, realization suddenly dawning on him.

"Johnny?" Rita questioned, noticing John's pale face. "Johnny you okay?"

Ignoring the secretary, John grabbed the phone which sat perched on the edge of her desk and furiously dialed, hoping that in four years it hadn't been changed. It rang four times before John was met with the familiar gruff voice.

"Bo Buchanan here,"

"Bo it's John… John McBain. There's something you need to know."