Nick and Amanda pulled up to the large brownstone, the windshield wipers whipped back and forth as the rain hammered against the car. The drive out to Queens had been silent, the entire situation so surreal neither one knew what to say. All Nick could think about was losing his own children; he couldn't even begin to imagine what Olivia was going through.
"Think he's stupid enough to come home?" Amanda asked as they exited the car, pulling the hood up as the rain pelting her jacket.
"God I hope so" Nick replied, knocking heavily on the door.
"Mrs. Johnson!" Nick called out, "it's the police!"
The door creaked open a crack and a short, blonde woman peeked out.
"Yes?"
Amanda stepped into her view, trying to assert herself into the house; the woman closed the door slightly to keep her out. Smiling sweetly she asked, "Are you Christine Johnson? Jonathan Johnson's wife?"
"Yes" the woman replied, opening the door wide, "is Johnathan alright?"
"May we come in?" Nick asked already taking a step toward the house.
"Of course"
Mrs. Johnson led them through the house to the living room. The walls were painted a deep red, bookshelves lining them. A large cream coloured sofa sat to one side, two winged arm chairs faced it.
"Please sit" Mrs. Johnson said, gesturing toward the sofa.
"Mrs. Johnson do you know the whereabouts of your husband?"
"He's in Philadelphia on business…could you please tell me what is going on? Why are you asking about my husband? Is he alright?"
Amanda leaned forward in the sofa, rested her elbows on her thighs, "we believe he's involved in a kidnapping"
"What? You can't be serious?"
Nick reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the security photo of Johnson carrying Noah outside the daycare center, "is this your husband?" he asked showing her the photo.
"Oh my god" Mrs. Johnson gasped, practically ripping the photo out of Nick's hands, she held it close to her face. "I don't understand, this has to be some sort of mistake"
"Ma'am it's not a mistake. This boy's mother was a sex worker who was murdered and your husband said that he saw her picture in the paper and he said that the two slept together at a friend's bachelor party. Your husband was convinced that he was the biological father to this boy who is being fostered by a NYPD Sergeant" Mrs. Johnson got up from her seat abruptly and ran a hand through her hair.
"I think I'm going to be sick" she said, her hand going to clutch her stomach.
Nick continued, "we did a DNA test and it showed your husband to not be the father yet he took this boy from his daycare…do you have any idea why he might have done that?"
"I…about two years ago I got pregnant…it was a miracle because the doctor said it would be nearly impossible for me to get pregnant but I did…Jonathan was so excited. He made up the spare bedroom into a nursery and bought every baby toy imaginable. In my third trimester I lost the baby. Jon was heartbroken…we kept trying but I was never able to get pregnant again..."
Mrs. Johnson began to cry so Nick got up from the couch and put his hands on her shoulders.
"Mrs. Johnson, your husband has this boy and he is in very big trouble…we need your help finding him. Do you know where he might have gone?"
"I…no! I don't know! I didn't even know he was still in New York!"
"There has to be some place he might go? Maybe somewhere you guys like to go to get away? Someplace where he would feel safe?" Amanda said, hoping to prompt Mrs. Johnson's memory.
"We rent a cabin up north…we go there every summer. He always liked going up there cause it reminded him of a cottage he used to have as a kid."
"Thank you." Nick said and turned to Amanda who already had her phone out and was making the call.