MISSING

Chapter 9

Dave Benton had, as usual, done a thorough job. He produced a list – a short one, as it happened - of Lee Robbins' phone calls for the last five days. Apart from a pizza delivery company, most were to and from a number he had identified as Robert Rosso's. Additionally, he had been through the stored numbers. Rosso again, Hannah – none for Timmy, who presumably did not have his own phone – his place of work, and various out-of-state friends and relations.

"Hm… Not the second perp, or not obviously," Frank muttered. "My thinking, he's a friend of Rosso's."

"I've saved the best bit." Dave said, switching on a recorder. "Message left yesterday, from Rosso."

'Where are you, Lee? We need to see you. We've got a brat we don't want, and you owe us money we do want. Call me, or Mac says he's coming round.'

"Well, that answers a lot. They've got Timmy, and our second guy, presumably, is Mac." Calleigh said. "What time was that sent?"

"Ten o'clock yesterday evening."

"When Lee was with us," Frank added.

"I just hope they haven't got impatient and hurt the boy."

"Doubt it, he's their payday." Frank rubbed his hands together. "Time to talk to that sonofabitch again."

When Eric went back, Horatio was awake. A nurse was adjusting the bed, raising the head, so that he was propped up. He looked a little more alert.

There was a genuine smile. "Still here?

"Of course." Eric sat down. "Feel better?"

"A bit. The doc's just told me I've got no organ damage, which is good."

"Just concussion and a fractured skull."

"He says it's minor. It'll heal itself."

"If you let it."

"I will." He sounded sincere, though Eric doubted his patience for prolonged convalescence. "Well, I'll have to – for now – I'm too dizzy to raise my head. I can't even walk to the bathroom. And yes, I did try."

"Feel like talking?"

"Yes, I think so. What do you want to know?"

"How you survived out there… Do you know how low your temperature was when you came in?"

"Yes, they told me. I'd have been all right if it hadn't been raining."

It had been so cold. He'd been cold anyway, and he'd lost his jacket in the struggle. Once he was sure his assailants had gone, he got to his feet. Rubbed his arms for warmth. Thought about his options…

"Trouble was, I didn't know where I was. I could have been near a road, but I had no way of knowing. It was dark, and my head was pounding so I could hardly think."

"Not surprised," Eric murmured.

He had felt the back of his head. Bloody… It felt sort of… soft and puffy. And it hurt. But there was nothing he could do about it…

"The one thing I knew was that I wasn't that far from the Hummer. I thought it'd be some shelter at least, and it might still have some communication capability. Anyway, I knew it would be missed. So… I tried to find it…"

"And you couldn't?"

"No. I don't know why. My sense of direction seemed to desert me. And…" He looked down, with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I kept falling over. And it started raining. I never believed Florida could be so cold."

It had been worse than that. Not only no sense of direction, but no sense of balance. He had spent more time on his hands and knees than upright. He had thrown up. As it got light he had realised he had no clue where he was, or where the Hummer was. He was shivering convulsively. Weary with trying to stand up, he remembered sitting on the soaking ground, hugging his knees, and shaking so violently it hurt. Sick, dizzy, injured, cold… And lost…

"You okay?" Eric sounded concerned, and he wondered how long he'd been silent.

"Yeah. It's just… it gets a bit vague…"

"That's hypothermia – I looked it up – it causes confusion…"

Horatio chuckled. "I was certainly confused. Once I thought I was near the lab. Then I thought I heard someone calling me…"

"Then you took your clothes off."

"I did what?"

"Undressed. It's quite common apparently. 'Paradoxical undressing.' At least you didn't go all the way. We found you in your underwear." Eric had debated about telling him. But, since half of PD had been there, Horatio would hear anyway. Better it came from him.

"My God! Who found me?"

"A couple of Frank's boys."

"And I was half naked?" His expression of horror made Eric smile.

"In your skivvies, boss. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Wouldn't you?" Horatio closed his eyes and groaned. "Oh God, can this get any worse?"

"You know, Lee, it's lucky you're in here…" Frank placed a small recorder on the table and pressed 'Play'. 'Where are you, Lee?' "So how do you know Robert Rosso?"

"We used to work together. We have a drink sometimes. He's just a friend."

Frank played more of the message. 'We've got a brat we don't want…' "Come on, man, they've got your son… Let us help you. Help him."

"Oh hell…" The man's resistance collapsed abruptly.

"Don't say anything, Lee," the lawyer said quickly.

"Don't you see? They know it all!"

Frank waited expectantly.

"Timmy wasn't supposed to be there. He should have been at school."

Frank hid his surprise as well as he could. "So the plan was to kill your wife?"

"If I give you Bob Rosso, what happens to me?"

"We've already got plenty of evidence against Rosso. Try again. What about the other man?"

"I don't know him. I met him for the first time when I gave them a lift. Bob called him Mac. I don't know whether that's a nickname, or what. I don't know anything about him. He was holding Tim. He wouldn't let him come with me…" He covered his eyes.

Frank wasn't moved to sympathy. "So let me get this straight. You engaged Mr Rosso to kill your wife. How much did you pay him?"

"Seven thousand."

Frank raised his eyebrows. "Hm - bargain basement. You know what they say, Lee – pay peanuts, get monkeys. Where did you get seven thousand?"

Robbins hesitated, then said, almost inaudibly, "I stole it."

"You don't do things by halves, do you?" Frank snorted. "Who did you steal it from?"

"My work. I was going to put it back."

"Sorry, you've lost me."

The lawyer chipped in. "I need five minutes alone with my client…"

"All right." Frank got up to leave. "But you know the rules – an officer stays here. Don't worry – he's officially deaf…"

Frank went to find Calleigh. She looked up questioningly.

"Talking to his attorney," he explained. "I hope we'll get the whole sordid story in a minute. Hey, you know we thought the plan was to steal the boy? It wasn't, it was to kill the mother."

"Really? Do you still think the boy's safe then?"

"I hope so. I really do hope so. Rosso said 'We've got him'. Do you think that means they're all at this Mac's?"

"It's a good bet."

"Robbins admitted that Timmy was with them when he picked them up, but that 'Mac' wouldn't let him go because good ol' dad hadn't paid what he promised. It's also a good bet that Robbins doesn't know where they are. And neither do we."

Calleigh thought for a moment. "I've got an idea…"

TBC