Chapter 4

…

Elizabeth stormed out of the bistro, anger filling her as everything Red had told her ran threw her mind. She'd always looked at Mr Kaplan as a tough woman, a strong woman that you would never cross. Someone who never let anything bring her down, thinking about the child Red had forced her to give up made Elizabeth so angry, finally beginning to see Mr Kaplan as someone other than just Red's cleaner.

"Lizzie please wait."

"WHAT?"

Elizabeth turned around, her eyes full of anger, a look on her face that Red couldn't quite read.

"You want to hit me?" He stated.

"Hit you? I want to kill you, what you did, what you made Mr Kaplan do….it's unforgivable. Why she chose to stay and continue to work for you after that, well I don't know. That must have taken a lot for her to do, she's stronger than I thought."

"You have to understand Lizzie, back then…the world we lived in, it was no place for a baby. Kate would never have managed to take care of a child and do this job."

"So you release her from her duties, if you cared about her at all, you'd have looked after her, made sure she and the baby would be looked after."

"That's what I was doing…"

"Together, you didn't have to separate them. She may have toughened herself up to do the work she did with you but she was still going to be a mother, she was vulnerable, and you used that to have things your own way."

"Lizzie I…"

"Just…give me some space okay. I think the main thing we need to concentrate on right now if finding Mr Kaplan."

Red got ready to speak again but stopped himself as he watched Elizabeth walk away from him.

…

Kate's eyes were closed tightly as she battled the throbbing pain coursing threw her entire body, she felt tears threatening to fall, praying for the pain to subside. She heard the door to her room unlock, forcing herself to open her eyes.

"Mr Kaplan."

Kate's kidnapper came over to the side of the bed, seeing the pain Kate was in. Kate moved around on the bed, Red's name leaving her lips. The younger woman searched the brown bag she brought in with her, grabbing the pill bottle and pouring a few in to her hand before opening the bottled water beside Kate's bed. She leaned down, helping Kate to sit up, Kate cried out in pain as the younger woman's arm came around Kate, sitting down beside her as she helped her by placing the pills in her hand.

"Come on Mr Kaplan, take the pills. They'll help with the pain I promise."

Kate put the pills in her mouth before she was helped to drink the water, swallowing the pills.

"Thank you dearie."

Kate finally looked up, realising the other woman wasn't wearing anything to cover her face.

"Why are you letting me see your face, are you going to kill me?"

"What, no I…I forgot, I heard you in pain and I just…I forgot."

"Well thank you."

"They should start to take effect soon."

"What's your name?"

"Mr Kaplan I…"

"I've already seen your face, I'd like a name to go with it."

"It's Abigail." She answered after some hesitation.

"I'm Kate."

"Yes I know." She smiled.

"Of course you do, you're very pretty."

"Thanks, I take after my Mom."

"She must be a very beautiful woman."

"Yeah, she was."

"Was?"

"Yeah she eh….she died."

"Oh dearie I…"

"I'm gonna go and get you something to eat."

"Abigail I…"

"I won't be long, try to sleep."

Abigail was on her feet and out the door in seconds, Kate hearing the key turn in the door as it was locked behind her.

…

Elizabeth walked back in to Kate's apartment, Dembe standing in the hallway as the task force continued with their search of her home.

"Dembe…"

"How much longer will they be, Kate wouldn't like this, everyone looking at all her private things."

"They shouldn't be too much longer, I promise."

"Did you find Raymond?"

"Yeah, he was where you said he was…he told me everything?"

Dembe stiffened beside Elizabeth, looking straight ahead of him, watching the officers work.

"I see."

"You knew…all of it?"

"No, Kate mentioned a child years ago but I never asked her to go in to detail, it seemed to upset her and I…I don't like seeing her like that."

"Sorry."

"I would have told you but it wasn't my place."

"Yeah, I know…I understand."

"You're angry with him?"

"He can just be so damn insensitive sometimes, especially when it comes to the people he supposedly cares for, did you know he was the father of her baby?"

"When she mentioned the child, I had an idea but I never asked her."

"He made her give it up, her son or daughter is out there somewhere and she had no idea how to find them."

"You think she wants too? It might be painful for her."

"I know it's a long shot but…Mr Kaplan's kidnapping, Red's convinced it's no one involved in his work, what if…and I know it's crazy but, the broken carousel, of all the things to break, that particular item."

"What are you saying Elizabeth?"

"What is the person who did this is the child they gave up?"

"That's a big if?"

"Yeah but it is possible."

"Will you leave this alone Lizzie."

Elizabeth stopped talking before turning to see Red standing behind them, frustration on his face, Dembe remained silent as Red walked towards them.

"You need to stop this, please."

"Someone has her, I know it's a long shot but…"

"LEAVE IT ALONE."

"No, , we need to find Mr Kaplan and right now…clearly I'm the only one who cares enough to do just that."

Elizabeth made her way to the bathroom to talk to Ressler, leaving Red and Dembe on their own.

"She cares about her too Raymond, she's just as worried as we are."

"I know she does, but I feel her theories on Kate's disappearance are perhaps a little far fetched."

"She made some good points, you're already certain it's not anyone we are connected too in the business, outside of this work, I doubt Kate has many enemies."

"Well you never know, I think we need to look in to her time before she joined us first, before jumping on theories."

…

To Be Continued…