Chapter 17
Sitting at a desk in at the police station, Robert was looking over the report about Anna's abduction. It seemed like the only real advantage Putnam had was the fact he had a tranquilizer gun and the element of surprise. Other than that he had made many mistakes. He had let himself be seen around the area they found her and had even been seen with Anna. Robert was sure he didn't know that they had tracked him so quickly because of Anna's phone. Putnam is acting like a desperate man who just wants revenge, and that probably is all he is. There is little doubt that there is someone financing his activities in Port Charles.
None of this gets them any closer to finding Putnam or who he's working for though. Robert notices Anna and Clayton walk in, "Any luck?" They had been looking around the area of the convenience store to see if anyone has seen Putnam or even the mystery man from Jake's.
"Nothing, but most people down there aren't all that interested in talking to us," Anna told him.
"I know he hasn't left Port Charles, there is no way he would just give up." It had been two days since Robin had spotted that man at Jake's, and now it seemed like both him and Putnam have just vanished. Robert was getting frustrated with the lack of progress they were making. There was little available help right now because of the explosion at the Corinthos warehouse, that investigation wasn't making much progress either. "I'm getting nowhere here either, let's get out of here," Robert suggests.
"Yeah OK,"Anna agreed. Just then Anna's phone rang. "Hello sweetheart," she answered Robin was calling.
In a whisper that Anna almost couldn't hear, "Mom I see him."
"Robin I can barely hear you. Where are you?" Anna couldn't hear what Robin answered. "Who can you see Robin? Where are you?" Again she knew Robin said something but she couldn't make it out. Where ever she was there was a lot of background noise, why was she whispering? "Robin I can't hear you, where are you?"
"I'll call you back he's on the move," she said just loud enough for Anna to hear her.
Anna looked up at Robert with a concerned look on her face, "What is it?" he asked.
"That was Robin, I think she's following someone," Anna told him. "She was whispering and there was a lot of noise around her. The last thing she said was he's on the move, I'll call you back."
"HEY, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU TWO."
Two officers stopped the man that was quickly approaching Anna and Robert. "You need to calm down, if you want to talk to them," officer Taylor told him.
"You might want to lose that attitude before talking to them as well," Lewis told him.
Anna and Robert walked over to the three men, "It's OK we'll take it from here," Robert told them.
"Are you sure boss?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah, he's OK," Robert told him then looked at Patrick. "What's the matter, Anna just got a strange call from Robin?"
"She's gone nuts. She's out there playing spy as we speak," Patrick told him still sounding annoyed.
"Where is she?" Anna asked.
"I don't know we were out for a walk when all of the sudden she saw some guy and decided to follow him. I don't know who he was but she insisted on going after him." Patrick explained.
Robert and Anna exchanged a look, then Robert turned a grabbed a folder off the desk. "Was this the man you saw?" he asked as he showed him the picture.
Patrick looked at the photo, "Who is that?"
"Is that who you saw?" Anna insisted.
"Yeah, that's who we saw, who is he?" Patrick asked again. He saw the concern on their faces.
Anna looked at Robert, "We have to find her."
"Yeah, where were you when she took off after him?" Robert asked.
"Down on the docks, when she started following him they were headed in the direction of the Asian quarter maybe," Patrick told them. "You said she called, shouldn't you call her back?"
"She was whispering when she called, she may have been very close to him. If she's following him, we don't want to draw attention to her, he might recognize her if he gets a good look at her," Anna told him.
When Robert passed Anna a holstered gun Patrick really got worried, when Robert put his on Patrick asked, "What's going? Was that the man that took you, Anna?"
"Yes, she's following Grant Putnam."
"What is wrong with her, she knows he's dangerous?"
"She's our kid, sometimes the mission is worth the risk," Robert told him.
"She's a doctor, what kind of mission does she think she's on? She could be in real danger out there," Patrick was really worried about her now.
"Patrick, listen to me," Anna started, "the longer you keep us here talking the longer she's out there on her own. We need to go after her."
"Patrick, she will be careful. Robin did pick up a few things about how to tail a person. She will keep her distance, and when it's safe she'll call Anna again. Now we need to get out of here. We'll let you know when we find her," Robert told him.
"Robert," Patrick started.
"We've got this Patrick, now let us go get her." Then he and Anna left the squad room leaving Patrick staring after them.
...
Robin couldn't believe she had seen him just walking down by the docks, he was looking around a little but it was like he thought no one would notice him. When she had called Anna he had stopped to talk to some other man that looked like he worked down there. She hadn't expected him to double back, she was glad she'd ducked in behind some large crates before making the call. When he started moving again Robin made sure to keep a little more distance between them.
As soon as he started moving again she was sure he was heading towards the Asian Quarter. Was that where he was staying after all? A few time she had to duck behind something or stop and pretend to be looking at something. She smiled thinking back to the times she and Robert would randomly pick someone to tail. She had thought it was great fun at the time, now she was thankful he'd taken the time to show her a few things about how not to be seen, even when you were in plain sight.
She had been following him for about half an hour now and it seemed like he was zigzagging through the quarter but she thought she might know where he was heading now. After about another ten minutes he stopped and looked around to see if there was anyone around. When he thought he was alone he went down to an unseen entrance she knew was there. When she was sure he was going to be down there for a while she called her mom again.
...
When Anna and Robert arrived in the Asian quarter they decided to stay in their car, if Putnam was here they didn't want him to see them looking around for him. Robin hadn't called back yet and Anna was starting to worry. They were driving around hoping to see something, finally, Anna's phone rang again. "Robin, where are you?" Anna answered.
"I'm by the entrance to the catacombs, in the Asian Quarters. I followed Putnam here," Robin told her.
"We know Patrick came to the station and told us. We'll be right there, we're not that far from you," Anna told her. "We need to get to the catacombs entrance, Robin's there," she told Robert.
When they got there Robin was hiding by some crates not far from the entrance. "Mom, dad, over here." They ducked behind the crates and joined her. "He's still down there, he had a flashlight but I don't think he was carrying anything else."
"What are you doing, why are you following him?" Anna asked her.
"I'm helping you. I didn't want to lose him. When I called you the first time he came so close to me I thought he was going to see me. I knew you wanted to know where he was so I had to follow him," Robin told them.
"You're sure he didn't see you?" Robert asked.
"I'm pretty sure. If he did he didn't realize I was following him. Dad, I do remember what you taught me about tailing someone."
Robert smiled at her, it made him proud to hear that. "So how long has he been down there?" he asked.
"I think close to half an hour now, I thought about following him but I figured if he came all the way to this entrance he would most likely come back out the same way."
"Yeah you're probably right, he might not know where the other entrances are," Anna agreed. "We'll wait here for him, did he have a car or were you both on foot?"
He walked here from the docks, I think he might have been scoping out the area around Kelly's, maybe hoping to see you," she told Anna. "That was the direction he was coming from when I first saw him."
"When he comes out you need to stay out of sight Robin. We don't know if he's armed or how he's going to react to us appearing when he comes out," Robert told her.
"You're not going to make me leave?" Robin asked a little surprised.
"Would you leave if I told you to?" he asked.
"No."
"See so instead of fighting about it, please just stay out of sight when we see him OK," Robert asked with a smile. "You might want to give Patty Cake a quick call he's a little worried about you."
The three of them made sure they were out of sight, Robert watched the entrance while Anna and Robin talked quietly and watched for anyone else that might be heading down there to meet up with Putnam.
"He didn't sound impressed but he was happy you and dad had caught up with me," Robin told Anna.
"He isn't used to your spy gene kicking in, you have to remember he just thinks of you as a doctor, not someone who craves a little danger and excitement now and again," Anna told her with a smile.
"It was exhilarating following Putnam. Like I was testing myself to see if I still could. There were a couple times I thought he was going to see me but I managed to keep from being noticed." Robin's eyes lit up, "It was scary and exciting all at the same time."
"I know it's great isn't it," Anna smiled back at her.
They were there for about half an hour when Robert noticed some movement by the entrance, "Hey heads up I think someone's coming out." Anna moved closer to him so she could see who it was. "If it's him we have to wait until he's far enough from the entrance that he can't just dash back in."
"I'll follow your lead," Anna answered.
Putnam had decided that when he grabbed Anna again he would keep her down in the catacombs, this entrance wasn't really that far from his motel, and from what he'd just seen not that many people went down there. There was a tunnel that seemed to lead to a little out of the way area that looked like no one had been in it in quite some time. Grant was feeling confident again, he still wasn't sure how they had found her so quickly last time, but they won't get so lucky this time. Someone had to have seen him take her into that old building, so this time he'll take her at night. There was still some planning needed, like how to get her alone at night without Scorpio there as well. He's going to be very protective now, he couldn't worry about that right now. First, he had to set up the holding area, if she's bond and gaged again noise shouldn't be a problem, but he needs to set up something to keep her there when she has to be loose. He was thinking about ways to barricade the area he had just found when he exited the catacombs. He paused and looked around, there didn't seem to be anyone around. This time he's going to make sure not to draw attention to himself. He would grab something to eat then head back to his motel, there was planning to do. He smiled pleased with himself then picked up his pace.
"I'd like to wipe that smile off your face," Robert snarled as he stepped out in front of Putnam.
"Do I know you?" Putnam asked trying to buy time to figure a way out.
"Grant Putnam you are under arrest for the abduction of Anna Devane."
"Come on Scorpio, you're not the top cop here anymore," Putnam said smugly.
Anna had moved in behind Putnam to cut off any escape. "No, but my brother is and look at this nice little badge he gave me." Robert held up his badge.
Putnam took a few steps backward, "You have no proof, I had anything to do with that. I wasn't even here." He stopped when he felt the barrel of a gun in his back.
"Oh, but you were Putnam, who else would have used angry dog sounds to torment me," Anna asked from behind him. He put his hands up knowing there was no getting away from them.
Robert read Putnam his rights and cuffed him. "Robin you can come out now," Robert called to her. Robert was about to lead him away when Robin joined Anna, Robin was smiling she had always loved getting to see her parents in action.
When Robin had come out of their hiding spot Putnam stared at her. "I saw you somewhere didn't I?"
"You walked right into me, it took a little time but I remembered you." Robin walked over and slapped him. "That's for Filomena Soltini, my grandmother. You took her away from me the same night you took my mom, she died because of you." Anna was now right beside Robin and Robert could tell she wanted to tear into Putnam as well.
Robert turned him towards where their car was, "For your own safety I think we should get you down to the station. I won't even mess with these two when they're both pissed off. Anna, you drive."
They drove back to the station, and when Robert lead Putnam in they were meet with cheers from the officers. Baker and Clayton came and took Putnam from Robert, "We'll be in to talk to him later let him stew for a while."
"Sure thing boss," Baker answered.
"Well it looks like you two haven't lost your touch," Mac said as he approached them.
James Lewis came over to them as well, "Dad told me stories of how you two could break a case when it looked like there were just no leads anywhere. You went from sitting here going over reports to coming in with the suspect, I guess I have to believe his stories now," he told them with a smile.
"You should believe every one of his stories," Anna told him.
"Sometimes that's how it works, the littlest thing leads to the break you need and we'd solve the case. This time we got some help, she's little too but at least she picked up a thing or two from her parents. Robin spotted Putnum and tailed him for us tell we got there."
"Hey, are you giving away our secrets Scorpio," Anna teased.
"When are you going to talk to Putnum?" asked Mac.
"I figure we'll let him sit for a little while, then see what he wants to tell us. He isn't going anywhere until we've gotten every bit of information he has to give," Robert told her. "We may have to convince him he'll just be the scapegoat for whoever he's working for."
"He might not care that he is, he might have just wanted the chance to get back at us. Who knows how he'll react now." Anna wasn't sure if Putnam really would turn on whoever got him out.
"Well I think we should take our amazing daughter out for dinner, when we get back our guest might want some visitors," Robert suggested.
...
When they got back to the station Putnam was still waiting in the interrogation room. Mac came over, "He hasn't moved since he was put in there. They offered him some food and a drink but he just said no, that was the only thing he has said the entire time. He has this crazy look in his eyes too."
"Well, maybe he'll be more chatty with a couple of old friends. After you Anna."
They walked in and sat on the opposite side of the table from him. "That was a great dinner, Robin will have to show us a few other little places like that now that we're back," Robert said to Anna.
"I know, wasn't that a little Mexican restaurant when we lived here?"
"Oh, I think you're right." Robert agreed.
"I would like to go back to Oliver's soon."
"I think that can be arranged." Robert smiled at her.
"Why do I care about where you two had supper? Are you taking me to supper?" Then he started to laugh.
They just ignored him. "I had been thinking about going to Oliver's as well," Robert said to Anna.
"Aren't you here to ask me questions?" Putnam cut in.
"Oh did you want to talk? We were under the impression you didn't have anything to say." Robert told him.
"I'll start then, where'd you get the tranquilizer gun?" Anna asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes you do, the one you used on me last Monday."
"No, don't know what you're talking about."
"Anna this Saturday I should get reservations for us. It would be a nice change of pace." Robert cut in.
"Yeah OK. There were a few things on their menu I wanted to try."
"It's a date." Robert smiled at her. "Patty Cake seemed genuinely concerned when he came here earlier."
"Yeah, he was," Anna agreed.
"What are you two talking about now?" Putnam asked.
"No, no we ask the questions, you don't want to answer them right now so we can wait. You can't complain if we talk while we wait," Robert told him.
"They are such a cute couple, think about how cute their kids would be," Anna said when Robert turned back to her.
"Of course they'd have cute kids," Robert agreed. "When did you say Kate's concert was?"
"In about a month, we're still going right?"
"Of course."
"Fine I'll talk, I got the gun from my boss."
"Who are you working for?" Anna asked.
"I can't tell you."
"You're going back to Ravinview when we're done with you. Are you worried the same person that got you out will get to you inside?" Robert asked. Putnam didn't say anything. "Who are you working for?"
He started to laugh quietly, "I'm dead if I tell you."
"You don't have much of a future anyway, he'll find you at Ravinview. Even if you don't talk. Something tells me you are expendable and he would make sure you never get the chance to change your mind," Robert told him.
"How about this, who is your contact here?" Anna asked.
"I'm my own contact." Putnam looked at Anna, "I've missed you, why did you leave me so soon?"
Did he realize he basically just admitted to the abduction, Anna wondered? "You must have someone here helping you, or that at least got you set up here."
"I don't know anyone here."
"OK, we'll be back later. I hope that's a comfy chair because you'll be sitting there for a while." Robert and Anna got up and left Putnam alone again.
"I was just starting to enjoy myself," then Putnam started laughing hysterically.
It was getting late but they weren't going to leave until they got something out of Putnam. Come on, Mac said we can use his office tonight. He might still be here, let's go see," Robert told her.
They knocked, but no one answered so they went in and sat on the couch. "Do you think he will tell us anything," Anna asked.
"I don't know, I think he's scared about what's going to happen to him now, and I think he's off his meds. We may have to sweeten the deal a little. If we can promise to put him somewhere where they can't find him maybe we can get something out of him."
"Can we do that? We'd need help setting that up."
"Anna, remember whose office we're in, I think we still have the power to make things like that happen," Robert told her with a smile.
"Yeah right," she smiled back. "So how long are we letting him sit this time?"
"Oh I don't know he isn't nearly as comfy as we are, why don't we hang out here for about an hour and try again." Robert put his arm around her, "Why don't you try to rest?"
Anna put her head on his shoulder, "I don't think I'll sleep but I always like a reason to cuddle up with you."
It was just over an hour later that they went back to talk to Putnam. They both had cups in their hands. "How's your tea?"
"Oh about the same as it ever was here, it'll do," Anna told him with a smile.
"Are we doing that again, you two are just going to talk while I have to sit here and listen to you?" Putnam asked he was starting to get annoyed about being in this room cuffed to the table.
"We'll talk to you if you want to answer us," Robert told him. "Who helped you get out of Ravinview?"
"If I tell you I'm dead."
"What if we make sure you don't go back to Ravinview? We can arrange for you to go somewhere else, somewhere they can't find you."
"You say that now, how do I know you'll keep your word?" Putnam asked, Robert notice the crazy look in his eyes Mac had mentioned
"We don't like having a threat hanging over our heads. You help us get this guy and you can go back to your life. From what we were told you were usually happy at Ravinview, you had your projects to keep you busy you even had a couple friends. Out here on your own, you'd be on the run all the time, and if you get any more charges against you it won't be the same type of institute you'd be going back to. We can help you if you help us," Anna told him.
"The guy I talk to here is named Rodney," Putnam finally said after thinking about what Anna had just told him.
"Does he have a last name?"
"I don't know what it is."
"Who does he work for?" Robert asked.
Suddenly there was a loud noise that sounded like an explosion. Robert and Anna looked at each other then looked at Putnum who had started laughing again. "What so funny Putnam?" Robert asked.
"Oh nothing, but another building just fell down." Then he started laughing hysterically. "Kaboom and it fell down," followed by more laughing.
"What do you mean another building fell down?" Robert demanded. Putnam imitated explosions and started laughing again. "Putnam, what do you know about what just happened?"
"No no no." Putnam smiled at them with a crazed glint in his eyes then started laughing again.
They knew they wouldn't get anything else out of him tonight. They left the interrogation room and Anna got one of the officers to take Putnam down and book him. They would try to talk to him again tomorrow sometime. "Do you think Rodney is our mystery man?" Anna asked.
"He could be. Do you think Putnam could have been right about what just happened?"
"You mean did another building just get bombed?" Anna clarified.
"If he's right he might have known about it beforehand and that could mean he's working for whoever is making a move against Corinthos."
"So it could be someone connected to the mob that's coming after us."
Robert nodded, "Yeah it could be." They went out into squad room, reports were already coming in Corinthos Coffee was just bombed, like the warehouse, it was destroyed completely. "How long tell Mac gets here I wonder, I think he'll like to hear about our theory." Robert and Anna went back to Mac's office to wait for him.
When Mac entered his office he saw them waiting, "I don't have time for your case right now, there was just another bombing."
"We know and that's why we stayed to talk to you," Robert told him. "I think Putnam is working for whoever is coming after Corinthos."
Mac froze, "Wait, what? How do you know that? What did he say?"
"We were trying to talk to him again when the explosion happened. He knew it had been a building that was bombed as soon as we heard the noise."
"He's a nut, he might have seen the news coverage about the other one and just figured the same thing happened," Mac wasn't convinced.
"No I don't think so, as soon as we heard it he said another building just fell down, then started laughing. He knows more about this then he will say," Anna told him.
"Did you get anything else out of him?"
"Not about the explosion, he started laughing and we knew there was no point trying to get anything else out of him tonight. While he's here you have to make sure he is getting his medication, or it'll be useless trying to get any information out of him. There was a copy of his prescription sent over by Ravinview," Robert told him. "He did give us a name, Rodney, no last name but apparently that's who his contact here is here." Mac just nodded listening to what they had to say.
"We'll get out of your way now, we just wanted to make sure you knew these two cases might be connected," Anna said. Mac thanked them, then they left the station and headed for home.
