Roman was sitting at his desk finishing up some paperwork on a case they had closed and fervently wishing his little brother would come take his job back. Just then his cell phone started playing "Back in Black" by AC/DC. He picked up the phone and answered it, not noticing the person lurking just outside the door to his office, which was opened just a crack.
"Hey, little brother, what's up?"
Bo's voice answered in an excited tone.
"She's awake, Roman. She's awake."
"That's great, Bo. Did you find out…"
"She doesn't remember, Roman."
"Doesn't remember? Doesn't remember what? The letter?"
"She doesn't remember anything from the last 20 years."
"What?!" Roman's voice was tinged with shock. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. The last thing she remembers is being in the tunnel beneath Larry's villa all those years ago. It was before you came back and we all thought John was you. It was just after her 25th birthday."
"Damn, Bo. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. I don't want to freak her out by telling her that she's missing 20 years of her life."
"I can understand that."
"But at the same time I don't think I can keep it from her. You know how smart she is."
"Well how is she feeling? Other than the memory loss?"
"She had a severe concussion and broken ribs, Roman, how do you think she feels?"
"You don't have to bite my head off."
"I'm sorry, it's just I don't know how I'm gonna handle this. I love her, Roman, and she doesn't remember any of it."
"Any of what?"
"Any of it. She doesn't remember how much we loved each other, or how hard we fought just to be together. She doesn't remember our relationship. When she woke up she thought I hated her."
"Why did she think that?"
"Because just before Larry trapped us all under that damned villa, I found out that she had lied to me about who she was and I kind of held a gun to her head and made her admit it in front of everyone."
"That would be a good reason."
"Yeah, I know, I was angry and I lost my temper. But it was just because I had admitted to myself that I was falling in love with her and she lied to me."
"You and that temper. What did you tell her?"
"I told her that I was angry but that I didn't hate her. And that I wasn't angry anymore."
"Maybe you should call Marlena. Ask her how you should handle this."
"Yeah maybe, but right now I need to get her checked out by a doctor, and Marcus can't get back right now."
"Then who?"
"Could you bring Daniel up here?"
"Yeah, man, no problem. What should I tell him?"
"Just tell him you have a friend that needs a doctor and she can't get to the hospital right now."
"Yeah, OK. I'll take care of it."
"And make sure you keep an eye out for any of Larry's goons."
"I will. No one has been sniffing around so far as I can tell."
"Yeah, well just keep an eye out. Cause you know they will be like Victor's hire guns, slippery as an eel."
"I'll keep my eyes open. Oh by the way, I have an official looking envelope from the family court here with your name on it. Should I bring it along?"
"The final divorce decree?"
"Maybe, I haven't opened it. That would be a federal offense you know."
"Don't be such a smart ass. It has to be that. Or it could be something about Carly's divorce."
"I hadn't thought of that. I'll bring it along."
"Thanks, Roman. For everything."
"No thanks needed, little brother."
"Still thanks."
"You're welcome."
"OK so you go get Daniel, and I am gonna call Frankie and Marcus and the others and let them all know she is awake. Oh yeah, tell Daniel he will also need to bring something to check Carly's eyes with."
"What's wrong with her eyes?"
"She can't focus. I think she sees something but not sure what. She only recognized me by my voice after she woke up, she couldn't actually see me."
"Wow. OK I'll let him know. Anything else?"
"Not right now, man. See ya later."
"Yeah. See ya later, little brother."
Roman hung up his phone and took a deep breath, releasing it with a sigh. He quickly organized the various piles of papers on his desk into their respective piles, according to how urgently they needed to be handled, grabbed the envelope from the family court and his jacket and left for the hospital to find and abduct Daniel Jonas.
As Roman left his office he didn't notice the form of the person that had been standing at his door listening to his end of his conversation with Bo. She had been about to knock on the door when she had heard the phone ring and him answer with "little brother" identifying the caller as Bo. But it was really when she heard Roman saying something about a "she" that Hope had really begun to pay attention.
Who were they talking about and what was HER husband doing hiding out somewhere with another woman? Never mind that Hope had also received the decree from family court stating that she and Bo were now divorced and had joint custody of their daughter, Ciara. Bo belonged to her, he always had and he always will. Hope shrank back into the shadows, being as thin as she was had its advantages, when she heard Roman getting ready to leave. There was only going to be one way to find Bo, and that would be to follow the only person, it seems, that knew where he was.
Hope waited a moment after Roman passed her, without noticing her, before she followed. She knew that although she was only a detective, and not even a great one at that, the one skill she did have was following people without being seen and that was exactly what she planned on doing.
