Disclaimer: I own nothing regarding GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Twelve

After another hour, a man who was in his forties showed up at the townhouse. The officer was led into the parlor where Rhett was waiting. The officer said, "My name is Frank Columbo. I understand you think your son has been kidnapped."

"Rhett Butler. I don't think. I know."

Frank sighed. He was so tired of dealing with these rich, arrogant bastards. When he had been told he would only be dealing with important cases, he had felt honored. The significant raise in pay had been wonderful. He now knew he earned every penny of his raise.

Frank looked around the parlor and decided that Mr. Butler might be right. It was plain to see that the man had a lot of money. In truth just his street address spoke of a lot of money. These townhouses were some of the finest homes in Cambridge.

Frank said, "Before we get started, can we have Mrs. Butler join us?"

"Not unless you conduct a séance. My wife is dead."

Columbo mentally sighed. Every one of these rich bastards was a smart Alec.

Frank said, "Very well. Have you received a ransom note?"

"No."

"Why do you think someone kidnapped your son?"

"Because an unknown woman took my son with her when she left the park."

"When?"

"This morning."

"What time?"

"Around nine-thirty."

"Nine-thirty? Why didn't you send for us sooner?"

"The nursemaid didn't do anything. She was waiting for me to get home to get instructions."

"Where were you?"

"I was at a business meeting, then I had to conduct some other business. I didn't get home until almost three o'clock."

Frank wanted to know what other business Mr. Butler had conducted. Frank was getting a very bad feeling about Mr. Butler. He wasn't acting guilty, but most of the cold-hearted killers that Frank had met never showed contrition. Could he have killed his son and the nursemaid and was using a kidnapping as a cover? It wouldn't be the first time a criminal had tried that ploy.

Frank said, "If you weren't with your son, how do you know this happened?"

"The nursemaid told me."

"May I speak with the nursemaid and get a description of this woman?"

"No, she has left the townhouse."

"This is strange. Did she quit? This is very suspicious."

"No, she didn't quit. Don't worry about her. She is not important. She had been in my employment for a month."

"Just a month? I am getting more and more interested in this woman. What is her name?"

"Anna."

"Anna what?"

Rhett sighed. He said, "I don't know. I can get you that information though if you must have it."

"Yes, I will need it. Do you know where she is living?"

"She doesn't have a home. She lives with her employer."

"Any kind of address?"

"I can contact the employment agency. You are wasting your time with her. Go after the kidnappers."

"I would like to, but nobody, but Anna knows what the kidnapper looks like, if there was even anyone else. Anna herself could be the kidnapper."

"Go to the park and ask the other nursemaids that were there this morning."

"I will do that, but I will have to wait until tomorrow morning, when the same people are there."

"Very well."

"May I see the boy's room? Maybe I will find a clue."

"There aren't any clues in my son's room. He wasn't kidnapped there. He was kidnapped at the park."

"How old is your son?"

"He's just five years old."

"What does your son look like?"

"He looks a lot like me except he has green eyes, beautiful green eyes. He has black hair and green eyes. Let me give you a picture of him."

"That would certainly help."

Rhett opened his wallet and took out a picture of Kenny. He gave it to Lt. Columbo. He said, "I will need that back."

"Of course. Do you know what he was wearing?"

"He was wearing a green shirt and brown shorts."

Frank stood up and put his pad in his pocket. He said, "I will get an alert sent to all the police stations." The man started to walk out of the parlor with Rhett behind him when he said, "One more thing, is there any relative of yours that might have taken the boy?"

"No, we have no relatives."

"You don't know how many times I am called in to find a missing child and it ends up that the child is visiting his aunt or his grandparents."

The men were almost at the door. Rhett said, "As I said we don't have any other relatives. I was disowned and my late wife's parents are dead."

"Very good, Sir. I will be in touch."

Frank was thinking, 'Could his family want the boy enough to kidnap him? Maybe.' He knew he was an extremely suspicious man, but that was why his solve rate was so high.

As Rhett closed the door behind Lt. Columbo, he thought, 'The police must find Kenny. He is all I have in the entire world. It now bothers me that the kidnappers have not sent a note with their demands. Let me go out and look in the mailbox.'

Frank knocked on the door. Rhett opened it. Frank said, "You didn't give me the nursemaid's last name or the name of the employment agency."

"Just a minute. Come in." After Columbo was in the foyer, Rhett said, "Wait here. That information is in my office."

Rhett went to his office. He sat down at his desk. He knew the employment agency was called 'Kelly Services.' He had sent notes around to them often enough to know the name by heart. He did not know the nursemaid's last name. He hadn't even remembered her first name until Hazel had reminded him a few hours before. He found the name and he wrote both names on a piece of paper. He added the address for Kelly Services also. He got up and returned to the foyer.

With a tight smile, Rhett handed Frank the piece of paper. He said, "Come with me to the mailbox. Let us see if there is a ransom note in it."

"Of course."

The men walked to the mailbox and looked inside. It was empty. Frank said, "I guess not. Let me go investigate."

Frank got in his buggy, and he looked at his watch. He was still suspicious of Mr. Butler, but that was just a gut feeling. Mr. Butler was guilty of something. The question was: Did his guilt have anything to do with his son's disappearance?

Frank was heading to the employment agency. Hopefully, they would still be open by the time he got there.

Rhett sighed. He thought, 'Where is Kenny?' He was now not sure the nursemaid wasn't involved. Once she was on the inside, she could have arranged everything. He just had her word that there was a strange woman at the park this morning. That might just be another lie.

After Rhett was sure Lt. Colombo was definitely gone, he called for Hazel. When the maid appeared, he said, "Tell the cook I am going out. I won't be home for supper."

With that Rhett grabbed his hat and left his townhouse. He headed to the park. He would find Kenny himself.

When Rhett got to the park, there was nobody there. He looked at his watch and it was five thirty. It was close to supper time. He walked all around the clearing where he knew the children played, and there were no signs that any children had been at the park that day. After fifteen minutes of just walking around the park, he felt helpless. He had always been a man of action. He had always summed up the situation then made a decision. Once the decision was made, he never looked back. He had just taken appropriate action. Now, he couldn't act, and he was depending on someone else. He didn't like depending on someone else. They too often let him down.

He finally stopped searching the park. He would go home and wait for Lt. Columbo to contact him. On his way to his townhouse, he stopped at a bar that was on his way home, sort of. Just two blocks out of his way. He would play some poker and drink some whiskey. It would remind him of the days before Scarlett. The days when he had been a happy bachelor.

At the townhouse, the staff were eating supper and talking about the disappearance of Kenny. Jonathan said, "Do you think it was a kidnapping like Mr. Butler thinks?"

Hazel said, "What else could it be?" Mr. Butler doesn't have any relatives."

"And very few friends."

Susie said, "It is so sad his wife dying giving birth to Kenny."

Julia said, "Yeah."

Hazel said, "You can tell he really loved her."

"True."

They quietly ate their food for a while. Finally, Hazel said, "Do you think Anna was in on it?"

Everyone said, "No."

Yet, nobody was one-hundred percent sure that Anna hadn't been in on the kidnapping, if there was a kidnapping. They didn't know Anna very well because she had only been with Mr. Butler for a month. In truth, nobody had really tried to get to know her because everyone knew she would be gone in a matter of days.

By the time Frank had gotten to the employment agency, it was closed. He was not deterred. His solve-rate would not be as good as it was if he was easily stopped.

Frank went around to the back of the building. There he found not only the door open, but the windows also. Once it was learned Frank was a policeman, he was shown into the owner's office.

Frank was seated and he said, "I am investigating a crime."

William Kelly said, "How can I help you?"

"It involves Rhett Butler."

William barely stopped himself from groaning. He said, "What do you need from me?"

Frank wanted to find out what other people thought of Mr. Butler and if he was the kind of man who would kill his son. He said, "I need you to tell me about Mr. Butler. Everything you say will be held in the strictest confidence." After seeing the doubt on William's face, Frank added, "I swear."

"Alright. Butler is a royal pain in my behind. From what I understand, he is not difficult to work for, except if one is the nursemaid. The problem is that he will fire the nursemaid for the trivial of reasons. Jonathan and Hazel have been there forever."

"Jonathan and Hazel?"

"Butler and maid. The cook and the scullery maid have managed to stay for a while, which is good. He pays good wages, and his home is quite nice. The food is good and there is plenty of it. All pluses to working for the man. Honestly, nobody has quit the man, but after they have been fired, I hear things."

"Go on."

"He is obsessed that his son receives the finest care possible. No one is to yell at the boy or speak harshly to him. No one is allowed to strike the boy for any reason. From what I understand, the boy is rarely told no. I understand that the only person who can tell the little boy no is Mr. Butler himself."

"How well do you know Anna Leonowens?"

"Not very well. I had just taken her on as a client when Mr. Butler sent a note around stating he needed another nursemaid. The one he had just let go came to see me after she had been dismissed. She needed me to find her another job. She told me that she had been fired because she wouldn't let the little boy wear the same shirt for a third day. She said the shirt was dirty. She had been sure Mr. Butler would not want his son looking like a vagabond. Instead, she had been fired for not giving the little boy what he wanted. I sent Anna right over. I am hoping she works out. She has been there a month. The longest in four years."

"Anna is no longer working for Mr. Butler. He fired her for not bringing his son home from the park."

"What? Why didn't Anna bring the boy home from the park? That doesn't make sense."

"She told Mr. Butler that a strange woman walked off with the boy."

"Do you think the little boy was kidnapped? If the little boy was kidnapped that really isn't Anna's fault."

"I guess Mr. Butler didn't see it that way. I don't know if he was kidnapped or not. All I know is the little boy, who I just realized I don't know his name, is missing."

"Oh no. Why aren't you sure it isn't a kidnapping?"

"No ransom note yet. Do you think Anna could be involved?"

"No, I don't, but I wouldn't swear to it."

"Thank you. Could you give me Anna's address?"

"Let me see what is in her file. All the files are in the other room. I will be right back."

A few minutes later William walked into the room with an open folder in his hands and he said, "Here it is. I think it is her sister's home. 173 W. Desmond St."

"Thank you for your time. I will leave now."

"Good luck. I hope you find the little boy. I don't know what his name is either. Mr. Butler always called him my son."