Chapter 23

Charlie watched from the viewing room as Doctor Cecil Kley spoke to Lynn Moffat. Rex had wanted to stay with her the doctor felt that it would be a good idea. So, he stood without his partner, knowing that he couldn't listen into the conversation, but the detective wondered if his best suspect in the murder was being used by someone. As gross as the thought was, he couldn't reconcile who it would be. In all of the photos that they'd found and stories they'd heard, Aiden Moffat was partial to the opposite sex – not Lynn or her female friends.

"You still with me?" Sarah's voice brought him back from his thoughts.

"Yeah sorry. Could we be missing something?" He asked her. Charlie had figured that a phone call to his better half was warranted given what was going on.

"It's quite possible we aren't. If it is Pica, like you think, it can be caused by being born on the autism spectrum or just intellectual disabilities. Abuse or neglect can be some of the negative conditions during childhood which could cause a person who at birth was a perfectly mentally healthy person, into someone who finds this a way to cope. The only way to know is to see what Doctor Kley can find out," she told him.

"Complicates things either way. Say she was born disabled and her family ignored it. Why get her to see Watkins now?" Charlie wondered.

"Can you get Lynn's school records? What about her mother?" Sarah asked.

"Jesse has been looking for her mother but no dice so far, which makes me wonder. He's trying to get Lynn's school records while we have the doctor talk to her. Lynn held a conversation with Joe and with Mika and the social worker, Leticia. She's talking to the doctor now but she completely shut down with me and Mika. Not surprising, given she was trying to eat her sweater while she was still wearing it. Still, Mika said that Lynn was completely emotionally flat when she and Leticia were talking with her," he said.

"If this is all due to an intellectual disability, she could get overwhelmed and respond in a way that we'd call suspicious. It's not to her, it's a way to cover up that she doesn't know what to do or say or she can't find the person who she has leaned on to tell her what to do," Sarah figured. Charlie nodded and said,

"That makes sense. I just wish we knew how she found Tim Watkins and why she was seeing him."

"Yes, but I'm guessing you'll get that soon. Speaking of getting news…" she trailed off. Charlie perked up at that.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"The doctor says that I can go home in a couple of days. They want me to have a visiting nurse for a few days though. I think my mom almost took offense to that," Sarah explained.

"Well, I was worrying that she wouldn't let me take care of you. I have enough vacation saved up to take six-month leave," he said.

"I know. We'll sort that out upon discharge when I get my instructions. I'm just looking forward to getting out of this bed," she admitted.

"Me too. Give my best to your family," Charlie told her.

"Will do. Keep me posted and give my love to Rex," Sarah said.

"Of course. Love you," he said.

"I love you too," she told him and with that the phone call ended. There was a knock on the viewing room door and Charlie told the person to enter.

"Detective Hudson, this is Robert Blanchard," Joe introduced the man he was with and they shook hands.

"Robert, thank you for coming. I didn't get your call," Charlie frowned.

"I got a taxi. I didn't even check into my hotel. You've got Lynn in there," Robert's shoulders sagged and Charlie and Joe took note.

"You know that she's got issues right?" Robert gave them a look.

"That's why Doctor Kley is in there and not me," Charlie reassured him.

"What kind of issues?" Joe pressed him.

"I'm not sure that there is a label for it but she was a little slow. Not enough that they could convince her parents to put her in special classes mind you," Robert shook his head.

"Did she try to eat things she shouldn't?" Joe wondered.

"She used to chew on her pens and pencils something terrible. She actually had pens blow up in her mouth before," Robert said. Charlie nodded and then asked,

"Where is Lynn's mother?"

"I don't know. She disappeared when we were in junior high school," the man said. He saw the look that Charlie gave Joe.

"You think something bad happened to her," Robert was growing concerned.

"We've been struggling to find her and that usually doesn't bode well. What was the story about her disappearance?" Joe wanted to know.

"I don't remember all the details, but I can remember Danny telling me that she didn't come home from work one day," Robert said.

"Why would Danny know that?" Charlie asked.

"Richard had mentioned it at hockey practice," Robert explained. Joe and Charlie knew that Jesse had not found any missing person's report. Aiden Moffat hadn't bothered to tell authorities about her going missing and that… that was always a bad sign.

"Ok, well why don't you and I go to my desk and see if we can't come up with a way to get Richard to speak to us?" Charlie wondered.

"He hasn't come to see Lynn?" Robert asked.

"Nope," Joe said.

"Son of a bitch," Robert shook his head.

To Be Continued…