Turn for the Worst

Chapter 45

"Mommy!" Megan says.

"Mommy!" Ben says.

"Oh my babies, my babies," Gwen weeps. She kneels to scoop both her son and daughter in her arms. She kisses both their faces a million times. She squeezes them tightly enough to make them stop breathing. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too Mommy."

David, August, Jack and Nova watch the tearful reunion in the quiet room of the station. Several officers from the Connecticut police department had dropped the two youngsters off and are reviewing everything with David.

"The kids told me about the places they went to. Typical stuff, movies, amusement park rides, water slides and junk food," the first officer told him.

"Did they know their father was holding a hostage in the back of his car?"

"They said nothing of the sort and per their mother's request I told them that their father left with a woman who did not want to be with him."

"Neither child was the wiser, neither was traumatized," the second officer adds.

"And you're sure they didn't notice anything weird,"

"The daughter did note that the license plates were different,"

David grimaces. The sly bastard switched plates on them as to not to be detected.

"The only reason she noticed was that there were two eights that looked like snowmen."

"Did she get the official plate number?" David asks, grasping at straws.

"No."

Damn it! He thought. There are a million license plates in the Boston state alone with double eights on them.

"They also said that their Dad shaved his head."

"The little one said he looked like Lex Luther,"

A million guys with shaved heads... David clenches his fists and leans against the window, watching Gwen comfort her children. He wants this bastard caught and behind bars. He wants Emma at home with her son, safe... It feels like they're going in circles.

"Is there anything else?" Nova asks, taking over for David.

"The roadblocks and car searches we did yielded nothing,"

"Thank you," David says. "For finding them."

"We're sorry we haven't found Miss Swan, but we will keep our eyes open," the first officer promises.

David shakes their hands and allows them to go. He needs something, anything that Gwen can tell him.

The mother looks at him in the window, her eyes red from crying. Her two children yawn and lean against their mother in exhaustion.

"Think it's time to let them go home," Nova says.

David nods. "We still need to stay in touch with them, he might call again. Probably asking for money because she said he was unemployed."

Nova puts her hand on his shoulder before turning to guide the mother and her children out.

August is busy taking notes from the entire conversation.

"I'll start looking into cars in the morning,"

"Why bother August?" David says in frustration. "There are over a million registered vehicles in the Boston area alone."

"But someone will have noticed if their plates were switched, I'll start calling around tomorrow," August says with some optimism. "Good night David."

"Good Night," David says.

And then there were two.

"Quite the optimist," Jack says. "He's very passionate about his work."

"He knows Emma, he grew up with her,"

"Oh, and you hired him?"

"No, apparently Neal, Emma's ex-fiancé did. He thinks we need help."

"We kind of do," Jack says wincing.

"Let's just not say anything to Gold okay? The last thing I need is to lose this case... and Emma."

"My lips are sealed, anyways I'm going home. I have a date tonight."

"With Elsa?"

Jack freezes. "How did you know?"

"You don't think I see you texting next to the evidence locker or how you smile when she comes to the station?"

"Y-You're not mad, are you?"

David looks at him. "You're not forbidden from dating Jack, go have a good time, just be careful, Elsa is a hard nut to crack."

Jack smiles and nods before leaving.

David sighs.

...

The following two weeks are agonizingly slow. Nothing new, no developments, Gwen has taken her children home and is trying to produce a form of normalcy for her children. David does keep in touch with her, in case anything changes or the man calls. He is getting more nervous with every passing day. Gold is watching him like a hawk, waiting to pounce, that he's sure about. Wanting the chance to shut the entire case down, but the lieutenant will fight tooth and nail to keep it open. Emma is still out there and she needs to be found.

He's been consulting with August who is doing some old-fashioned detective work; looking at vehicle registries or recent vandalism or plate switches in the Boston area. From there, he will move to Connecticut. David does appreciate what the private investigator is trying to do, but it feels like this is going nowhere.

On a Friday morning, David is sitting at his desk, looking at witness statements when his cell phone buzzes. It's his wife.

"Hello?" he asks.

"David," Mary Margret says. She sounds frazzled.

"Mary, what's wrong?"

"It's the baby David, it's coming."

New baby drama. Sorry if it is a short chapter. Thank you for the comments, they mean a whole lot.