Derek
One month. That's how long Layna had been missing and even though we worked tirelessly to try to find her, it was proving to be futile.
She had basically disappeared without a trace. The coffee shop had one camera inside and although we managed to get a picture of the lady Layna was with, we hadn't been able to identify who she was yet. We had managed to narrow it down since she was dressed in scrubs but that left quite a lot of possibilities.
Greene had been going to all the hospitals, nursing homes, palliative care units, and clinics even dentist's offices trying to found out if they knew Leila. So far his search had turned out useless.
Humphrey and the team alternated between their own cases and Layna's, flying back and forth when they were able to. I had been on leave since I was in no way able to help anyone on the state that I was in.
So basically there was nothing I could do. I was useless. There were no clues, no evidence, and no one who could be blamed for her disappearance.
Tom was a complete mess, and I wasn't that far behind. In a matter of a week, he had lost his husband and his daughter. About two weeks after Layna disappeared, he had convinced himself that she was never coming back. He had lost all hope and that night when my mom came back from work she had found him in bed, a picture of him, Layna, and Steve cradled against his chest.
He had overdosed on my mom's sleeping pills and had died with a smile on his face.
I had to have hope though; I had to keep thinking that she was alive and well and that any day now she would come back or else I would go insane. I had almost lost her once, and I don't think I would be able to go through that again, especially since she was carrying my child. Layna was alive and so was my baby.
They had to be.
***
The incessant ringing of my cell phone woke me up from a restless slumber. I reached over to the night table and answered my phone without looking at who was calling. There was only one person that would be calling me at this hour, and he always had a reason.
"Hello?" I said gruffly into the phone while I sat up and turned on the lamp with my free hand. The files that I had been going through before I fell asleep were scattered all over my bed, and the floor.
"Derek we found the mystery woman," Detective Greene said and I froze.
"What?" I asked, my brain slowly trying to comprehend what he had just told me.
"We found her," he repeated, and I could hear the relief in his voice. After a month of searching, we had finally found a lead, something that allowed us to come one step closer to finding Layna.
"She's a nurse at Forest Brooke Asylum and her name is Leila Jones," Greene continued.
"The same place Timothy's at?" I asked, but I already knew the answer.
"Yeah," Greene replied, "Before you go on a rampage and do something you regret, you should know that she wasn't assigned to the area that he was in so we don't think they had any contact. But, just to make sure I'm going over there tomorrow to interview him, as well as the supervisor there."
"I'm coming with you," I said, my voice firm. There was no room for argument in this; I didn't trust Timothy at all and I wanted to be there personally to face that bastard.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm emailing you a copy of what we have on Leila so far, so feel free to check it out. Just make sure to get some sleep Derek, you haven't slept properly in a month."
"Sleep is what got me into this problem in the first place," I said, grinding my teeth together. "I'll see you tomorrow."
I hung up the phone and dropped my head into my hands letting out a deep sigh.
Layna
I lost track of the days I had been in here. Whenever Leila left, she would also give me a syringe with fluid that knocked me out, and then left me disoriented and weak when I woke up. She would feed me enough to keep me alive, but not to be able to regain any of my strength. Occasionally in my drowsy state, I could feel my baby kicking proving to me that it was alive. It gave hope to continue living instead of just giving in.
Every time she came in here all she could talk about was how excited she was that soon they would find out who she was, and then their plan would finally be able to be executed. When they found her, that's when Timothy would finally be able to be free, and the real fun would begin.
Derek
When we got to Forest Brooke, we were immediately ushered into the supervisor's office. He was younger than I expected him to be, maybe in his mid-thirties, but was short in stature and very lanky.
"Dalton McAfee," he said giving us both a firm handshake. "I understand you're here to speak to Nurse Leila? You were very vague on the phone, so I don't understand what this could be about."
"Leila is actually a person of interest in an ongoing kidnapping investigation and we would appreciate it if we could just have a word with her, maybe clear some things up," Greene smiled.
"Of course," Mr. McAfee said, picking up the phone on his desk. "Let me just give her a call and have her sent up."
"Thank you."
"Hi, sorry to bother you," Dalton said speaking into the phone, "but can you send Leila up to my office? What do you mean she's not here today?"
There was a fluttering of anger in my stomach, and my hands started to shake. Someone must have warned her that we were coming, and the only lead we had was gone.
"Please inform me as soon as she arrives Nurse Morgan," he placed the phone back in its holder on the desk. "She hasn't shown up for her shift today."
Detective Green shook sighed shaking his head. "That's unfortunate, because I believe that when we spoke last night, you assured me that you would give her an extra shift to make sure she was here today."
In a flash, Greene had crossed the room and had grabbed Dalton by the back of the shirt and had slammed his face into the desk. Dalton groaned as he lifted his head up, clutching his now broken nose.
"Listen to me here Mr. McAfee, I don't appreciate people who tip off possible suspects and The Canadian Justice System isn't too fond of it either. Now, as I recall, that could be considered an accessory after the fact, since she has evaded police custody and could result in you going to jail. A pretty boy like you won't last long in jail, Dalton."
"I swear I didn't do anything wrong, Detective, I only asked her why the police were interested in her," he whimpered, resting his head on his desk as his shoulders shook.
Greene grabbed him by the hair on the back of the skull and pulled him up, "I told you that the phone call should be kept a secret."
"I'm sorry!"
John lifted him roughly up so that they were face-to-face, and looked at him with cold eyes, "Don't apologize to me. Apologize to the girl Leila kidnapped who's been missing for a month, and is five months pregnant. Apologize to her fiancé that has been going out of his mind because the women he loves and his unborn child are missing. Don't apologize to me!" he spat and pushed away Dalton like he disgusted him.
I watched in awe as Greene walked towards the door. This was the first time I had seen why everyone was so scared of him at the precinct. Just before he was about to leave, Allan turned back to the man whose face was now covered in blood. "I wanted everything you have on Leila sent to my office in thirty minutes. If it's not there, I will personally come back here and escort you to a jail cell, is that understood?"
Dalton nodded mutely, as John left the room, slamming the door behind him.
"I want to talk to an inmate you have here," I said, speaking for the first time since we had gotten here. "His name is Timothy Thornton."
***
I was quickly shown to a small room where Timothy was waiting for me, the guards already having come in and shackled him to the table.
When he saw that it was me coming to talk to him, he smiled. "Ah, Derek I'm thrilled that you came to visit me."
"Cut the crap," I said, pulling out the other chair facing him and taking a seat. "I know what you've done."
The smile didn't leave his face, "And what would that be, my friend. Because, thanks to you, I've been here for the past year of my life."
"I know you took her," I said, grinding me teeth to keep calm. I knew he got off on my reactions. "You may have fooled everyone else, but you can't fool me. I know what you're capable of."
"Me?" he pointed to himself in mock confusion. "I'm nothing but a mere psychiatric patient, locked in here until I die. Haven't you seen their security system? There is no way I could leave."
I stood up abruptly, slamming my fists on the table and leaning in so I was close to his face. "Don't play dumb with me you bastard. I know you have her, and I will find her."
"How sweet, a man willing to do anything for the two things he cherishes most in the world." Timothy leaned in as well until there was only an inch of space between us. "But are you? Willing to do anything, I mean, to get her back?"
"Yes," I whispered without hesitation, my tone deathly serious.
"Then tonight, you will go to the place where I first held her. Someone will meet you there to escort you to her. As soon as you see her, she will be set free, and you will become my prisoner. But, if I have the smallest inkling that someone is with you, I'll rip the child from her body while both of you watch, kill it and then kill her."
I felt nauseous as I looked at the psychopath in front of me, whose eyes held no remorse for what he had done, or what he would be willing to do.
"Guards!" Timothy yelled, his voice echoing around the small room, "Take me to my cell please."
As the doors unlocked he looked at me and smiled again, "I knew you would be the one to figure it out. But even you aren't smart enough to know what I have planned. Goodbye Derek." He stood up as the guards entered the room.
He spoke with certain finality, much like the grim reaper before he took a soul.