SAMPLE OF JUST BEFORE THE DAWN

  Chapter 1

   The car pulled into the driveway. Renee Ericson stepped outside into the quiet darkness of the night and looked around. The car that belonged to Andy was gone. All the lights were turned off, both inside the house and outside. “Where has he gone to at this hour?” Renee asked herself as she looked at her watch. It was soon after 9pm. “And how is Fiona?” she gasped as she hurried to the front porch and opened up the door. She was greeted by the darkness and groped around the place with her cell phone light to find a light switch. “Andy?!” she called out, trying to be too loud. There was no sign of anyone else inside the house. The crib that held Fiona was now empty.

 Just then her phone buzzed. She recognized the caller ID. “Hey Andy, what’s up?” she said cheerfully.

  “Babe, something terrible has just happened” replied Andy in a calm voice.

  “What is it?” Renee asked worriedly. “Where are you both? Is Fiona ok?”

  “No, I’m afraid something terrible has happened to her.”

 “What has happened to my baby?”

  “I was driving on the road and stopped to help a car on the Kincaid Bridge with a flat tire. When I got back to the car, Fiona was missing. Those guys whom I helped had stolen her.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “I chased them all the way down Five Forks but lost them. I’m now at the Exxon Mobil right next to the Burger King.”

  “I’ll be there soon” she gasped and immediately hung up to call 911 and relay the information. Next she got in her car and drove to the gas station. “My baby’s been kidnapped, oh my goodness please help me find baby!” she begged.

 Renee then drove down on Five Forks Trickum Road towards Lilburn. The road was largely empty on this Sunday night. In no time she arrived the Exxon at Oak Road and found Andy, parked in the lot. He was standing outside and leaning against the side of his car. She ran to him and hugged him tightly.

  “What’s happened to my baby?” she wept.

  Andy stared in her eyes, emotionless and calm. “Renee darling, it’s just like I told you over the phone. I stopped to help these guys in the Kincaid bridge change their tire. When I got back to the car, Fiona was gone. Those men, I chased them until I reached downtown, then I lost them. So I came here and called you.”

  Renee could smell beer in his breath. “Where were you taking her in the first place?”

  Just then a county patrolman approached them and introduced himself as Bert Yetts. “Are you Renee Ericson?” he asked.

  “Yes” she replied tearfully. “Have you found my baby?”

   “No ma’am we haven’t. We first need to ask you and your husband some questions. Now can either of you tell me what has happened?”

 “These two guys kidnapped my baby” began Andy. “I stopped to help them fix their broken tire. I fixed the tire and went back to my car, only to find Fiona was gone.

  “Can you give me a description of the child?”

  Andy hesitated but Renee pulled out her phone and showed a picture of the 8-month old girl. In it, she had blue eyes, blond hair, and was wearing a Sleeping Beauty outfit. “I took that one just tonight before I went to work.

  Yetts studied the picture and took down notes. “Where did this happen?” he asked, turning to Andy.

 “The Kincaid bridge.”

  “That’s the one over the Yellow River down on Five Forks?”

 “Yes.”

  “Which side of that bridge were you on?”

  “The larger side.”

   “You mean the on the side that has the big shoulder?”

   “Yes.”

  “Ahh yes, I can see know” Yetts muttered as he took down notes. “What kind of car were they in?”

   Andy shrugged. “I am not entirely sure. I think it was a Ford or something. Couldn’t see too well in the dark to make out its make and model.”

  “What color?”

    “I don’t know. Dark perhaps. No wait, it must have been red, maybe.”

    “What do mean you don’t know? You were working on it, weren’t you?” Yetts could also smell beer in Andy’s breath.

  “I wasn’t looking at the car” Andy said as he nervously took out a cigarette and began smoking it. “I was looking at the engine. He lit the cigarette, the flare of his lighter bright in the cold pitch black of night.

  “But still you had to walk up to the car in order to see what its problem was” persisted Yetts. “You had to have been on the side of the car that had a flat tire on in order to change the tire. You must have been able to get a good look at its color.”

  Andy just shrugged and sighed. “Like I said, I was only looking at the tire and not the car.”

  “Where were those two men when you were working on the car?”

  “One was beside me, as I was changing the tire. The other one I could not see too well since I was fixing their tire.”

  “What did they look like?”

   “I said it before, I did not get a good look at them as I was too busy paying attention to the tire and not them.”

   “You didn’t look at them? You never laid eyes on them while you walked over to them and spoke to them and help them restart their car?”

  “I usually look at my feet when I walk. And once I got to the car, I was looking at what I was doing. You know, looking at the tire and stuff.”

 “Then you must have seen them, even for just a second. Think hard. What did they look like?”

  “Young guys. Dark hair, I think. One of them might have had a beard or mustache.”

   “Jeans and jackets, I guess.”

   “You sound very unsure of this whole thing.”

    “That’s ‘cause it was very dark when it all happened.”

    “Which tire was it that you changed.”

    “The driver’s side.”

   “Have you been drinking?”

    “No. I mean yes. I had been drinking some beer during the afternoon, but since then all I’ve been drinking is water and coffee.” He took out a coffee cup from the car and held for both Yetts and Renee to see.

  Moments later Lt. Jake Kasbow arrived. Yetts relayed the information that he had gotten from Andy. The veteran lieutenant shook his head in disbelief and sighed. “That sounds like a pot of shit” he remarked.

 “Could be. But we cannot discount him and his description of the suspects, lest he be telling the truth.”

 In the Gwinnett County Police Department, no one had risen to rank of lieutenant without considerable skill and an equal measure of practical experience. Kasbow’s experience had taught him that sometimes it was simply that missing kids would often crawl under a bed or into a closet and fall asleep without their parents knowing anything about it. “And there’s the fact that you smelled beer in his breath” he said to Yetts. “Could be that he was drinking and not paying attention to his kid. Perhaps he passed out and she wandered away somewhere inside the house and he just panicked and didn’t know what to do or where to look for the child.”

  “Are you suggesting that he just made up that story about helping the drivers just to cover up his negligence?”

 “The more I think about it, the more it looks that way. But I don’t think we should be jumping to conclusions this early, especially without searching the bridge and the house. It just could be a simple case of misunderstanding.” Kasbow then walked over to Andy. “Where’d you say that your child was kidnapped?”

  “On the Kincaid bridge. I know for sure that it’s where it all happened.”

  “Come on then, we’re heading to your house.”

  “But why should we go there?”

  “Because there have been a number instances in my experience of little kids having wandered off and hidden somewhere in the house. We just want to make sure that she is still there, safe and sound.”

  “I told you what had happened. Doesn’t anyone believe me?”

  “If you are telling the truth, then you should have no trouble making sure that your baby is fine.”

 “Please go with them” Renee begged him tearfully. “It’s the only way we can get our girl back.”

  “Oh all right!” Andy hissed as he got inside Kasbow’s car as drove over to his house on Oleander Drive in Lilburn. Yetts remained to interview Renee. “Now tell me what happened when you left your husband and child.”

  “I left the house just before 8pm to attend a Ladies’ Night Out at Will Henry’s in Stone Mountain, right in Rockbridge Road. I left Fiona with Andy. She had been crying up until then, but I put her to sleep. She seemed to be fine. When I got back home just after 9, both Andy and Fiona were gone and the lights were turned off.”

  “Now were the lights on when you left the house?”

   “Yes. I turned them on myself, as I always did whenever I went out at night.

  “Was Andy drinking?”

  Renee thought for a moment. “He was drinking during the afternoon. I believe he already told us that. I don’t think he drank too much, though, because when I left them he seemed to be okay when I left.”

  “How long have you two been married?”

 “A little over a year.”

  “What does he do for a living?”

  “He’s been unemployed for a while now”

  “Can you state just how long?”

  “Soon after we married. He said that he lost his job in landscaping because of downsizing.”

  “Would you know of anyone who would want to bring harm on your little girl?”

  “No. I know of no such monsters.”

  On the way to the house, Yetts and Andy stopped at the Kincaid bridge in Lilburn. The bridge had large, curvature metal meshes to prevent people from falling or jumping into the Yellow River. Thick vegetation made walking down the banks nearly impossible. Bright yellow crime scene tape had been stretched out all around the railing and there were several cop cars already on the shoulder. Yetts pulled onto the shoulder, got out, glanced all around, and then opened the backseat door to let Andy out.

  Andy calmly exited the car. He put his hands on his hips and confidently followed Yetts around and watched the other cops searching the place with their lights. He stood as still as a statue for several seconds. The blue flashing lights from the cop cars caused Yetts to notice Andy giving off what seemed to be a faint smile.

  “You alright?” asked Yetts.

  “Fine. Just a little worried” Andy replied with a shrug.

  “What exactly are you worried about anyway?”

  “Because my daughter’s missing, man!”

   “Okay then, show us where you were and what you did!” Yetts had to raise his voice to be heard over the crickets and frogs. This was a disguise for him to vent his anger towards Andy.

    Andy walked around the bridge shoulder and reenacted the events of changing the tire and discovering that Fiona was missing after the car had left. Yetts nodded as he felt that Andy was plausibly telling the truth, as the shoulder was indeed wide enough to hold several cars at a time. He walked over to the area that Andy pointed at. His flashlight was illuminating his path. “I don’t think so. You’ve got mud all over your truck, but there’s not mud here at all.”

 Andy looked around uncertainly. “Well it must have been here on the bridge then. That’s where their car was parked. I pulled up right behind them.”

Yetts looked back at Andy, unconvinced.  “I see what you mean. But what happened to the old tire?”

  “I think they took it with them.”

  “But if they were planning on taking your baby, then why would they waste time taking the old tire at all?”

  “I don’t know why they did it, but I just know that they did it.”

 “And how could you have not seen someone with Fiona? He would have had to walk right next to you to come up to the car. And the doors would have opened and closed. And surely the lights inside your car would have gone off if the door had been opened. Are you sure you didn’t see anything?”

 “Like I told you before, the hood was up and I was busy fixing the flat tire. I saw nothing!”

 “Would Fiona let a stranger pick her up and not cry?”

  Andy shrugged. “Sometimes she would and sometimes she wouldn’t. It all just depends.”

 “Depends on what?”

  “Just depends on who holds her.”

  Sergeant Lorne Kall and members of his DUI Task Force began arriving at the bridge. There, with the assistance of Investigator Troy Cook, they set up a roadblock. They stopped every motor that came along over the next few hours to ask if any of them had been across the bridge earlier in the evening. Those who had would be asked what they had seen there.

 In a short time Kasbow and Andy reached the small house on Oleander Drive. They parked in the driveway and walked over to the front door. “This is crazy man” complained Andy as they entered inside. “I didn’t leave her here all by herself. You think I’m stupid or something? I would never do something like that. Ever!” They searched all over the house but found no sign of Fiona. “I told you so!” said Andy as they went back inside the car and returned to the Exxon.

   “Is everything alright?” asked Renee.

   Andy shook his head slightly and his eyes kept facing the ground. Renee could see that he had more to drink than he had admitted. “I don’t have anyone to call me daddy anymore” he said. Renee thought that is sounded strange, since his demeanor was more of anger than of sadness.

  Just then Kasbow and Yetts approached the couple. “We need you to come with us to headquarters. We need some more information from you regarding your daughter’s disappearance” said Yetts.

  Andy shook his head. “No, I can’t. I have to stay here with my wife. She needs me now more than ever.”

  “You must!” Renee implored. “That is the only way we are going to get Fiona back. Please go with them.”

  Andy could hardly stand Renee’s tearful urging. “Fine I’ll go” he sighed. Soon he climbed into the back of Yett’s car and they headed off. As they left, flashes of light showed where Crime Scene Technician Todd Sarber was busily photographing Andy’s car.

  “Lieutenant, there is fresh mud and grass on all four wheels. I suggest that you take this car back to headquarters for thorough inspection.”

  Kasbow knew that the Kincaid bridge was all concrete, and that there would be no mud around. It only added to his suspicions of Andy.He checked the vehicle registration. It was registered in Renee’s name. “Mrs. Ericson, we may have to take Andy’s car to headquarters for inspection. May we have your permission to do so?”

 “Yes” she replied disinterestedly. She couldn’t think about the truck now as thoughts of finding Fiona were occupying her head. “Whatever you need, I will gladly help. Is there any word yet?”

  Kasbow only shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we need a little more time.”

 Yetts and Andy headed over to headquarters. The longer he was in the car, the more nervous the young father became. He did what he always did when he was bored or nervous: start lighting a cigarette.

  “You can’t smoke in here” said Yetts.

  Andy reluctantly complied. “Look. I don’t know what you guys are thinking, but I’d never do anything to my little girl! Why are you all asking me all these damn questions all the fucking time?! You all seem like you don’t believe me.”

  “We’re just trying to make sure we have all the information” Yetts told him politely. “The most important thing right now is finding her.”

  In a short time they arrived at headquarters. Yetts parked just in front of the Criminal Investigation Division, or CID. Andy was taken into the interrogation room by Investigator Jake Orvall. They both were seated at a rectangular table with chairs on either side. Yetts joined with Kasbow and other officers in a conference room where they could see the interrogation on closed circuit television.

  “Now would you like to use the restroom or get a drink of water before we get started?” asked Orvall.

  “No thanks, I don’t need anything yet. Let’s just get over with this thing so I cant return to my wife before she gets worried about me.”

  “Alright then, let’s start all the way from the beginning.”

  “I was driving down Five Forks Trickum Road when I saw this car that was parked on the shoulder of the bridge. I pulled over to see if I could help them out. Turns out they had a flat tire, so I fixed their tire very quickly and they drove off.”

  “Can you describe those men?”

  “Sure. They were both white and average-looking with dark hair. One was bald but he had a little bit of a beard and was wearing a white shirt, jeans and boots. The other was clean-shaven, had a full head of hair, and wore jeans and a Camel t-shirt.”

  “A Camel t-shirt?”

  “Yeah. You know, the cigarette brand. The camel that wears sunglasses.”

  Orvall could detect the smell of beer from Andy. “Where were you going?”

 Andy was taken aback by this seemingly unexpected question. His hands began to quiver on the table. “G-going? Oh, uh, let’s see here, going, where was I going? Oh yes, to my mother-in-law in Lawrenceville.”

 “Just how did you fix their car?”

  “I took out the old tire and replaced it with the spare one that they had. In no time at all it was fine and dandy. Anyway, the guys thanked me and then I headed back to my car. It was once inside that I realized Fiona was gone! I check around but found no sign of her. Suddenly it all came clear to me what had really happened. Those two men had pulled a ruse to kidnap my baby behind my back! I chased after them as fast as I could. As I entered downtown, I had lost sight of them. I quickly looked all over but they were long gone, and I didn’t know which way they had headed. It was then that I turned into the gas station lot and called Renee.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police?”

   “Well, I thought that she would have already called them since she was so worried about her daughter.”

  “Her daughter?” asked Orvall, a little surprised by the wording.

  “Oh” Andy stammered, “I meant our daughter. I’m just messed up from all this. It’s all happening so quickly that I think I’m going crazy or something.”

 “You said that you worked on that car, but how come none one of us saw any grease or dirt on your hands or under your fingernails?”

  “I can work on any car and not get grease or dirt on my hands. Look, I just want my fucking baby back! Why are you asking me all these stupid questions?”

  “Because we think that you are not telling us the truth.”

  “I am telling you the whole goddamned truth! Why doesn’t anyone believe me?!”

  “The story you have given us makes no sense at all. You’ve got a baby in the car and you just stop and help a couple strangers on the side of the road? And you didn’t see anything? You were right over there and did not see or being taken or even hear her cry? You have to have seen them taking your child. She was liable to be crying as she was being taken. Andy, if there is something terribly wrong with Fiona, if she’s been hurt in any way, we need to get her medical attention immediately. Now just tell us where she is.”

   Andy hesitated. He looked from side to side as if he was at a loss for words. “Look, I don’t know where the fuck she is! I told you, these guys just took her, and I just want her back, you know, safely. I want to see those guys are punished for taking my daughter away from me like that!”

 “Where did the mud from your shoes come from?”

  “I was in the yard pulling some weeds.”

  “How much beer did you have to drink?”

  “Just a couple of beers in the afternoon, and then tea for the rest of the day.”

  “How many beers exactly?”

  “Three tall ones.”

“How could you not see someone when you walked back to your truck?”

 “I just walked back. when I opened the door, Fiona was no longer there. Those guys were already speeding off, and once I got my car started, they were out of sight.”

  “Did they turn at Oak Road?”

  “No. Like I said, they just kept going straight.”

   “But there are no turns until Martine Nash Road, and it’s only two miles of straight road up to then. How could you lose sight of them in such a short distance?”

 “They must have gone really quick, that’s all. There’s plenty of places that they could have got to, such as the church at Martin Nash or the Kroger.  Look, I just have to get back to Renee, she’s awful worried. You guys ought to get off my back and go looking for those sons of bitches who stole my girl!”

  Yetts drove Andy back to the Exxon. Since his car was still confiscated, Andy had to be driven by Renee to her mother Louise’s house in . Louise shook her head with a frown when Renee recounted the story. “I always knew that Andy was not to be trusted” the middle-aged woman hissed. “He’s always looking for trouble. A guy like that should never be trusted with anyone’s life, including his own, with all his drinking.”

  “Mother stop talking about Andy that way! How can you be sure that he had something to do with it? Perhaps it was not his fault. And anyway, blaming him won’t get Fiona back.”

 Renee was unable to sleep and was staring at the rectangular ceiling. “Where is my girl?” she asked herself tearfully. “Is she crying for her mother? Are they taking good care of her? I hope that they know when they should change her diapers. Do they even have diapers?” But her thoughts were routinely and rudely interrupted by Andy’s loud snoring. “How can he sleep like that after what just happened? Doesn’t he care that she’s been taken?”

  At around 5am she left the bed and let herself outside onto the porch. It was dark and misty but also very quiet. The whisper of traffic from Five Forks and Killian Hill Road could be heard in the distance. Nothing up to this moment had made any sense. She had never felt so lonely or miserable as the sun was rising.

CHAPTER 2

  For much of Monday morning, Lt. Kasbow, Trooper Yetts, and Detective Sargent Glenn Portey discussed the case in detail back at headquarters. They each spoke with officers who were present at the crime scene and had encountered both of the victim’s parents. A search team dispatched to the bridge had just called in and reported no findings. The three men compared notes.

  “I think I’ve told you this before” said Kasbow, “but I think that this needs to be repeated. Andy Ericson killed his daughter Fiona, disposed of her, and then made up the story to cover himself up. After all, kidnappings happen all the time. And in every instance that I’ve either dealt with or read about, the kidnappers usually go to where children are guaranteed to be, such as malls and schools and daycare centers, or even just houses. These people don’t just drive up and down some road looking for someone with a child in order to divert the parent’s attention and steal the baby.”

 “I agree” said Yetts. “I mean, the evidence is practically begging that he’s guilty. He seemed very calm and collected, unusual for someone who has just lost their child and is worried sick about her. He seems like he knows what has happened to her and that no one else will find out.”

  Portey adjusted himself in his seat. “You both have excellent points. But you have to take into account that he was clearly drunk when you both were questioning him. What if that story he told you was a half-truth?”

  “What are you meaning?” asked Kasbow.

  “What if Fiona was indeed kidnapped, but Andy was too drunk to make out who those people were. What if he was just jumbling up facts and got himself, and us, confused?”

  “Well, perhaps he realized she was gone but did not know the details” Yetts conceded, “but none of that still makes any sense.”

  “And then there’s a second possibility. What if the baby was never kidnapped or killed at all? What if Andy was one of those parents who just left their child somewhere, either on purpose or through carelessness? What if, after having a few beers, he just left her somewhere and forgot about her until he regained some sobriety. Then, once he realized she was missing, panicked since he was unable to find her or remember where he had left her. So, he made up that story about helping the guys on the bridge.”

  Kasbow and Yetts thought about it. “That does make some sense” remarked Yetts quietly. “But that does not explain his calm demeanor. After all, if he really did not know where his baby had been, then he should be frantic as hell. But look at him over there, standing with his wife, cool as a cucumber. He was barely sweating, even though it’s hot as hell, and he was stiff as a board all throughout my questioning him on the bridge. And I believe that he may have been smiling once we arrived at the bridge.”

 “And if it was me” added Kasbow, “I would be screaming and raving around like a lunatic trying to get my child back. I would never be standing calmly and unemotionally trying to cook up stories. I can understand getting some facts wrong in the immediate shock of the moment but making up stuff entirely from scratch is totally suspicious. I’d be ready to jump at the chance to help find her quickly, not be nervous and reluctant. It seems as though he was trying too hard to convince us of his story rather than simply give helpful information.”

  “And the way he described it couldn’t have happened like that” added Yetts. “Sure there is plenty of space on theta side of the bridge for a dozen or so cars to be parked all at once. But even in the dark there is no way that he could have walked back to his car and not see Fiona if she was still in the car.”

  Portey entered the headquarters towards his office. “Excuse me Sargent” said his secretary, “there is a woman who wishes to speak with you.” She pointed to a woman sitting in the waiting room. Portey walked over to her. “How can I help you, ma’am?” he asked as they walked into his office.

   “That man, Andy Ericson, who lost his baby last night.”

  “Yes.”

  “I saw him last night.”

  “Ok, tell me all about it.”

   “I was over in Lilburn for some errands. I stopped at the Chevron on the intersection between Five Forks and Killian Hill. When I was entering the store, I saw Andy coming out. He was carrying a case of beer. He glanced at me as he passed by. A few minutes later, I came out of the store, and there he was standing right in the parking lot, next to his car. He was drinking some of that beer. I parked my car close to his, so I had to go close by to him. As I was walking towards my car, he started hitting on me.”

  “What did he say, specifically.”

  The woman shuddered. “I don’t want to repeat what he said. But he said some lewd and profane stuff that shocked me as I had never been before. He also grinned at me, like the Grinch. It’s every woman’s nightmare.”

  “What time was this?”

   “I don’t specifically remember. It must have been just before 9pm, at around the same time that his baby was supposed to have been kidnapped.”

  “Did you see a baby or anyone else inside his car?”

   “No, not that I remember. I wasn’t paying attention to his car. Once he opened his mouth, I just could not think of anything else but to get as far away as I could and never lay eyes on him again. But then this morning I saw him on tv and remembered him. I thought perhaps the police should know.”

 “When you saw him come out of the store, what kind of demeanor did he display?”

  The woman paused. “He was smiling as he was swinging that pack of beer. He was walking very briskly. I saw guys behave like that often and thought nothing much of it then. But I find it strange that a man would be so jolly on the same night that his baby was taken, if she was taken at all.”

  Portey then had the woman issue a statement and then thanked her for coming. After she left the office, he stared at her statement repeatedly while he waited for Kasbow to arrive.  

  “Just before 9pm, heh?” mused Kasbow. “Now what would a man be doing going into a store all by himself and leaving the baby in the car? I would never even think of leaving my baby there even for a moment. And all for just some beer? This all looks strange.”

  “What if Fiona was not in the car at the time?” asked Portey. “What if he had already disposed of her by then? He could have just headed straight to the Exxon in Lilburn and call Renee and make up the story of chasing two men.”

  Yetts’ first assignment of the day was to visit the Oleander Drive neighborhood. He knocked on the Ericson house, which was empty. He then walked over to the next house and knocked.  A young man in his twenties opened the door.

  “Are you Mr. Hank Bester?” asked Yetts.

   “Yes I am” replied the man. “Is this to do with Fiona’s disappearance?”

   “Yes.”

 Hank let him inside the house, which was much cooler. Just then a young woman holding a baby walked over. “This is my wife Sally, and our son Ron. He’s just a couple of days younger than Fiona.”

  “Have you found her yet?” asked Sally anxiously.

  “No” sighed Yetts. “So far we have no leads. Now when did you first hear about the kidnapping?”

  “Last night from Renee” said Sally. “She called me up and was crying like crazy.”

   “Did either of you hear from Andy?”

    “I called him soon afterwards. He told us about stopping on the Kincaid bridge on Five Forks to help out some guys with their truck.”

“Did he sound like he was worried?”

   “Now that I think of it, he did sound a little worried. But it sounded as though he was more bored than worried, especially for a father who had just witnessed his little girl get taken from him.”

  “But the strange thing about” Hank added, “was that Andy would stop to help some strangers with their car in the first place.”

  “Was it not something that he would have done in the first place?”

   “Of course not. Andy did not know how to change a tire in the first place.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes. Just last Friday he had to call Allstate to help change a flat tire on his own car. If he could not change a tire on his own car in his own driveway, then there was no way that he would ever even bothering to change some stranger’s tire on the side of a road.”

  “And even if he could change a tire” Sally added, “it was not like him to just approach a stranger and offer them to change their tire or fix their car in any way at all.”

  “I see. And you are absolutely sure about it?”

 Sally nodded. “He might help someone in a parking lot, for instance, but he would not just stop by the side of the road to help someone he didn’t know, especially in the dark.”

  “Has Andy always been truthful as far as you know?” asked Yetts.

   “I’ve known Andy for some time now. And I can say for sure that he is the most truthful, honest, kind, hardworking man I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. As long as heis sober. Once he has too much to drink, he’ll make shit up and behave like he really believes what he’s saying is true.”

 “When was the last time either of you had seen Andy?”

    “Just yesterday, in the evening” replied Hank. “Renee had just gone to work and he was left there with Fiona. He was just standing on the porch smoking and drinking beer. He had his phone out and was listening to some music. None of us saw Fiona, only Andy. He told us she was sleeping inside.”

  “Was the music up too loud?”

  “Not from our house. But once we got a little closer, we could hear it better.”

  “If the music was loud, then how could she have been asleep?”

  “Maybe it wasn’t too loud, since the door was closed” answered Sally.

   Back at headquarters ID Technician Al Roler was sitting in his office waiting for Andy to show up. They were to construct composite drawings of the men that Andy had described. He looked at the clock. “A minute late” he said to himself. Just then the door opened and Andy entered in.

 “I’m ready to get this thing done with” he asked calmly.

  “Sure” Roler replied.

  Roler began to draw based on Andy’s descriptions. Roler had spent years doing this hundreds of times. But this time was very different. While many people during these sessions would be anxious or scared, Andy was calm, collected, casual, and emotionless. In less than an hour, the two had produced two composite drawings. “Those are the men” Andy said nonchalantly. “Once you find them, you’ll find my girl.”

  Roler then excused himself and headed over to Kasbow’s office to give him the drawings. Kasbow glanced at them for only a second, sighed, and shook his head. “These drawings are different to the descriptions that he gave us yesterday” Kasbow remarked. “Either he’s confused, or he’s trying to confuse us. The fact that he was very likely drunk last night only further muddles this affair.”

  Despite their doubts, the Gwinnett County Police Department released the drawings to the press, along with a hotline to call with any information regarding the case. Nevertheless, Kasbow decided that Andy should be questioned again. He escorted Andy to the interrogation room where Portey was waiting.

  “Now tell me exactly what happened last night” Portey said sternly. Andy then restated the story. “What time did you leave the house?”

  “Soon after 8pm.”

  “Can you describe the car?”

  “I couldn’t see it too well in the dark, though I think it had Florida license plates.”

  “Where was Fiona seated in?”

   “In the back in her car seat.”

   “She buckled in?”

    “Yes.”

     “What happened then?”

   “I fixed the car for them.”

   “How?”

  “I took out the flat tire with a tire iron. Then I took out the spare one and put it one the wheel. Once I pushed it in, I told them to try and start the car. And it just started right up. And then they left.”

 “And so they just left? They said nothing to you?”

  “Well, the driver came around and asked if there was anything they could do to repay me. I told them no, and they just drove away.”

  “What happened next?”

   “I watched them go, just to make sure that the tire ran smoothly. When they were a little ways off, I headed back to my truck and found Fiona gone. I soon realized what they had done and chased after them. But I lost them and went to the store and called Renee.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police?”

    “I was too much in shock to be thinking straight.”

    “Did you at any time stop to get some beer as you were heading to visit your mother-in-law?”

    “No, man, like I said, I had beer in the afternoon, but then I had coffee during the evening.”

   Kasbow then took out a laptop and began to show a video. It was of Andy on Sunday night, heading into and out of the Texaco with a pack of beer. The timestamp showed the whole visit happening just a quarter to nine.

  “Ok, so I bought a beer but I didn’t drink any of it.”

  “We took your car to the impound and found only half a case of beer left.”

  “Look, maybe I had some and maybe I didn’t. I don’t know I’m just all confused. Maybe I did have a beer just tot calm my nerves. Anyone in my place would have had a few beers after seeing their girl taken.”

   “No! If I was in your place, I wouldn’t touch a drink until I had some knowledge that my little girl was safe! And I’d be hustling the cops to find her, not trying to avoid answering questions and give false and inconsistent statements to the cops!”

  “Well speaking of information, I want to know what you all have done to find her so far.”

   “Andy, I’m sure that you know that we’ve put out a hotline for anyone to report any information regarding what happened to you daughter last night. We have also been canvassing the area door-to-door and even put a roadblock to ask motorists for information. So far, everyone we have spoken to who did cross that bridge at the time all of that was supposed to have been happening have all reported seen no one on that bridge.”

  Andy sighed in frustration. “All I know is what happened. I know that my baby was kidnapped. I know it was those two men. And you no one believes me, then fine, I’ll just go look for her on my own!”

  The news of the kidnapping was spread across the state through several publications such as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Gwinnett Daily Post and through social media posts from both the press and the county police. Reporters first came to the Bester residence after finding the Ericson residence empty.

  “I can’t believe that someone would have thought to do such a thing to a girl like that” Hank told them.

  “Our son would often play with their daughter” added Sally, “and it just breaks our heart and makes us nervous about his own safety.”

  The reporters were soon able to locate Renee at Louise’s house. “It’s a terrible feeling” she told them as she wept. “It’s like you’re looking into someone else’s life. You can’t imagine what that feels like. I love that little girl with all my heart and soul. If we need to put out a reward, then we’ll put out one. There is no price tag on her life. She means the whole world to me. She’s a wonderful girl, and if anyone knows where she is or what’s happened to her, please call us or the police hotline.”

  For the remainder of the day, Renee sat in the living room with her phone in her hands. She was waiting for that one call or text telling her that little Fiona was alive and fine. Louise would sit by her side for most of the day and put her hand on her shoulder, but it was still not enough. The more Renee thought about what had happened last night, the more and more doubts she had about Andy’s story. But she also felt that the police were treating him unfairly. “If those men have taken my baby, then the police are all barking up the wrong tree and turning Andy darling into a scapegoat” she told herself.

  Later in the evening Andy returned home after his long interrogation at headquarters. He had taken a ride to the house with his friend Paul Crug. Paul entered the house with Andy and hugged Renee.

   “I can’t offer you enough of my condolences” said Paul gravely.

 “Any new developments?” Renee asked.

  Andy sighed. “No, none. I saw you on tv today at headquarters, and I know just how badly you feel about losing her like this.”

  “I’ll wait in the car” said Paul as he exited the house.

  “Going somewhere?” asked Renee.

  “Honey” Andy sighed, “I think it’s best that I stay at our home. Just in case Fiona does come back.”

  “But how can you be sure that staying there will bring her back?”

  “I’m not. But I feel that someone should stay there and keep her spirit alive. I know that it’s painful for you to go back, but I think it is important for someone to stay back, you know, to maintain the place if she were to ever come back.”

 “Andy, I want to clear something that’s been bothering me always. The police have serious doubts about you being on that bridge. They said that there was no way that Fiona could have been kidnapped the way you had described to them.”

  “Listen baby, don’t mind them cops too much. They can say and think whatever the hell they want to. The important thing is that she’s missing and we need to find a way to get her back, soon and safe.”

  “Andy, is there something that you haven’t told me, anything I should know about?”

  “No. I told you and the cops everything.”

   “Andy, if there’s something that happened to her, like if she fell or was buried, just tell me. Don’t be afraid to open up to me. I need the answers and quickly.”

  Andy jumped to his feet and began pacing around angrily. “How could you even think that I’d have done something to our child?!” he growled. “How can you take the cops’ side over me?! You know me better than those fucking incompetent sons of bitches! You know I’d never even think of such an act! Shame in you for failing to support me! Couples like us should mutually support one another, not stabber each other in the back!”

  After venting all of his rage, Andy broke down and cried. Renee hugged him as he cried on her shoulder. “I believe you darling” she whispered.

   They kissed one more time before Andy headed outside and took a ride with Paul. Renee then called Hank. “Hey Hank, Andy is coming back to the house soon. When he arrives, can you and Sally just pay him a visit and, well, emotionally support and pray with him and tell him that everything will be just fine?”

  “Yes, Renee, anything for a friend or two.”

  “And let me know how things went for him. He seems very upset with what’s been happening, and I don’t blame him, as things have been very tough for me too. But please make sure that you are there for him to lean on when he is in need.”

  “No problem.”

   A couple of hours later Renee and Louise were preparing for bed. Renee still kept holding onto her phone in the hope that someone would call and tell her that Fiona was found alive and unharmed somewhere, just anywhere. But her anxiety was growing by the hour. “I wonder if everything is fine with Andy and Hank?” she asked herself as she called Hank.

  “Hello, Hank, have you been able to speak with Andy?”

   “No, as a matter of fact, he has not shown up yet.”

   “What?” Renee hissed. “Are you sure?”

    “Yes. Sally and I have been staring out the window and have seen no sign of him.”

    “What about Paul? He was supposed to have dropped off Andy there.”

    “No sign of Paul either. In fact, no one has been to that house since today when a cop came over to ask us some questions.”

  “Well, I don’t know what has taken him. Perhaps he just needed some time alone and Paul took him somewhere like a church. Maybe in the morning he’ll be back and you can pay him a visit.”

  “Will do. Good night.”

  “Same to you.”

  After hanging up, Renee started wondering about Andy. She then dialed him, but the call went to his voicemail. “That’s strange, he almost always answers when I call him.” More calls were met with the same response, so Renee sent him a text message to call her back whenever he reached back to Oleander Drive. Renee waited and waited all night, but there was no response of any kind from Andy.

 CHAPTER 3

  “Sally, darling, have you heard from Andy or Renee?” asked Hank as he entered inside his house.

  “No sweetie I haven’t” Sally replied as she held Ron in her arms. “Did you speak with Andy?”

   “He wasn’t there.”

   “What?!” said Sally as she looked out the window and at the house. “There’s no car on the driveway. Could his car be in the garage?”

  “The garage has no windows, and I don’t have the key to that house.”

  “Neither do I try calling him, maybe he spent the night with a friend.”

   “Yeah, perhaps it was with Paul.” He got out his phone and dialed Andy. There was a sharp dial tone for several seconds. “Hello” said a familiar voice.”

   “Hey Andy!”

    “Who’s this?” Andy moaned.

  “It’s Hank. Remember me, your neighbor and friend?”

   “Oh, yes, nice to talk to you man.” Andy groaned and grunted. “What do you want?”

    “I just want to know how you’ve been. You did not return home last night, and Renee, Sally and I were worried about you. We were all wondering where you’ve been and how things are going.”

 Andy let out a weak laugh. “How are things going? Sweet as hell man!”

 Hank looked over to Sally in confusion. Her expression mirrored his. He placed his hand over the bottom of his phone “There’s something not right with him” he whispered to her. “Where are you now?” he asked Andy.

  “Oh Hank my man” Andy continued laughing weakly, “I am at the Residence Inn at Duluth.”

 “Oh. Ok, and were you visiting someone?”

  “No man I live here now.”

   “You what? Why did you move there?”

  “I just wanted to get away from everyone. You, Renee, Louise, the cops, the press, everyone. So Paul took me to this place and got us some rooms. Then he got us a girl. Her name is Alison. You should some check her out someday man, she is hot as hell, way hotter than---”

  “What do you think you’re doing, Andy?!” Hank screamed as his face turned red.

   “Well, we all went to Marlow’s Tavern last night and had dinner and drinks until late into the night. Then we went back to the hotel and started fucking around for—”

  “Listen to me you son of a bitch! You are behaving like a fool! Your baby girl is gone, your wife’s an emotional wreck, and you’re partying with some other girl?! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

     “Oh Hank” Andy sneered, “it’s every man’s God-given right to happiness. I’m just letting loose like I should be. But you won’t understand it since you’re too busy with responsibilities such as your wife and baby. Perhaps you should come over some time and see Alison and get an idea of what a man’s responsibilities really are.”

  “Sure! And when I do come there, I’ll make it my responsibility to punch your face into a paste!!”

  Hank angrily hung up and explained to Sally what he had just been told. “Unbelievable!” she gasped. “What kind of father does a thing like that?”

  “A sick and evil father, for one!” Hank hissed as he called Renee.

  “No, no, no, no, no!!” Renee screamed when she heard the news. “He must have done something to her, I know he has! He has done something terrible to my baby girl!” she sobbed as Louise held onto her.

  “I’m terribly sorry to have you tell you this” Hank said angrily, “but I feel it’s important for you to know this. I think it’s clear what he is up to.”

      “Seeing another woman? Drinking and dining out all night? Wanting to not speak with me or mom or the police? Why did I ever trust a man like that?”

  Kasbow walked into Portey’s office. “Ahh, Lieutenant, did you see the composites that Roler emailed?”

  “I have and I was about to call Andy to tell him about it. But then something came up at the last minute.”

  “Have a seat and tell me all about it.”

   Kasbow took his seat with a sigh. “You remember Hank Bester?”

  “I believe he was one of the Ericsons’ friends.”

   “Him and his wife are their next-door neighbors.”

     “Ok.”

   “Hank called me a few minutes ago and told me that last night Andy did not return to his house on Oleander Drive. Instead, his friend Paul Crug took him over to Residence Inn at Duluth where they hooked up with some girl named Alison and went to Marlow’s Tavern.”

  Portey banged his fist on the desk. “I knew that guy Andy was not to be trusted. For someone who is desperate to find his missing daughter and the two guys who may have stolen her, he seems to be taking time out to enjoy the good life.”

  “But it gets even more interesting. Andy told Hank that he wanted to avoid everyone, Renee, her mother Louise, the police, everyone.”

  “Well, that explains it then. He must have done something to Fiona. No loving father could ever bring himself to be out at night while his baby girl is lying in a ditch for all we know. But to hook up with another woman and try to avoid everyone else is beyond suspicious.”

  “He’s practically daring us to lock him up.”

  Portey then began to search on Google. “The Residence Inn in Duluth, huh? That must be the one on Satellite Boulevard.”

  “There is only one Marlow’s Tavern in Georgia, and it’s right next to that hotel, so it must be it.”

  Portey then called the hotel. A friendly voice greeted him. “Hello I’d like to know if a Andy Ericson is registered in there.”

  “Um, give me a second. No he does not appear to be in the system.”

 “Well then is there an Alison?”

  “Let me see here. Oh yes, there is one Alison Arnes.”

  “Which room is she staying in?”

   “Room 237.”

   “I see, and is she staying there all by herself?”

    “No, she is staying there with her brothers Andy and Paul.”

   “That’s all I wanted to know. Thank you so much then.” He hung up then phone and began typing on his desktop. “There’s a woman named Alison Arnes who is staying at the place with Andy and Paul, claiming that they are her brothers.”

  “Do we know that woman?”

     “Vaguely” answered Portey as he typed into his computer. “Ah-ha!” he quipped minutes later, “I knew I knew her somewhere. Yes, she is our confidential informant, working with several members of our department. She has provided us with useful information about illegal activities from trafficking to kidnapping to drug dealing. You name it, and she’s bound to know something or another about it.”

  “Maybe she could help us out here.”

  “And I’m just going to have to bring her in today to do just that. And while I’m at it, you might want to call Andy and let him know about the composites.”

  “Right away” said Kasbow before he walked back to his office and dialed Andy’s number.

   “Hello” said a calm, familiar voice.

  “Good morning Andy, this is Lt. Kasbow from the Gwinnett County police. You remember me?”

  Andy groaned and sighed. “Yes, I remember you. What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to check up on you. Did you sleep alright last night?”

   “You, I sure did” Andy chuckled. “You could say that I was sleeping like a baby.”

     Kasbow rolled his eyes and sighed “Well, I’m glad you’ve got some good sleep, because we here at the department have been working all night to find Fiona.”

  “Did you find her yet?”

 “No, I’m afraid not. But I’ve got some good news for you. Those composite drawings have just been completed. I thought I’d email them to you to verify them.”

  “Sure then send them over.”

   Kasbow forwarded the composites to Andy. “Nope, they’re not the ones” said Andy confidently.

  “Are you sure?” asked Kasbow. “You only looked at them just a second or two after I’d sent them over.”

  “I’m sure about it and that’s that.”

  “Alright Andy, it was nice to talk to you again. We’ll get back in touch with you once we have more details.”

  Kasbow then called Portey and told him about the conversation. “I don’t even think he bothered opening up the attachments” Kasbow concluded.

  “I’m not the least bit surprised” said Portey.

  Within the hour Officer Troy Johnson arrived in Portey’s office. With him was an attractive young woman with pink hair. “You must be Alison Arnes” said Portey as he introduced himself to her. “Please, have a seat. I’ve heard quite a lot about you. Thank you Johnson.”

  “She says she knows quite a lot about Andy Ericson” said Johnson as he left the room.

   “Like what?” asked Portey.

   Arnes giggled. “Well, for one thing, he’s got this, like, cool biceps and abs and shit. He’s also quite funny and he fucks real good.”

  “How long have you known him?”

  “I got in touch with him online last night. I was surprised by how close he was to where I lived. Normally, guys who contact me live further away, like in Atlanta, and they come here just to see me where they think no one will recognize them. But Andy is different. He took up at this Residence Inn as far away from where he lived and he invited some of his friends to join in on the party last night.”

  “Did you register a room in your name there?”

  “Yes.”

   “Now are the two of you living in the same room or in separate rooms?”

  “The same room.”

   “Whose idea was it for you two to share the same room?”

   “His idea.”

     “And why is the room only registered to your name?”

    “Because Andy said that he wanted to avoid being found.”

    “Found by whom?”

    “By everyone.”

   “Everyone?”

   “Yeah. You know, the press, the police, his wife, his mother-in-law, his former friends who weren’t supporting him anymore. He said that he wanted to start a new life without all of them wolves going after him all the fucking time.”

  “Did Andy ever mention to you about his daughter Fiona?”

  “Yes. He said she was kidnapped on the Kincaid Bridge on Sunday night while his wife was out.”

  “Has he spoken about Fiona on other occasions?”

  “No.”

   “What does he say about his wife, Renee, and her mother, Louise.”

   Arnes giggled. “Well, he said that they were going to be ancient history for him once he begins his new life. He said that, when the dust settles, he’s going to divorce her and go some place far away and never return to Gwinnett County even if his life depends on it.”

  “What does he say specifically about them? Does he speak positively or negatively about them?”

  “Oh he hardly ever speaks about them. But he did mention to me once that Renee was foolish for not believing him about Fiona’s disappearance. He said that he was not surprised that Louise would blame him, but that he found it odd that Renee was not supporting him as he had hoped. He said that she has taken the dark side over the truth about what really happened to the baby.”

  “Does he say anything about wanting to leave Renee, maybe divorce her?”

  “No. But he did say that he wanted to avoid her for good. I guess he could mean divorce her, but I couldn’t be too sure about it.”

  “What does he say about us, the police?”

  “He says that you guys are a bunch of fools for also not believing his story. He refers to them as the Keystone Cops, and to you specifically as Barney Fife. He says that this whole thing can be better resolved if you’d all just get your heads out of your asses and find the guys who took his daughter. Or else, he’ll find her himself if he has to put the whole of Gwinnet County upside down and shake it to find her.”

  “And his thoughts on the press?”

“He feels like they might be following his every move. He said that the press were a bunch of piranhas and that if they should find something remotely negative about him, like that he is hooking up with me for instance, then they’d attack him mercilessly.”

  “Thanks, Alison, you’ve been very helpful to us.”

   Portey then called Kasbow to relay to him all the information that he had learned so far. “I think it’s time you put out a surveillance on him” Kasbow concluded.

  “I think you’re right. There’s plenty of good reasons for us to keep watch on him. He might even try to escape sooner or later. Might as well make sure it’s never.”

  The Special Investigations Unit, or SIU, was a vital yet widely underrated arm of the Gwinnett County Police Department. Whereas other members of the department were trained to follows strict guidelines and protocols, the SIU consisted of creative and independent-minded men and women who were eager to use unconventional methods to get results. They all had a taste for the unexpected.

  Portey called an impromptu meeting with a half a dozen Investigators in his office. They filed into his office, all eager to be given their new assignment. They were all in plains clothes and were dressed like nothing like regular or professional police investigators. The men had longer hair and beards while the women wore no makeup. Portey handed each person a file containing pictures of Andy, Fiona, Arnes, his Stone Mountain house, and the Days Inn along with lists of addresses and phone numbers.

  “Now the man we are after is Andy Ericson. This is his wife. As you all probably know by now, his baby daughter Fiona was supposedly kidnapped on Sunday night at the Kincaid Bridge in Lilburn on Five Forks Trickum Road. The next day he takes up a room at the Residence Inn on Satellite Boulevard with a hooker Alison Arnes. I’m sure that most of you know who she is. We have reason, or should I say reasons, to believe that he has done something to his baby and will probably try to further dispose of her if he feels the heat. He may have buried her somewhere and may try to dig her up and rebury her elsewhere, for instance.

  “Each of you will be given a list of his friends and their contact info and addresses. You all will also be given a list of places that he is known to hang out at regularly. Each of you will work alternating four-hour shifts to which you have been assigned to. If you need backup, don’t hesitate to call. And keep your radios with you at all times. The moment you spot something suspicious, tell the rest of the group immediately, no matter how big or small it may seem to you. But most importantly, do not lose sight of the target under any circumstances. Have I made my self clear?”

  “Yes sir” they all nodded and soon set to work.

  That afternoon, Edith Joid was parked outside the Residence Inn, watching and waiting for any sign of Andy or his friends. She tried real hard to keep her focus on the target while staving off boredom. After watching the hotel entrance for a while, she saw Andy come out of the hotel and stand by the entrance, phone in hand. “Target is outside the hotel, he is looking for someone apparently” Joid radioed.  Seconds later a car pulled up to the entrance. “Target has entered inside the car and is being taken away. Driver appears to be Paul Crug.”

  Joid then started her own car and pursued them as they went south on Sugarloaf Parkway. She managed to keep her distance so as to avoid being spotted while not losing track of the car. But the traffic was usually light at this time of day, so she had no trouble keeping the car in sights. They drove for less than half an hour before turning right onto Grayson Highway, left onto Grayson-New Hope Road, then a right turn onto New Hope Road before taking one more right turn to arrive at Tribble Mill Park in Grayson. The car in pursuit parked at the parking lot where a fishing pier was in view. There was one other car in the lot, and two men were standing on the pier.

   “Subjects have now exited the car and have walked over to the pier. They are approaching two other men, one bald and the other a full head of gray hair. Both appear to be middle-aged. The four of them are engaged in heavy conversation.”

   “Try getting photos of them, if it is safe to do so” radioed Portey.

  Joid then took out a large digital camera used by the paparazzi. She then snapped a few high-resolution photos and emailed them to Portey while waiting in her car. Within a few minutes, he called back.

  “I don’t believe this at all” he laughed.

  “What is it, sir?”

   “Those two men in question are guys I’ve known!”

     “Who are they?”

   “The bald guy is Ted Zoir, and the gray-haired guy is Will Ernes. They are retired members of our unit, now working as private investigators. They often work for local attorneys. I just can’t believe this.”

      “What do you think this means, sir, about Andy hiring private detectives?”

     “Well perhaps he’s got himself a lawyer. Though if he has, he probably doesn’t need to speak with them directly. Perhaps he’s trying to recruit them for some detective work with regards to finding Fiona. Whatever it is, it is confidential between him and them. But I think we should keep at him, as this could be somewhat of a breakthrough.”

  By midnight, Andy had returned to the Days Inn. Investigator Jim Tason was now assigned to watch the target. His car was facing the bushes and black fence that bordered the hill overlooking Sugarloaf and Satellite. The quiet of the night was only broken by the faint chirping of crickets and the occasion car driving along. Tason made it an effort to try and stay awake, but it was hard to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time.

  He suddenly awoke and began to yawn and stretch himself when suddenly the driver’s side window was smashed! Tason screamed as a mask figure holding a tire iron grabbed him by the collar and hooked the forked end to his nose.

  “My man Andy has a message for you” said a harsh, hoarse male voice. “Stop following him or else it’ll be your skull that gets cracked. And tell your lady friend that she’ll be raped if he sees her again.” The man then raced around and ran down the hill that led to Satellite. Tason staggered out of the car and leaned over the fence. There was no sign of the man, whose dark clothing camouflaged him into the dark.

  Tason radioed Portey and told him what had happened. “Bring the car back here then check yourself into the hospital.” He then radioed the rest of the team. “Go home, all of you. We’re shutting down the surveillance on him as of now. Tomorrow morning you will all be reassigned.” He then called up Kasbow, who was sleeping in his home, and told him what had happened. “I can’t risk having one of my people being put in harm’s way like that.”

  “I understand, Lieutenant. But how did he know that he was being followed?”

  “Either my team screwed up, or Andy was too smart for us. He told Annette that he thought he might be followed by the press. I guess he was paranoid and more aware than we would have expected him to be.”

  “Well that’s just great! Just when we had something of a breakthrough, no matter how small it may have been, we have to retreat.”

  “We didn’t have a choice. It’s always a good idea to treat threats like this seriously. After all, if we are truly dealing with a murderer here, then it is all the more important to take his threat seriously.”

  “Well then he must be guilty, or else he would not acting like he had something to hide.”

  “And now that we’re off his tail, it appears that he may be able to get away with it after all.”