Chapter 4

"I'd like to thank you, Mr. Cameron, for coming down to the station. I know this has been rough for you. I'm Detective Sarah Crenshaw. This is Detective Frank Banks," she said motioning to the third person in the room.

The thirty-two year old New York City police detective offered the husband a seat and sat across from him, while her partner, a burly man of middle age, stood near the corner of the interrogation room.

It had been two days since his wife had disappeared and the deep circles under his eyes showed Larry Cameron had not slept.

"Is there anything new? Anything? he pleaded.

"Well -- yes, there is, but..."

"But what?" asked the husband, wiping a shock of brown hair back out of his eyes.

"Mr. Cameron, I'm sorry but we'd come into possession of some evidence that shows your wife was not kidnapped."

"Surely you don't believe that letter."

"Well, we found only your wife's fingerprints on the computer keyboard and our handwriting expert says it's her signature."

"But she could have been forced..."

"That's true sir, but we..." the detective looked away, actually embarrassed and distressed to destroy this man's perception of his wife as a loving mother and mate.

"What? What is it? Larry almost screamed.

The woman nodded and her partner slid a videotape into the combo VCR/TV mounted on the wall and pushed the play button on the remote.

"This was taken by a surveillance camera in the elevator as your wife left with the man we can't yet identify."

The picture was in black and white and a bit grainy, but Tammy Cameron was not a woman you could easily misidentify. The camera caught her smile as she looked up at her companion. Larry sat in spellbound horror as the camera caught the passionate kiss, then her assisting as the man's hands were all over her and finally as she pulled off her panties and jumped the man, her legs coming around him as he screwed her vigorously. Although there was no audio, her look of anguish and ecstasy at the moment of orgasm was all too plain.

"Turn it off! TURN IT OFF!" shouted the husband in shock.

"I'm truly sorry, Mr. Cameron. We also have video of your wife leaving the apartment building with the same man, their arms around each other."

"But ... but..." wailed Larry.

"Mr. Cameron we, at first, thought the same thing you did, that your wife had been kidnapped. Now, however, it looks like the letter was legitimate. Perhaps you need to face the possibility that your wife, left willingly with this man and doesn't intend to return."

"That just can't be! Tammy never gave any indication..."

"Read the letter again, Mr. Cameron. In view of this new evidence..."

Larry grabbed the proffered latter. He had already read and reread it a dozen times, but once more he scanned the lines as tears made reading difficult.

Larry,

I'm sorry you have to find out like this. I wish we could have talked about tt, but I know it would have meant even more heartbreak and resentment.

I have been unhappy for some time now. Perhaps it was you, perhaps me, I'm not sure, but several months ago I met someone. We have been seeing each other secretly on a regular basis since. Recently he asked me to go away with him and I accepted. I don't mean to hurt you, but he is everything I've ever wanted in a man.

I am heartbroken to have to leave Rose, but I know you are a good father and will raise her to be a wonderful woman.

Please don't try to find us. It is better this way.

I hope you can find someone as wonderful as I have. Please get on with your life. That is what I'm going to do.