Chapter 13: Ransom

"Joey!" Tess voice sounded from the living room. "Quick! Come down!"

The urgency in his sister's voice made Joey run downstairs. He had just returned from the extensive testing at the hospital. He found Tess staring at the TV. A local news reporter was speaking into the camera, in a voice awed by his own importance.

"Police confirmed the injured person as Karen Langner, the life partner of Assistant District Attorney Maureen Darling. Sources have confirmed that Ms. Langner was rushed to Penn General Hospital, suffering from multiple head trauma. Missing from the residence is Deirdre Darling, the eighteen year-old daughter of Ms. Darling. The young Miss Darling is a Senior at Benjamin Franklin Preparatory School. Both the whereabouts of Miss Darling and the motive behind this violent crime are still in the dark, even as we see the first FBI vehicles drawing up. That means, it is definitely a case of kidnapping."

Before the excited report was even finished, Joey had slumped to the floor, his legs failing and his mind racing. Deirdre kidnapped. Karen injured. Where was Maureen? There she appeared on the screen, flanked by two men in FBI windbreakers. Joey could see the pain in her eyes as she faced the cameras and microphones.

"My daughter Deirdre was abducted some time this afternoon. Something must have gone wrong, because the object of the kidnapping, to force me into a certain course of action, is now foiled. I have been suspended from all the cases I have been working on. Deirdre is a teenager, and she has nothing to do with what I do in my job. She is a little shy, but she is helpful to everybody. Whoever is holding my daughter Deirdre, please do not hurt her. Hurting her will bring you nothing. If you release her unharmed, it will be counted in your favor. If you want a ransom for her, I will try my best to match what you demand. Deirdre is my only child, so please think of your own mother, your own sisters, and don't harm my daughter."

What was Maureen talking about? Had there been demands? What would happen to Deirdre now? Joey was thinking in circles and he never heard the door bell. Tess was answering the door, and he heard her talk with somebody. Then a man and a woman wearing dark blue windbreakers entered the living room.

"Joseph Di Rosa?" the woman asked softly. "I am Special Agent Duncan, and this is Special Agent Delaney."

Joey looked at her, but he could not see anything.

"Mr. Di Rosa, we need to ask you a few questions concerning Deirdre Darling. It is important."

Joey sat there staring at the woman. Tess took a deep breath and stood in front of him. Delivering two stinging slaps to his face she grabbed the front of his T-shirt. "Joey, get a grip! You hear, snap out of this! You're scaring us, and you don't help Deirdre this way. Get a grip!"

Slap! The impact of the third blow finally registered, and Joey's eyes showed understanding again. He closed them briefly, but then he was able to focus on Tess.

"Talk to the agents, Joey! They need information."

Nodding slowly, Joey rose from the floor and faced the two agents. "Wha ... How can I help?"

The female agent stayed in charge. "Mr. Di Rosa, is it true that you are Deirdre's boyfriend?"

Joey closed his eyes in anguish. The guilt washed over him. But for his stupid appointment, Deirdre would have been here with him all afternoon. "Yes," he said hoarsely.

"Have you seen her today?"

Joey shook his head. "No, I was at the hospital all day for a follow up."

"What was that follow up about?"

"I was shot eighteen months ago when our parents were murdered. I took three bullets to my chest."

"Excuse me, but I have to ask this: Where were you between two and five o' clock?"

"Sitting in a waiting room, waiting for the doctor to call me in. They have video surveillance."

Duncan nodded. "Do you know of any enemies Miss Darling might have?"

"I thought there have been demands already?" Joey answered, his mind finally kicking in.

"We are still conducting the investigation in all directions."

"Deirdre is the shy girl in the background. Some people make fun of her, but nothing like hatred or anything. People mostly ignore her."

"Okay, I suppose that wraps it for now. May we contact you again if more questions come up."

"Of course. Is Maureen ... I mean Ms. Darling, she looked terrible on TV. Is anybody with her, like a friend from her office?"

Delaney raised his eyebrows. "She is under protection right now."

"May I speak her perhaps? We always got along and with Karen in the hospital she may need support."

Delaney looked at Duncan and shrugged. "You can ask her. It's a free country."

"Umh, about Karen, she's a friend," Tess spoke up. "How is she doing?"

Duncan shook her head and made a sympathetic clucking noise. "That's not our case. From what I heard she was beaten to within an inch of her life. It doesn't look too good."

Tess looked at Joey, and there was a dark glow in her eyes. "You go and be with Maureen. I'll call the Mansion."

Joey' eyes widened and he nodded. "Tell them I'll foot any bill up to what my share of the fund is."

He left with the agents as they drove back to Maureen's house. He found her in her living room, sitting on the pretty antique sofa with her face buried in her hands. Joey approached her hesitantly and sat down at her side.

"Ms. Darling, umh, Maureen, I came as soon as I heard."

She looked up and the next thing he knew she had collapsed against him. Holding her trembling and shaking body, he realized how bad things must be. The policemen and agents crawling about the house gave them a berth, and as soon as Maureen calmed down a little Joey whispered in her ears.

"Maureen, who did it? Why? I can get my uncle and my cousin involved, but I need to know why and who."

She stiffened in his arms. "Do you think they may help? But why?"

"I'll ask my uncle the favor," Joey said simply. It would require more of him, he was sure. His uncle would demand that he joined the Di Rosa organization, or at least follow the old man's wishes, such as head for law school. If need be, if this would save Deirdre, he would cross that bridge.

"Two brothers, Rafael and Enrique Montalban," Maureen whispered. "They own a gym, Pro Gym, on Frankford Avenue. I've nailed them for conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs, mostly steroids. They want a plea bargain, but I have all the evidence, and my boss said no deals unless they squeal on their suppliers. They demand I give them a deal, and they would release Deirdre once the deal was approved by the trial judge."