Page 27 of Kidnapping of a Myth

“As you saw, we found Michael Darling, but John is still missing,” Griffin said, ignoring the man’s outburst. “According to Michael, you took him and his brother, so I won’t waste time by beating around the bush. Where is John Darling, Mr. Pann… if that’s your real name?”

“Tick Tock, Tick Tock, those boys won’t grow up.”

“Mr. Pann, please answer the question. Where is John Darling?”

“In Neverland.”

“Where is Neverland?”

“It’s a land you’ll never find.”

“Why did you take him?” Griffin shifted gears as if the nonsense answers didn’t bother him, a feat that was impossible for Bel. She was seconds away from exploding, seconds away from climbing over the table and shaking Peter, yet her boss sat calmly beside her, completely unfazed.

“So they don’t grow up.”

“Why don’t you want them to grow up? You grew up, Mr. Pann. Why can’t they?”

“Tick Tock.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“Tick Tock.”

“What does that mean? Is it a clue? Should we follow it?”

“Tick Tock, Tick Tock, the boys won’t grow up.”

“Where is John?” Bel slapped the table, her emotions getting the better of her. “What did you do to him?”

“He’s in Neverland.”

“Where is he!” Bel shouted as she leaned across the table, and if Griffin hadn’t grabbed her waist, she wasn’t sure what she would have done. She was blind with rage, with exhaustion and hunger, with her own trauma threatening to flay her open, and she couldn’t stand the riddles. Every second they wasted was a second closer to John’s death, and she couldn’t fail him. She’d failed victims in the past, unable to find the killers before they stole another life, but she wouldn’t let a child die.

“Emerson, go home,” Griffin said after he deposited her outside the interview room. “I can take it from here.”

“Pann’s smart, I know he is!” Bel said. “He planned this horrifying game, and it’s not over. Someone will get hurt and possibly killed before this ends, and he knows where John is. He knows, but he’s acting insane, and?—”

“Emerson!” Griffin caught her face in his hands, pulling her close, and it was only as his fingers touched her cheeks that sherealized she was crying. “You’re no good to me like this, so we’re going to skip the part where you fight me and act like the world rests on your shoulders. Go home and let Gold and I handle things.”

“I can’t,” she started to cry uncontrollably, and Griffin pulled her into a fierce embrace. “I can’t leave someone chained like I was. Please don’t make me.”

“This is why you need to rest. You shouldn’t even be working this case.”

“Don’t take me off.” She jerked back. “Please.”

“I should.” Griffin rubbed her arms with fatherly kindness. “If I knew what was good for you, I would, but if I take you off this case, you’ll work it anyway. I would rather you solve it next to me where I can monitor you than let you wander off with only Mr. Stone’s guidance. So, go eat a proper meal, take a shower, sleep, and if we haven’t found John by morning, you can rejoin the investigation. Until then, I’ll handle everything.”

“All right.” She turned to leave but then twisted back to her boss. “I don’t have a car.”

“A deputy will drive you home.”

“Thanks… I realize I can be intense sometimes. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to this kid. And I’m sorry for not calling you this morning. I couldn’t think of an excuse you would buy.”

“You should have tried.”

“Would you have in my shoes?”

“Emerson….”

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