Present - 49

"Whoa, hold on." With his eyes wide open, James set the glass down. "The police came looking for her last night?"

"Did you not hear me clearly?"

James pressed his hand into his chest, trying to make a swearing posture. "I had nothing to do with that."

"Cut the shit."

"What makes you think it is me?"

"No one else knows she is right now."

"What about, Vulture?" Paul snapped. "You know, he has his eyes and ears everywhere."

"I do not think he knows where she lives. And even if he did, he would not get the police involved. Rather than that he himself would ambush there and kill everyone before carrying her away."

"You are right. But it still was not me. What will I get out of that? I do not want our only bait to be carried away"

"Who knows? I am not inside your head. Maybe that was how you were trying to get your payback for beating your ass."