got to rely on the Met getting the maximum co-operation from their US colleagues to follow up swiftly. Iâm not convinced they will.â
âSo?â
âEven if they do find them, youâve then got to go through the courts. You told me thatâs at least three monthsâ delay at best, right?â I nodded.
âSo it seems to me the quickest route is to get Nick to return with the boy
voluntarily
.â
âRoger, you must be joking. Why would Nick do that?â
âHear me out. Lynneâll do
anything
to get Georgie back, true? Why canât she go to Florida with you? I can get the credit card info too. Iâll update
you
and you can track him down. Once youâve located Burrows she can meet up with him. Tell him if he returns with Georgie, sheâll give him another chance at saving their relationship â become lovebirds â possibly even set up home together again.â
âYou canât be serious?â
âI know sheâs expecting your child, so it wonât be easy to convince Burrows this is a good idea. But, heâs obviously obsessed with her and of course heâll have Georgie all to himself. He
may
go for it.â
âWhat about the abduction and possible drug-dealing issues? Surely the police wonât let them go?â
He answered without hesitation. âI admit this is the weakest part of the plan. Lynne will have to sound totally convincing when she says sheâs persuaded the police to drop any charges providing Nick returns with Georgie on a voluntary basis immediately. They probably wonât, but sheâs got to persuade him thereâs a chance. She needs to put in an Oscar-winning performance.â
I considered the implications of what RP had said.
The obvious thought sprang into my head. âWhat happens when they arrive back in the UK? How does Lynne extricate herself from the position sheâs engineered? I canât believe sheâd really want to set up home again with that sick bastard â well, at least I hope not.â
Pouring more tea, RP said, âWell this is the good bit. When they land, weâll tip off the police or do it through Crimestoppers, which is better â itâs anonymous. The police will immediately arrest Burrows and charge him with the abduction. Theyâd possibly need more evidence for charging him with drug dealing. But given the fact heâs tried to abduct the boy once, he most likely wonât be granted bail.â
âHow long will he get?â
âHard to say. Based on what we know, maybe three, four years if itâs proven that he planned to keep Georgie in the States long-term. You can add on a couple more years if the drug dealing is proved.â
He opened his desk drawer and, reaching inside, he pulled out a white foolscap piece of paper and wrote in bold strokes with his Mont Blanc pen.
âWhat I think we need to do is this. Point one: assuming Burrows uses a credit card, the police can get a warrant to get the information from the provider if they suspect criminal activity. I can get the same information as the police. Donât ask how.
âPoint two: Iâll keep you updated with the data so you can track him. The information will always be two or three days out of date, so it wonât be easy but at least youâre on the ground in the same State. Means a bit of legwork for you.â
Scribbling down the next item, he said, âRemember, no oneâs more motivated than us, which is more than can be said for the Orlando Police Department or any other PD for that matter. To them itâs just another job. Believe me, theyâve got their hands full with their current crime rates.â
When he finished scribbling, he said, âPoint three: once youâve found him, youâll need to arrange a reunion with Lynne and she can turn on the charm. Convince him to return voluntarily.â
âHow can I do that?