FISHER HOME

Don Chase’s announcement drops on the room like an atomic bomb. Everyone and everything goes completely silent, completely still.

“What are you talking about?” Jason Fisher finally asks, his eyes shifting from Don to Helen and back again.

“He’s--he’s exaggerating,” Helen says. “I can explain.”

“Then explain!” The order rips out of Jason like a burst of fire, hot and ferocious.

“Jason,” Bill says, stepping up to place a hand on his son’s shoulder. The gaze he has leveled upon the Chases, however, does not soften one bit.

Helen’s voice wavers as she forces the words out, painfully, one by one. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. It’s gotten out of hand.”

“What is going on?” Jason demands, louder, harsher. He can barely see straight, knowing that there is information about his daughter’s whereabouts being dangled before him.

“Helen, Don… please. Tell us what this is about,” Paula Fisher says, doing her best to maintain some type of calm.

Helen looks to Don, who motions for her to continue. Jason is tempted to grab the woman himself and shake it out of her.

“It’s Eric Westin,” she says. “He told me he would--he would help with Sophie.”

Jason hears a gasp from somewhere behind him. He thinks it comes from Molly. “He arranged something,” Don fills in. “For Sophie to--I don’t know, to disappear for a little bit--” “Eric Westin has her?” Jason is already on the way to the door. “Tell me where he is.” “He doesn’t have her!” Helen cries out. “I don’t know--he paid someone--someone who is demanding money now.”

“Five hundred thousand dollars,” Bill says, repeating the sum Don blurted out earlier.

Helen’s head drops, her chin pressed to her neck. “Yes,” she mumbles.

“Jason, let me call Brent,” Molly says. She already has her cell phone in hand. “He’ll know what to do.”

“I need to get that money,” Jason says to no one in particular. “The banks are closed, but maybe…” He doesn’t even know where to begin. All that stands between him and getting his daughter back is half a million dollars. It’s certainly a lot, but he has some money left in his savings, from the inheritance… if he can liquidate some things…

He is vaguely aware of Molly explaining the situation to Brent over the phone.

“How could you do this?” Bill asks the Chases, though it is more an accusation than a question.

“I had no idea,” Don says.

Helen nods. “He’s telling the truth. He didn’t know. And I didn’t--I didn’t know what Eric was going to do. This was never supposed to happen. He made it sound so easy.”

“And now some maniac has Sophie!” Jason screams. He feels hands pulling him backward and hears Tim telling him something, some empty words that are supposed to make any of this okay.

“Tell Brent what you know,” Molly says to Helen as she hands her the phone. Helen’s entire body shakes as she accepts it. Jason doesn’t even know if he can stand still long enough to let the wretched woman explain her story to Brent.

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