"It's nearly Thursday. Tomorrow night we fly up north. Cross your fingers the group doesn't eat me alive over this."
Martha was quick to catch on that something important had transpired. Out flight was early so we had time for dinner on the way from the airport. The LeBlanc's had picked up Howie at his Boston apartment so the car was packed tightly. It was a relief to stretch out in a restaurant booth. Martha was anxious to hear about the outcome of the Georgia abduction as I'd not phoned her with the results. I explained my tip to the FBI and my follow up extended conversation with Agent Brennan. I confessed what I'd told him.
Howie was frantic until I explained that knowing someone was offering peculiar but pertinent tips wasn't the same as finding the names of who was doing it.
"Look, Howie," I said. "With each tip we give there's further chance someone will start stringing them together. Then they'll begin look for the source. Better that we have some contact and hopefully quell any investigation. If we can show them it's in their best interests to work with us and let us keep our privacy we're far better off."
Howie remained frightened and unconvinced. "I don't want to end up working for the government. I'll stop the whole thing before I'll do that."
"I believe we can use this guy," I said. "If he can get us better and timelier information and direct us to the best place to call in our tips, we're miles ahead."
"How do we stop him from tracking us down?"
"Leave that up to me," I said, with more confidence than I felt.
Quinn bent close to his wife and whispered something in her ear. She nodded. "Ben, we voted you in so we're willing to give you the ball. Just make sure our asses are protected. You've got our vote." He turned to Howie who nodded his ascent.
The balance of the weekend went well after a slow start. We had two runaways in a row followed by a location Howie couldn't find and a wake-up interruption from outside noise. Sunday began with a lost boy who we located in a local forest but was found by the time we called in the tip.
Our major success was our first kidnapping for ransom. It took place in Cleveland where seven year old Eric Campbell was abducted from his Karate class. An undisclosed ransom demand was made. From Howie's standpoint it was easy. He watched a man and woman grab Eric when he went to the bathroom and with her hand over the boy's mouth, push him into a car. Howie, now able to usually remain with a vehicle, stayed with the car to a suburban ranch style house only six miles from the kidnapping.