out on a need-to-know basis. What staff was on duty at this time of night hovered around the main desk, talking in low tones and casting worried glances down the hall toward the examination room Hannah and Josh had disappeared into with Mitch and Dr. Ulrich.
Reaching for the can of warm soda she had set on an end table, Ellen froze midgesture as the examination-room door swung open and Mitch merged. She hustled to meet him.
"Did he name Wright?" she asked.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Mitch propped a shoulder against the rail. "He didn't name anybody. He isn't talking."
"At all?"
"Not a word."
Ellen's sinking feeling was the sure-thing conviction sliding away. An istinctive response that had nothing to do with her sense of compassion. They were separate entities—the lawyer in her and the woman. The lawyer thought in terms of evidence; the woman thought about a small boy who had been through God-only-knew what hell in the past two weeks.
"How is he?"
"Physically, he seems pretty good. No signs of sexual abuse."
"Thank God."
"He may have been drugged or had blood taken from him. His blood had to get on that sheet some way, and he had no injuries to speak of. We'll know more when the lab results are in."
"We'll know what?" Wilhelm demanded, rushing up, his proper paisley necktie flipped over his shoulder.
Mitch frowned at him. "We'll meet in my office at seven and I'll go over it all with both of you."
"What about questioning the boy?" Wilhelm blurted, looking as if he had come all the way to the North Pole only to find out Santa wouldn't grant him an audience.
"It'll wait."
"But the mother—"
"Is an emotional wreck," Mitch snapped. "She didn't see anyone, didn't see a car. All she knows is she has her little boy back.You can talk to her in the morning."
Wilhelm's dark eyes shone bright with temper even though his trademark boyish grin still stretched across his face. "Now look, Chief, you can't shut me out of this. I have the power—"
"You don't have jack shit here, Marty," Mitch said. "Do you understand me? I don't care if the BCA sent you down here with a golden crown and scepter. You try to push me on this and I'll squash you like a bug. Nobody sees Hannah or Josh until they've had some rest."
"But—"
Marty's protest was cut off as the emergency-room doors to the street swept back and Paul Kirkwood stormed into the lobby with a pair of uniformed officers at his heels. His brown hair was windbbwn. back from his lean, angular face. Cold and excitement rouged his cheeks. His deep-set eyes fixed on Mitch as he strode down the hallway.
"I want to see my son."
"Hannah and Josh are being settled in a room."
"Hannah?" he said peevishly. "What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing having Josh back won't cure. She's just a little rattled, that's all."
"And what about me? You think I'm not rattled?"
"I don't know what you are, Paul," Mitch said wearily. "Other than late, that is. Where the hell have you been?" His gaze strayed to the officers who stood behind Josh's father.
"We caught him coming back to his office, Chief."
"Caught me? Am I under arrest here?" Paul's voice was sharp with indignation. "Should I be calling my attorney?"
"Of course not, Mr. Kirkwood," Ellen intervened, trying to break the mounting tension between the men. "We wanted to make you aware Josh had been returned, that's all. We also thought you might want to be with your son during the physical examination."
"I was out driving around." Paul's mouth turned in apetulant curve. "I haven't been having a lot of success sleeping lately. How is Josh? What did that animal do to him?"
"He's fine," Mitch said, then amended the overstatement for the sake of his conscience. "He seems fine, physically. I'll walk with you to his room, fill you in."
As they started down the hall, Wilhelm started after them. Ellen snagged
Reaching for the can of warm soda she had set on an end table, Ellen froze midgesture as the examination-room door swung open and Mitch merged. She hustled to meet him.
"Did he name Wright?" she asked.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Mitch propped a shoulder against the rail. "He didn't name anybody. He isn't talking."
"At all?"
"Not a word."
Ellen's sinking feeling was the sure-thing conviction sliding away. An istinctive response that had nothing to do with her sense of compassion. They were separate entities—the lawyer in her and the woman. The lawyer thought in terms of evidence; the woman thought about a small boy who had been through God-only-knew what hell in the past two weeks.
"How is he?"
"Physically, he seems pretty good. No signs of sexual abuse."
"Thank God."
"He may have been drugged or had blood taken from him. His blood had to get on that sheet some way, and he had no injuries to speak of. We'll know more when the lab results are in."
"We'll know what?" Wilhelm demanded, rushing up, his proper paisley necktie flipped over his shoulder.
Mitch frowned at him. "We'll meet in my office at seven and I'll go over it all with both of you."
"What about questioning the boy?" Wilhelm blurted, looking as if he had come all the way to the North Pole only to find out Santa wouldn't grant him an audience.
"It'll wait."
"But the mother—"
"Is an emotional wreck," Mitch snapped. "She didn't see anyone, didn't see a car. All she knows is she has her little boy back.You can talk to her in the morning."
Wilhelm's dark eyes shone bright with temper even though his trademark boyish grin still stretched across his face. "Now look, Chief, you can't shut me out of this. I have the power—"
"You don't have jack shit here, Marty," Mitch said. "Do you understand me? I don't care if the BCA sent you down here with a golden crown and scepter. You try to push me on this and I'll squash you like a bug. Nobody sees Hannah or Josh until they've had some rest."
"But—"
Marty's protest was cut off as the emergency-room doors to the street swept back and Paul Kirkwood stormed into the lobby with a pair of uniformed officers at his heels. His brown hair was windbbwn. back from his lean, angular face. Cold and excitement rouged his cheeks. His deep-set eyes fixed on Mitch as he strode down the hallway.
"I want to see my son."
"Hannah and Josh are being settled in a room."
"Hannah?" he said peevishly. "What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing having Josh back won't cure. She's just a little rattled, that's all."
"And what about me? You think I'm not rattled?"
"I don't know what you are, Paul," Mitch said wearily. "Other than late, that is. Where the hell have you been?" His gaze strayed to the officers who stood behind Josh's father.
"We caught him coming back to his office, Chief."
"Caught me? Am I under arrest here?" Paul's voice was sharp with indignation. "Should I be calling my attorney?"
"Of course not, Mr. Kirkwood," Ellen intervened, trying to break the mounting tension between the men. "We wanted to make you aware Josh had been returned, that's all. We also thought you might want to be with your son during the physical examination."
"I was out driving around." Paul's mouth turned in apetulant curve. "I haven't been having a lot of success sleeping lately. How is Josh? What did that animal do to him?"
"He's fine," Mitch said, then amended the overstatement for the sake of his conscience. "He seems fine, physically. I'll walk with you to his room, fill you in."
As they started down the hall, Wilhelm started after them. Ellen snagged
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