Read Online Out of Reach: A Novel by Patricia Lewin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Lewin
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said Isaac. “I
will
find out who she is.”
One way or the other.
After a moment more of hesitation, Madden nodded. “Okay, Father. Maybe they’ll tell you more than they’d tell me anyway.”
“I’ll do my best.” Isaac started toward the patrol car, intercepting the rookie just before he closed his car door. “Officer, I need a minute.”
“We’re in a hurry, Father.”
“Please, you have to tell Chelsea’s parents what’s going on.”
And me. I need to know what I’m up against.
The cop glanced past Isaac to the couple. “We don’t know anything for sure yet. It’s a long shot.”
“Just tell me enough to give them some hope.”
Pressing his lips together, the young cop nodded. “Okay. We may have someone who can identify the kidnapper.”
A thrill of challenge raced through Isaac, and he almost laughed aloud. “The woman who was here earlier?”
“Father, I can’t . . .” The cop shook his head.
“Okay, you don’t have to tell me who she is.” Isaac would find that out on his own. “But what about the kidnapper? Do you have a name for him?”
“I’m sorry, until we know more, that’s all I can say.”
It would be enough. For now. Isaac backed up. “Thank you, Officer. That will help a lot.” Isaac knew he could get the woman’s name from one of the disgruntled older cops, one of the ones who were certain the fed was on a wild-goose chase.
As he watched the patrol car pull away, Isaac considered his next step. Somehow, the woman thought she’d recognized him. How? And from where? He needed answers, and a few discreet questions to the remaining cops would put him on the right course to finding them. But first, he needed to get rid of the girl.
VII
E RIN FELT LIKE she’d fallen down a rabbit hole.
Since seeing the news coverage on Chelsea Madden’s disappearance, she’d needed all her training and experience to keep herself together. On one level, the incident dragged her back to the days following Claire’s kidnapping, and she had to fight the urge to curl into a ball and hide. On the other hand, the possibility that the man she’d seen could have some connection to that nineteen-year-old nightmare kept her moving forward. To the police. To telling them what she saw. To convincing Special Agent Alec Donovan that she knew what she was talking about and wasn’t crazy. Something she wasn’t entirely certain of herself.
But then, he seemed a little off-kilter himself.
He should have taken her statement and sent her packing. It’s what she would have done if someone had come to her with a story as crazy as hers. Instead, she’d sensed his mounting excitement with each question. He knew something of the man she’d seen, and wanted him badly. Bringing her along was his way of ensuring he identified and caught the right man.
With a quick glance, she sized him up. He was a tall, good-looking man with dark blond hair, blue eyes, and strong, even features. Very conservative, very clean-cut, very FBI. Under different circumstances, she might have found him attractive. Though at the moment, he looked tired, strained, his eyes lined with fatigue, his hair slightly mussed from where a hand had been dragged through it. And she realized she’d seen him on the news the night before.
“You’re working the Cody Sanders case as well, aren’t you?” He’d held a press conference to update the media on the search.
He gave her a quick look. “Yes.”
“Is there a connection between the two cases?”
He didn’t answer right away. Then he said, “We don’t know.”
“But you’re here instead of in Baltimore, so there must be something.”
“I can’t talk about the details,” he said, his eyes still on the road. “Let’s just say there are a few similarities I couldn’t ignore?”
She heard the switch in pronouns, from we to I, and realized he considered himself alone in linking the two kidnappings. So, he was a man who worked hunches, which explained why he was
will
find out who she is.”
One way or the other.
After a moment more of hesitation, Madden nodded. “Okay, Father. Maybe they’ll tell you more than they’d tell me anyway.”
“I’ll do my best.” Isaac started toward the patrol car, intercepting the rookie just before he closed his car door. “Officer, I need a minute.”
“We’re in a hurry, Father.”
“Please, you have to tell Chelsea’s parents what’s going on.”
And me. I need to know what I’m up against.
The cop glanced past Isaac to the couple. “We don’t know anything for sure yet. It’s a long shot.”
“Just tell me enough to give them some hope.”
Pressing his lips together, the young cop nodded. “Okay. We may have someone who can identify the kidnapper.”
A thrill of challenge raced through Isaac, and he almost laughed aloud. “The woman who was here earlier?”
“Father, I can’t . . .” The cop shook his head.
“Okay, you don’t have to tell me who she is.” Isaac would find that out on his own. “But what about the kidnapper? Do you have a name for him?”
“I’m sorry, until we know more, that’s all I can say.”
It would be enough. For now. Isaac backed up. “Thank you, Officer. That will help a lot.” Isaac knew he could get the woman’s name from one of the disgruntled older cops, one of the ones who were certain the fed was on a wild-goose chase.
As he watched the patrol car pull away, Isaac considered his next step. Somehow, the woman thought she’d recognized him. How? And from where? He needed answers, and a few discreet questions to the remaining cops would put him on the right course to finding them. But first, he needed to get rid of the girl.
VII
E RIN FELT LIKE she’d fallen down a rabbit hole.
Since seeing the news coverage on Chelsea Madden’s disappearance, she’d needed all her training and experience to keep herself together. On one level, the incident dragged her back to the days following Claire’s kidnapping, and she had to fight the urge to curl into a ball and hide. On the other hand, the possibility that the man she’d seen could have some connection to that nineteen-year-old nightmare kept her moving forward. To the police. To telling them what she saw. To convincing Special Agent Alec Donovan that she knew what she was talking about and wasn’t crazy. Something she wasn’t entirely certain of herself.
But then, he seemed a little off-kilter himself.
He should have taken her statement and sent her packing. It’s what she would have done if someone had come to her with a story as crazy as hers. Instead, she’d sensed his mounting excitement with each question. He knew something of the man she’d seen, and wanted him badly. Bringing her along was his way of ensuring he identified and caught the right man.
With a quick glance, she sized him up. He was a tall, good-looking man with dark blond hair, blue eyes, and strong, even features. Very conservative, very clean-cut, very FBI. Under different circumstances, she might have found him attractive. Though at the moment, he looked tired, strained, his eyes lined with fatigue, his hair slightly mussed from where a hand had been dragged through it. And she realized she’d seen him on the news the night before.
“You’re working the Cody Sanders case as well, aren’t you?” He’d held a press conference to update the media on the search.
He gave her a quick look. “Yes.”
“Is there a connection between the two cases?”
He didn’t answer right away. Then he said, “We don’t know.”
“But you’re here instead of in Baltimore, so there must be something.”
“I can’t talk about the details,” he said, his eyes still on the road. “Let’s just say there are a few similarities I couldn’t ignore?”
She heard the switch in pronouns, from we to I, and realized he considered himself alone in linking the two kidnappings. So, he was a man who worked hunches, which explained why he was
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