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happens to Mom?”
    “We think he had a partner. We believe we’ll hear from the kidnappers again.”
    “But they didn’t get the money! He said he’d cut off her finger.” Katie burst into tears.
    Jackson kicked himself for not driving over. “We tried to pay him. He knows that.” Did he? Had the courier communicated with his partner about receiving the cash before he went under?
    “What if Ivan doesn’t have any more money? You have to find her!”
    “I know, sweetheart. I will. I have leads to follow now. I love you.” Jackson had to get off the phone. Katie’s distress threatened to overwhelm him.
    He drove west toward Fred Meyer, where Dave Lambert was a manager. The AA meeting leader might not be willing to share information but Jackson had to try.
    In the store, he found Lambert in a tucked-away office at the end of a long corridor. Small, cramped, and windowless, the office made Jackson cringe. His witness was physically neutral, with sandy hair, beige clothes, and a bland, ageless face. Jackson introduced himself and noticed Lambert reacted with a slight look of alarm, which he immediately tried to hide.
    “What’s going on?” Lambert gestured for him to sit in an orange plastic chair.
    “I’m looking for Renee Jackson. She attended an AA meeting at the Jesco Club Saturday afternoon, then was abducted shortly after.”
    “That’s wild. And not what I expected to hear.” Lambert was visibly relieved. “I spoke to Renee after the meeting. She seemed worried.”
    Jackson wanted to know what the store manager was worried about—and what he might be involved in—but he needed to stay focused on Renee. “What did she say?”
    “Nothing, really. She just looked stressed.”
    “Did you see her get in her car?”
    “Yes. She was parked across the street in the alley.”
    “Was she alone?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did she talk to anyone at the meeting? Did one of the members seem particularly interested in her?”
    Concern flashed in Lambert’s eyes. “There is a guy who seems a little obsessed with her. I mean, he watches her a lot. I can see it from the front but Renee may not have been aware.”
    “I need his name.”
    “It’s an anonymous meeting.”
    “Someone kidnapped Renee and threatened to kill her.”
    “Good grief.” He clicked his pen in a rapid, nervous mode. “I only know what the guy tells us, and it may not be true.”
    “Tell me.”
    “He calls himself Striker.”
    A cool wave of fear washed over Jackson. “What do you know about him?”
    “He used to be a logger but now he builds urban chicken coops.” Lambert shook his head. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. If you question him, please don’t mention where you got the information. I’ll lose my credibility with AA.”
    You could get sued too , Jackson thought, but didn’t say. “What does he look like?”
    “Big guy. Six-three and probably two hundred and fifty pounds. He has dark curly hair and a full beard.”
    Jackson made quick notes. “Any idea what he drives? Or where to find him?”
    “I’ve seen him get into an old panel truck. It was black with tan sideboards.”
    “Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation.”
    “I hope you find her.”
    An image of Renee’s dead body on the floor of a storage unit flashed in Jackson’s brain. He pushed it away and stood to leave. “We will.” He handed the manager a business card. “Please call me if you think of anything else.”
    In his car, he dialed Agent River. “It’s Jackson. Any word from the kidnapper?”
    “No. But we have a search warrant for Daniel Talbot’s home. Two agents are headed over there now. You’re welcome to join them.”
    “I can’t. I have another possible lead. Renee was at an AA meeting Saturday afternoon from three to four. A man who attends the same meeting has shown an obsessive interest in Renee. He calls himself Striker.”
    “Run him through the database and we’ll get someone on him.”
    “I’m heading to the