by Robin Mahle
Campbell held the picture between his index finger and thumb, then eyed Nick. “Well, you got what you wanted.” He set the picture back down and pushed it toward Nick. “This is your next case. Let’s get on it.”
The team continued to fill in ASAC Campbell and when he felt comfortable with the status of the investigation, he concluded the meeting. “Scarborough, I’ll let you delegate as you see fit, but make sure you’re working with Detective Mason. This multiple abduction case may now be federal, but I don’t want the local authorities side-stepped.” Campbell stood up and reached for his carrier bag, which hung over the back of his chair. “Now I need to get home and hopefully get a chance to say goodnight to my kids.” He looked at the team with a fatherly gaze. “It wouldn’t hurt for you all to do the same, although I suspect you won’t.”
Campbell was approaching his mid-forties and hardly old enough to act the surrogate dad to any of them. However, the team took their cue and left his office.
Kate caught up to Nick. “So, you’re heading over to see the Talbots tonight?”
“I have to keep them up to speed. I know it’s getting late, but trust me, neither of those parents are sleeping right now.”
“I’m sure they aren’t. Dwight mentioned the hotels. Should I get started on that?”
Nick stopped in the hall and turned to Kate. “You should go home, get some rest, and come in first thing in the morning. You’ll need a fresh pair of eyes. It’s a lot of information.”
“I just don’t feel right stopping. We have to find those kids.” She followed Nick as he continued walking again.
“We aren’t the only ones looking for them, or for Stroud. Mason’s done a good job and we’ve just doubled our efforts. You’ll be better off with some rest and will be less likely to make a mistake. We can’t afford mistakes.” Nick stopped in front of his office. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’m going to head out.”
“Good night.” Kate knew he was right but felt thwarted nonetheless. However, the feeling loomed that neither of those kids would make it through the night, if they even made it this far.
» » »
Shadow from the porch light cast down upon Nick’s face as he knocked. His expression remained solemn but displayed resolve when his friend, Jake Talbot, opened the door of his home.
“You made it; come in.” Jake stepped aside while Nick entered the quiet and sparsely lit home.
“I’m not disturbing you am I?”
“No. Scott’s asleep, but Rachel’s still up.” Jake closed the door. “Can I get you a drink?” He already had one in hand.
“Absolutely.” Nick followed him into the kitchen. “Evening, Rachel.”
“Hey, Nick. Thanks for stopping by. I know it’s late and you must be exhausted.” Her appearance suggested she was the one who was suffering.
“I’m all right.” Nick sat down at the table while Jake approached with a drink. “Thanks.”
“Hope you don’t mind gin.” He took a seat next to his wife.
“Not at all.” Nick sipped on the drink, then set it down and got to the business at hand. “So, as you know, I interviewed Stroud’s co-workers this afternoon and shortly after that was when I phoned you about the picture I found.”
“Emily something?” Jake added.
“Emily Aldrich.”
“Did you find her?” Rachel’s eyes suggested she didn’t want to know the truth but felt compelled to ask.
“No. I’m afraid not. Not yet.”
“So, everyone’s looking for this piece of shit who’s taken two kids, and he’s been able to stay hidden.” Jake tossed his drink back.
“Not for long, I promise you. We just got the okay to take this on—officially, as a federal investigation.”
“What does that mean for us?” Rachel asked.
“That we’ll be able to pool our resources with the other jurisdictions and take a much more proactive approach, meaning we’ve just been put in charge.”
“Well, I sure as hell hope you have a plan, my friend, because it’s been going on four days.” Jake’s eyes reddened as he reached for his wife’s hand. “It’s been too long.”
“My team will be working with Detective Mason and her chief to coordinate our efforts. Our first task will be to supplement the detective’s search by identifying lodging Stroud would likely be housed in. A man on the run still needs a place to stay.”
Rachel slowly rose from the table. “Whatever you need to do, please, Nick, just do it. Just find our son.” She shuffled from the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving the men alone.
“I’d better let you get some rest.” Nick stood up. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“I know you will. Thank you for coming by tonight. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes—I did.”
» » »
Kate arrived to the usual solitude of the small home she still rented from the old lady and her son. The time would come soon for her to again decide if she would stay. The son had already sent a couple of reminder emails stating that she needed to give them ninety days’ notice if she was not intending to renew her lease. Well, that ninety days would be up next month. She still had no idea if she wanted to stay here and being so close to official permanent designation, she hesitated on a decision.
Her relationship with Mike further complicated the situation. He was a small-town guy who was happy being a small-town cop. But she also knew, mainly because he’d brought it up on more than one occasion, that he would move here to D.C. with her in a heartbeat. It was a decision she wasn’t ready to make on that front either.
Right now, though, it was difficult to think about either of those major life-altering events. Her thoughts turned to Colton Talbot and Emily Aldrich; two kids who she desperately wanted to find before it was too late. And she knew all too well that “too late” may have already passed them by.
She walked out of her bedroom in an oversized t-shirt and gym shorts. The time showed eleven p.m. and she wondered if Nick had made it home yet. He had changed so much over the past few months. The likes of which she’d never seen in him before. His breakup with Georgia must have really taken its toll, but she suspected it was more than that too.
In the few years that they’d become close, she had learned to read him pretty well—and vice versa. And something in him changed after the Durham investigation ended. She recalled the change very early on. In fact, it was only days after her confrontation with Durham that she’d felt it. Distant, almost, but not quite, cold. Kate figured he just needed time to get over Georgia and get back on his feet after the struggles with ASAC Campbell. But it had gone on longer than she’d anticipated and her fears about him crept back up to the surface.
Maybe now she could help get things back to normal and stabilize their friendship once again, because when they worked together, they were virtually unstoppable—feeding off one another’s instincts. And this time would be different. This time, they would find those kids—alive. And rather than sit on her couch, absorbed by things that, in light of the current situation, seemed self-centered, she would do something useful. Sleep might eventually find her, but for now, she was reinvigorated and would not follow the advice of her superior.
Kate retrieved her computer and logged into the server. Nick wanted to search hotels and motels within a hundred-mile radius, and that was where she would start.
Two hours had passed and Kate finished the last drop of wine in her glass. She’d compiled an extensive list based upon Nick’s instructions. Lodging off the beaten path, cheap, and she narrowed it down further to include only those on a single level. Stroud wouldn’t stay somewhere where he had to walk inside a lengthy corridor or ride an elevator with a kid who could draw attention. No, he would stay in a cheap motel, park his car right in front of the room, and take the kid inside, unseen by anyone.
Still, the list was large. She wanted to reach out to Nick, run it by him and get his thoughts; bounce ideas on how to tackle the enormo
us task. But it was one a.m. and given his recent change in attitude toward her, perhaps it was best to wait until morning.
Kate looked at her cell phone, held it in her hands, and again considered it. “No. It’ll have to wait.” She set it down, uncurled her legs from the sofa, and took to her feet. “I’ve got to get some sleep.”
SIX
The sunrise burned just ahead as Kate made her way into the office for an early start. Her excitement about the investigation fueled her brain for much of the night and now coffee fueled it as she worked her way through downtown D.C.
A call rang through on her cell and she pressed the Bluetooth button to answer. “Hey there. Good morning. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so early.”
“You’re a tough lady to get a hold of, so I figured I’d give it a shot this morning. You busy?” Mike’s voice sounded pleasant through the car’s speakers.
“We had a meeting last night about a new case.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Unfortunately, it’s the one Nick’s been working on for his friend. It wasn’t really a BAU case. Well, it is now. Long story short, we’re working to find a parolee who’s responsible for not only taking the boy, but also a girl not far from where he lived.”
“Jesus.” Mike’s voice turned somber.
“So we’re going to be running on this thing full bore.”
“That probably means this weekend is out?”
Katie sensed his disappointment. “I’m afraid so, hon. I’ll be buried in this for a while.”
“I understand. No problem at all. Just keep me updated, okay?”
“I will. Thanks for this.”
“For what?”
“For letting me do my job and not making me feel badly about it.”
“Give me some credit, Kate. The important thing is that you guys find those kids. I’d better run and let you get to it. Talk later?”
“Definitely.”
“Love you.” Mike’s words almost came across as a question.
“You too, babe. Bye.” Kate ended the call just as she pulled into the parking garage. Minutes later, the elevator doors opened and she was back inside the bullpen. Seven a.m. on the dot. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Agent Vasquez always went in early.
Kate logged into her email and retrieved the list she’d sent to herself late last night. “So I was checking into some things last night and I came up with a few places we should check out.”
Vasquez rolled over to her. “Whatchya got?”
“Hotels and motels within a hundred-mile radius of where Colton Talbot was abducted. Scarborough figured he’d be staying somewhere off the beaten path, paying by cash and probably places that are cheap.”
“Okay. So how many did you come up with?”
“Sixty-eight that fit the criteria, but if we don’t get anywhere with that, we’ll expand the search.”
“Great. How about we divvy this up and get started?”
“Thanks.” Kate felt someone approaching them from behind and when Vasquez turned back to see, her expression returned hardened.
“Can I see you for a minute?”
Dwight’s face raised the hairs on Kate’s neck. Something had happened. “Of course.” She immediately followed him.
Nick sat behind his desk, staring at his computer screen. He noted their arrival. “Morning, go ahead and sit down.” He swiveled his chair to face them. “I got a call around four a.m. from Detective Mason, who got a call from Frederick County Sheriff’s office. Emily Aldrich’s body was found in a park about thirty miles from her home.”
Kate’s heart sank. This was an expected outcome, given the length of time that had passed. Nonetheless, she maintained hope that it would not be the case this time. She was wrong. “What does this mean for our investigation?”
“We need to determine how and when she died,” Dwight began. “We need to establish a timeline from when she was abducted to her death.”
“This will help give us an idea as to roughly how much time we have to find Colton before he ends up dead too,” Nick added.
He was nothing if not blunt and while Kate sometimes disliked that quality about him, he was almost always right. “I did some research last night.” She half-expected a disapproving glare for disobeying his direct order to get some rest, but she would get no push back today. “I found sixty-eight hotels that fit the criteria of where we think Stroud would have been likely to stay. Vasquez and I were about to get started on making some calls to see if any of the proprietors recognized Stroud or Colton.”
“That’s a big list. I’ll pitch in. We need all hands on deck right now.” Dwight looked to Nick. “Are you going to tell Colton’s parents?”
Nick turned his gaze downward in search of an answer. “I’ll have to. All right. Let’s get on this hotel search.”
As the two made their way out the door, Dwight pulled Kate aside in the hall.
“Thanks for jumping on that hotel thing. I think that’s our best shot right now.”
“This is really hard on him, isn’t it?”
“It would be for anyone. I’m just afraid he’s going to lose sight of things. Lose his perspective.”
“I wouldn’t blame him, just so long as it doesn’t piss off Mason.” Kate patted Dwight on his broad shoulder. “I’ll get to work. Let me know if you need anything else. Otherwise, I’ll keep you posted on my progress.”
» » »
Detective Mason’s urgent call shortly after his meeting prompted Nick to make the drive to Springfield. He entered the busy precinct and headed straight back to see the detective. The officer at the front desk called out to him and when Nick continued without answering, the officer sprinted to catch up to him, her hand resting on her gun; hackles raised by the security risk.
If Mason hadn’t heard the commotion and stepped into the hall, Nick might’ve had a situation on his hands. “It’s okay.” Mason waved to her officer. “He’s here for me.” She turned to Nick. “Maybe next time, just check in up front first. Thanks for coming down.”
Closing the door to her office, Mason walked around to her desk while Nick sat down and jumped right in. “Are you sure it’s him?”
“A call came in just minutes before I phoned you about a sighting.” Mason leaned in, her slender arms, bare from the sleeveless blouse, folded on her desk. “A man matching Stroud’s description was seen with a boy matching Colton’s at a rest stop along 95, heading north.”
“Did they get a plate? Was it the same Ford truck?”
“Yes. We ran the plates and they’re registered to Stroud.”
Nick leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. “At least there’s some God damn good news after learning about the girl. He doesn’t realize we know who he is and what he drives. Do you have people heading in that direction? We don’t have much time.”
“I am well aware of that, Agent Scarborough, and yes, County Police and State Troopers are flooding the area. The call came in some time after he left the location because the caller had the good fortune to be listening to the Amber Alert and remembered the truck. I just don’t know how much of a head start Stroud got.”
“What about Emily Aldrich?”
“I spoke with the detective at Frederick County earlier. He said the ME should be able to determine time of death relatively quickly. Possibly even by late today.” Mason studied Nick with dark, inquiring eyes. “You didn’t need to come all the way down here for this. I’m sure you all have your hands full. But I want you to know that we appreciate the help. We all want the same thing and that is to find Colton Talbot quickly.”
Nick didn’t need to drive the forty minutes for a conversation that could have happened over the phone. But he was who he was and despite what Dwight would say about it, he needed to be sure Mason and her team were doing everything in their power to find Colton. “Thank you. And you’re probably right. It’s just that sometimes, I prefer to be hands-on, you know?”
; “Hands-on, like pulling the strings?” Mason smiled graciously, leaning back in her chair. Her thin, silk blouse revealing an outline of her satin bra.
She seemed to wield a power that triggered Nick to lower his defenses and he smiled, even chuckled at her comment. “Is it that obvious?” He ran his hand through his dark brown hair and hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m sorry. It’s just—well, it’s my friend’s kid, you know? Since all this started, I haven’t felt quite useful enough.”
“I get that. But now you guys have all the power. We’re the ones who need to kowtow to you.”
He raised back up, bothered by her remark. “Please don’t think that’s the case. Really. I’ve never been one to muscle any jurisdiction out of an investigation. If that’s the way I’ve made it seem, please accept my apology.”
Mason shooed away his words. “No, it’s fine. We all get a little tense around here when the Feds get involved.”
» » »
The sounds of the tires on the road made Colton want to sleep. He hadn’t slept in days, save for a few hours here and there. The man made him lie down on the small bench seat in the extended cab of the truck and that was where he was now. His legs were too long as he’d hit a growth spurt over the winter and he was forced to curl them up to fit along the seat. His face clung to the tan vinyl both from tears and from sweat. Wherever they were headed, it was warm.
Colton only cried sometimes now, though. Only when he would think about how worried his parents must have been. He himself had reached the point that this was all there was left for him. He would not be found; at least, not alive.
The man had been in a hurry since this morning, but Colton didn’t know why. He’d pulled him from the closet by his arm, dragging him across the stained carpet, and tossed him onto the bed.
“Eat!” he had demanded. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.” And then he tossed a dry bagel onto his lap.
