these cookies.”
Jackie’s innocent request made Scott cringe. He knew that Katie was not comfortable letting Jackie out of her sight. But was that fair to Jackie?
“I think we’re going to need you today,” Katie said, accepting one of the cookies Jackie offered.
“Katie, let’s not bring her to the bureau.” Scott gave Jackie an I’ll-take-care-of-your-motherlook. “If you don’t want her to go with your sister, let her stay with Grandma.”
Katie put down her half-eaten cookie and took both of Scott’s hands. “Baby, I’m so scared,” she said, her brown eyes brimming with tears. Can’t we keep Jackie close to us — just for now? Please?”
Scott’s resolve melted. He want to say, “You’re scaring her. Let the family distract her.” But he kept his mouth shut, understanding her reaction, fright was overriding compassion.
“We told Agent Streeter that we’d be back later tonight,” Katie said. “Can we get going?”
Scott struggled, his spirits sagging. What good could they do? Hadn’t they told the FBI everything? Checking his watch, he felt his heart sink. Twenty-four hours ago he’d been at Yankee Stadium. Twenty-four hours ago Lucy had called from the mall. Twenty-four hours without a clue. Where could Alex and Sammie be?
Then the cell phone that the FBI provided rang. The sound and vibration coming from his shirt pocket penetrated his skin and stopped his heart. For a moment he and Katie stood, paralyzed.
“Scott, answer it!” she said, dropping her purse and Jackie’s hand to go to him.
“Mr. Monroe, this is Agent Ellen Camry. I wanted to catch you, just to let you know. We don’t have anything specific for you here, and Special Agent Streeter asked me to call and ask that you come into the bureau tomorrow, not tonight. We’ll have a lot to go over once we finish tearing apart both yours and your wife’s hard drive and once we check out all the Florida leads.”
“Katie and I are on our way. There must be something —”
“You and your wife need some sleep, sir. She’s a doctor, so I’m assuming that you can get sleeping pills or sedatives if need be.”
“I see,” said Scott, torn between the agent’s sensible advice, and wanting to be there to personally keep up the pressure to find Sammie and Alex. “Please do everything you can to —” He couldn’t finish, his mind flooded with images of Sammie and Alex, his two little girls. Where could they be? The possibilities were endless, each more horrific than the next.
When Scott told Katie, she slumped against him. “Tomorrow,” she mumbled. “Another night. I don’t know if I can do this.”
CHAPTER 9
Detroit Red Wings Lose in Stanley Cup Finals:
Pittsburgh Wins Two Major Pro-Sports Titles
Already This Year — Penguins and Steelers.
— Sports Radio, June 15, 2009
At nine o’clock on Tuesday morning, Scott and Katie, Jackie between them, were ushered into the conference room adjoining Special Agent Streeter’s office. Scott noticed dark shadows under his eyes. Gone was the ramrod posture, the jaunty gait. He and Katie had had no sleep and he guessed that Agent Streeter had not, either.
After an exchange of amenities, Streeter offered to have his secretary take Jackie for ice cream. Scott saw Jackie’s eyes light up.
“In a little while,” Katie said, settling Jackie in the seat next to her.
As other agents filed into the room, Streeter tried again. “Dr. Monroe, we need to focus on your contacts,” Streeter said, waving a sheaf of paper. “Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties have put together a portfolio of people with motive to do something to — and something’s come up on your hard drive. Are you sure that you want your daughter to stay?”
“Jackie will be just fine,” Katie said, pulling a tablet and a pen out of her purse. “Here, sweetie, draw some pictures.”
Like that would hold her interest
, Scott thought, bitterly resenting that Katie had not let the girls travel
Jackie’s innocent request made Scott cringe. He knew that Katie was not comfortable letting Jackie out of her sight. But was that fair to Jackie?
“I think we’re going to need you today,” Katie said, accepting one of the cookies Jackie offered.
“Katie, let’s not bring her to the bureau.” Scott gave Jackie an I’ll-take-care-of-your-motherlook. “If you don’t want her to go with your sister, let her stay with Grandma.”
Katie put down her half-eaten cookie and took both of Scott’s hands. “Baby, I’m so scared,” she said, her brown eyes brimming with tears. Can’t we keep Jackie close to us — just for now? Please?”
Scott’s resolve melted. He want to say, “You’re scaring her. Let the family distract her.” But he kept his mouth shut, understanding her reaction, fright was overriding compassion.
“We told Agent Streeter that we’d be back later tonight,” Katie said. “Can we get going?”
Scott struggled, his spirits sagging. What good could they do? Hadn’t they told the FBI everything? Checking his watch, he felt his heart sink. Twenty-four hours ago he’d been at Yankee Stadium. Twenty-four hours ago Lucy had called from the mall. Twenty-four hours without a clue. Where could Alex and Sammie be?
Then the cell phone that the FBI provided rang. The sound and vibration coming from his shirt pocket penetrated his skin and stopped his heart. For a moment he and Katie stood, paralyzed.
“Scott, answer it!” she said, dropping her purse and Jackie’s hand to go to him.
“Mr. Monroe, this is Agent Ellen Camry. I wanted to catch you, just to let you know. We don’t have anything specific for you here, and Special Agent Streeter asked me to call and ask that you come into the bureau tomorrow, not tonight. We’ll have a lot to go over once we finish tearing apart both yours and your wife’s hard drive and once we check out all the Florida leads.”
“Katie and I are on our way. There must be something —”
“You and your wife need some sleep, sir. She’s a doctor, so I’m assuming that you can get sleeping pills or sedatives if need be.”
“I see,” said Scott, torn between the agent’s sensible advice, and wanting to be there to personally keep up the pressure to find Sammie and Alex. “Please do everything you can to —” He couldn’t finish, his mind flooded with images of Sammie and Alex, his two little girls. Where could they be? The possibilities were endless, each more horrific than the next.
When Scott told Katie, she slumped against him. “Tomorrow,” she mumbled. “Another night. I don’t know if I can do this.”
CHAPTER 9
Detroit Red Wings Lose in Stanley Cup Finals:
Pittsburgh Wins Two Major Pro-Sports Titles
Already This Year — Penguins and Steelers.
— Sports Radio, June 15, 2009
At nine o’clock on Tuesday morning, Scott and Katie, Jackie between them, were ushered into the conference room adjoining Special Agent Streeter’s office. Scott noticed dark shadows under his eyes. Gone was the ramrod posture, the jaunty gait. He and Katie had had no sleep and he guessed that Agent Streeter had not, either.
After an exchange of amenities, Streeter offered to have his secretary take Jackie for ice cream. Scott saw Jackie’s eyes light up.
“In a little while,” Katie said, settling Jackie in the seat next to her.
As other agents filed into the room, Streeter tried again. “Dr. Monroe, we need to focus on your contacts,” Streeter said, waving a sheaf of paper. “Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties have put together a portfolio of people with motive to do something to — and something’s come up on your hard drive. Are you sure that you want your daughter to stay?”
“Jackie will be just fine,” Katie said, pulling a tablet and a pen out of her purse. “Here, sweetie, draw some pictures.”
Like that would hold her interest
, Scott thought, bitterly resenting that Katie had not let the girls travel
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