murmur to the man who sat in the manager’s office. The man lifted his head and Ethan could feel the pinch of his scrutiny from twenty feet away. “I don’t think they’re going to allow me access to the security tapes until I get a shower and shave.”
“So go get a hotel and catch a few hours’ sleep,” Clay said sharply. “You’re going to get so tired that you’d miss Alec if he is on the tape.”
“Maybe.” Probably. “Did we get another e-mail?”
Clay’s sharpness quickly faded to concern. “No.”
Which wasn’t good. Neither of them had to say it aloud. It had been four days since Alec’s kidnapper had taken him and in that time sent only one e-mail. Not one iota of communication since. No ransom demands. No phone calls, no e-mails, nothing.
“We have to get something soon.” Ethan rubbed his sore forehead. “I just need to pinpoint what city she’s actually in. I know she’s not in St. Louis,” he added bitterly.
“You have to stop blaming yourself for that, Ethan. You made a logical choice.”
Ethan gritted his teeth. “I hope my logical choice doesn’t get Alec killed.”
“Stop it.” Clay’s voice was back to sharp. “You’ve done everything anyone could have done at this point. In the last thirty-six hours you’ve tracked her from that copy store in Morgantown all the way to Chicago. That’s something, so stop beating yourself up.”
Ethan drew a breath. “I know, Clay.” He let the breath out, made himself calm. “I’m just frustrated. I’ve been chasing this woman for a day and a half and I still haven’t seen her face.” Every shot of her face on every surveillance video was blocked by a large-billed cap. Nothing to set the cap apart other than it covered ninety percent of her face.
“Because she hasn’t wanted you to,” Clay said reasonably. “How many times have you told me that you can’t see what the camera doesn’t catch?”
“You’re right. I know you’re right.” But in his past life Ethan had been professional, even dispassionate, as he traced terrorist e-mails, searched aerial surveillance photos of what had seemed an endless maze of tunnels and caves. This was so different. This time it was Alec. “But now she’s got an even bigger lead. Dammit, what was I thinking?”
“Don’t make me come and kick your ass, Ethan,” Clay warned. “She bought two tickets to St. Louis via Columbus, Ohio. It made sense for you to drive straight to St. Louis to try to make up some of her lead.”
“Which was just what she wanted us to do. I lost at least fifteen hours on that detour.” He’d had to call Randi and tell her he’d lost her son, then drive to Columbus, Ohio, Randi’s terrified whispered pleas still ringing in his ears. In Columbus the videotapes showed the kidnapper had disembarked with Alec, the child still looking to be in shock and numb. This time the woman bought two tickets from Columbus to Indianapolis. Both times she’d paid for the tickets with cash. Neither time had she shown ID.
“She planned this, Ethan. She faked us out. At least you found her in Indianapolis. And at least now we know she’s definitely not Cheryl Rickman.”
The woman had worn shapeless coveralls all the way from Morgantown to Columbus, finally shedding them somewhere before reaching Indianapolis. Her build was not Rickman’s. Rickman was slender and fine-boned. This woman had well-developed arm muscles and was at least a C cup. The Indy ticket-counter attendant confirmed she’d bought tickets for Chicago. The next bus should have arrived late Thursday night.
“Which means Cheryl is still missing and not with Alec. How did Randi take the news?”
“Not well. I think she hoped it was Cheryl even while claiming it couldn’t have been.”
“Because if it was Cheryl, Randi would have a harder time visualizing her hurting Alec.” So had he, Ethan thought grimly. “Now, all bets are off.”
“True. But now we have to look for a female
“So go get a hotel and catch a few hours’ sleep,” Clay said sharply. “You’re going to get so tired that you’d miss Alec if he is on the tape.”
“Maybe.” Probably. “Did we get another e-mail?”
Clay’s sharpness quickly faded to concern. “No.”
Which wasn’t good. Neither of them had to say it aloud. It had been four days since Alec’s kidnapper had taken him and in that time sent only one e-mail. Not one iota of communication since. No ransom demands. No phone calls, no e-mails, nothing.
“We have to get something soon.” Ethan rubbed his sore forehead. “I just need to pinpoint what city she’s actually in. I know she’s not in St. Louis,” he added bitterly.
“You have to stop blaming yourself for that, Ethan. You made a logical choice.”
Ethan gritted his teeth. “I hope my logical choice doesn’t get Alec killed.”
“Stop it.” Clay’s voice was back to sharp. “You’ve done everything anyone could have done at this point. In the last thirty-six hours you’ve tracked her from that copy store in Morgantown all the way to Chicago. That’s something, so stop beating yourself up.”
Ethan drew a breath. “I know, Clay.” He let the breath out, made himself calm. “I’m just frustrated. I’ve been chasing this woman for a day and a half and I still haven’t seen her face.” Every shot of her face on every surveillance video was blocked by a large-billed cap. Nothing to set the cap apart other than it covered ninety percent of her face.
“Because she hasn’t wanted you to,” Clay said reasonably. “How many times have you told me that you can’t see what the camera doesn’t catch?”
“You’re right. I know you’re right.” But in his past life Ethan had been professional, even dispassionate, as he traced terrorist e-mails, searched aerial surveillance photos of what had seemed an endless maze of tunnels and caves. This was so different. This time it was Alec. “But now she’s got an even bigger lead. Dammit, what was I thinking?”
“Don’t make me come and kick your ass, Ethan,” Clay warned. “She bought two tickets to St. Louis via Columbus, Ohio. It made sense for you to drive straight to St. Louis to try to make up some of her lead.”
“Which was just what she wanted us to do. I lost at least fifteen hours on that detour.” He’d had to call Randi and tell her he’d lost her son, then drive to Columbus, Ohio, Randi’s terrified whispered pleas still ringing in his ears. In Columbus the videotapes showed the kidnapper had disembarked with Alec, the child still looking to be in shock and numb. This time the woman bought two tickets from Columbus to Indianapolis. Both times she’d paid for the tickets with cash. Neither time had she shown ID.
“She planned this, Ethan. She faked us out. At least you found her in Indianapolis. And at least now we know she’s definitely not Cheryl Rickman.”
The woman had worn shapeless coveralls all the way from Morgantown to Columbus, finally shedding them somewhere before reaching Indianapolis. Her build was not Rickman’s. Rickman was slender and fine-boned. This woman had well-developed arm muscles and was at least a C cup. The Indy ticket-counter attendant confirmed she’d bought tickets for Chicago. The next bus should have arrived late Thursday night.
“Which means Cheryl is still missing and not with Alec. How did Randi take the news?”
“Not well. I think she hoped it was Cheryl even while claiming it couldn’t have been.”
“Because if it was Cheryl, Randi would have a harder time visualizing her hurting Alec.” So had he, Ethan thought grimly. “Now, all bets are off.”
“True. But now we have to look for a female
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