little girl’s blonde
curls. I didn’t say anything, but took the woman’s cash, gave her change and
her receipt, and they were out the door. It was only when they were walking
away that I realized the child was the same one in the picture I’d seen on the
news.”
The quiet agent
leaned forward and spoke so softly, Eva had to shift to be able to hear him.
“What was it that you noticed when they were leaving that triggered an alert?”
“I don’t know what
you mean.”
“You said it was
only when they were walking away that you realized the child was the one you’d
seen on the news. What made you realize that?”
“I don’t—I mean, I
didn’t—”
“It’s okay.” The
agent’s voice sounded as soothing as it was soft. Almost seductive. Hypnotic. “Close your eyes. Go ahead, close them.”
Eva couldn’t help herself, she had to turn to see the clerk fully. The woman
closed her eyes. The agent sat in front of her. “Good. Now I want you to see
the woman. See the child. You just handed over the change and receipt. The
woman took it, what did she do with the change and receipt?”
“She put it in the
plastic bag with the hair color.”
“And then what?”
Eva pressed her
lips together. This agent was good.
“She turned the
little girl around without letting go of her hand and they walked away.”
“Think carefully.
What did you see that was out of place as they walked away? Hand-in-hand,
they’re moving down the aisle—”
“Her
shoes!” The clerk’s eyes popped open. “The little girl was wearing
dress-up shoes, the kind you wear to a party. They clearly didn’t go with the
sweatpants she was wearing. It made me stop and think, and that’s when I
remembered her picture on the news. I called immediately.”
“Excellent. Thank
you.” The agent stood and moved away from the clerk, closer to where Eva and
Ivan stood.
Eva turned so her
back was to the agent. Usually she was kept in the loop about an investigation,
but from what she knew about this new Special Agent in Charge, she’d eavesdrop
to get info if she had no other choice.
“Get the
surveillance video back up. Focus in on the child, a full body shot if you can
get it. Send a copy to Timmons, the father. Maybe he’ll see something that will
give us another clue as well.” The second agent took off toward security while
the first agent turned back to the clerk. “The sketch artist should be here
soon. Thank you so much for assisting.”
Eva finished
logging all of the evidence they’d collected. Itching to get back to the lab
and start testing, she pulled off her gloves and put them in her pockets. Her
phone rang, and she fumbled in her pocket to grab it. She took note of the
caller-ID and drew in a deep breath before answering.
“Darren?” She
turned away from the FBI agents and Ivan, taking a few steps toward the main
aisle that had been closed off.
“Eva, I’m really
sorry.”
“What’s wrong?”
Whatever was he apologizing to her for?
“I didn’t want to
give your name. I know you had nothing to do with this.” His voice held a world
of stress in its tone.
She felt all the
blood drain down to her toes. Eva leaned against the edge of a display rack.
“Of course I didn’t. Why are you telling me this?”
“Eva.”
She stepped into
the aisle to see who’d called her name. Peter strode toward her. “Hey, Eva.”
“I’m truly sorry,”
Darren said before the call disconnected.
She pocketed the
phone, straightened her shoulders, and met Peter. “I thought you were heading
back to the lab?”
Peter sighed. “I
need to talk to you.” His face flushed.
“I was about to
start loading the truck to head back to the lab. Can it wait?” Although she was
pretty sure it couldn’t since her supervisor had made it a point to come to
her.
He shook his head.
“Walk out with me.”
Eva forced the
smile she didn’t feel. “But what about loading the truck?”
From out of
nowhere, Ivan appeared. His
curls. I didn’t say anything, but took the woman’s cash, gave her change and
her receipt, and they were out the door. It was only when they were walking
away that I realized the child was the same one in the picture I’d seen on the
news.”
The quiet agent
leaned forward and spoke so softly, Eva had to shift to be able to hear him.
“What was it that you noticed when they were leaving that triggered an alert?”
“I don’t know what
you mean.”
“You said it was
only when they were walking away that you realized the child was the one you’d
seen on the news. What made you realize that?”
“I don’t—I mean, I
didn’t—”
“It’s okay.” The
agent’s voice sounded as soothing as it was soft. Almost seductive. Hypnotic. “Close your eyes. Go ahead, close them.”
Eva couldn’t help herself, she had to turn to see the clerk fully. The woman
closed her eyes. The agent sat in front of her. “Good. Now I want you to see
the woman. See the child. You just handed over the change and receipt. The
woman took it, what did she do with the change and receipt?”
“She put it in the
plastic bag with the hair color.”
“And then what?”
Eva pressed her
lips together. This agent was good.
“She turned the
little girl around without letting go of her hand and they walked away.”
“Think carefully.
What did you see that was out of place as they walked away? Hand-in-hand,
they’re moving down the aisle—”
“Her
shoes!” The clerk’s eyes popped open. “The little girl was wearing
dress-up shoes, the kind you wear to a party. They clearly didn’t go with the
sweatpants she was wearing. It made me stop and think, and that’s when I
remembered her picture on the news. I called immediately.”
“Excellent. Thank
you.” The agent stood and moved away from the clerk, closer to where Eva and
Ivan stood.
Eva turned so her
back was to the agent. Usually she was kept in the loop about an investigation,
but from what she knew about this new Special Agent in Charge, she’d eavesdrop
to get info if she had no other choice.
“Get the
surveillance video back up. Focus in on the child, a full body shot if you can
get it. Send a copy to Timmons, the father. Maybe he’ll see something that will
give us another clue as well.” The second agent took off toward security while
the first agent turned back to the clerk. “The sketch artist should be here
soon. Thank you so much for assisting.”
Eva finished
logging all of the evidence they’d collected. Itching to get back to the lab
and start testing, she pulled off her gloves and put them in her pockets. Her
phone rang, and she fumbled in her pocket to grab it. She took note of the
caller-ID and drew in a deep breath before answering.
“Darren?” She
turned away from the FBI agents and Ivan, taking a few steps toward the main
aisle that had been closed off.
“Eva, I’m really
sorry.”
“What’s wrong?”
Whatever was he apologizing to her for?
“I didn’t want to
give your name. I know you had nothing to do with this.” His voice held a world
of stress in its tone.
She felt all the
blood drain down to her toes. Eva leaned against the edge of a display rack.
“Of course I didn’t. Why are you telling me this?”
“Eva.”
She stepped into
the aisle to see who’d called her name. Peter strode toward her. “Hey, Eva.”
“I’m truly sorry,”
Darren said before the call disconnected.
She pocketed the
phone, straightened her shoulders, and met Peter. “I thought you were heading
back to the lab?”
Peter sighed. “I
need to talk to you.” His face flushed.
“I was about to
start loading the truck to head back to the lab. Can it wait?” Although she was
pretty sure it couldn’t since her supervisor had made it a point to come to
her.
He shook his head.
“Walk out with me.”
Eva forced the
smile she didn’t feel. “But what about loading the truck?”
From out of
nowhere, Ivan appeared. His
Similar Books
