existing picture of him that Riley knew of was a mug shot taken when he’d been arrested for a minor offense years ago. He’d started a fight in a convenience store.
She’d stored that photo in her own cell phone and still kept it there. It had actually helped Riley and Bill track Peterson down and get close on his trail once before. But would it be of any use now? Riley herself had barely been able to see him during her captivity, and she felt sure that he’d changed his appearance.
At that moment, she heard police sirens approaching. She knew they would check the neighborhood to find out if anyone had seen the man at Ryan’s house, or had noticed his car. Although the houses weren’t close together, several others had a line of sight to Ryan’s front yard. There must be somebody out there who could help—an eyewitness who had actually seen him and could identify him.
Who could that be? Riley asked herself silently.
Suddenly, the answer came to her. She pulled April’s phone out of her pocket. The number was in there, Riley was sure of it. It ought to be easy to find.
If only I could stop my hands from shaking, Riley thought.
Chapter 16
Riley’s hands were sweating when she knocked on the door. She hoped and prayed that she’d find out what she needed to know here.
Six minutes earlier, she’d frantically gone through the phone numbers in April’s phone until she’d found the one she was looking for. It was Brian, the boy she’d caught smoking pot with April yesterday. She’d called him and told him she was coming right over. She hadn’t bothered to explain why.
A tall, slender, well-kept woman answered the door. She looked like she went to a lot of trouble not to look old enough to have a teenage son.
Riley showed the woman her badge.
“I’m Agent Riley Paige,” she said.
She wasn’t sure what to say next. It was truly a bizarre situation—an FBI agent investigating the disappearance of her own daughter.
The woman saved Riley the trouble of explaining herself.
“Come on in,” she said nervously. “I’m Carol, Brian’s mother. Brian told me you were coming.”
Riley followed the woman into a spacious and elegant living room where Brian was already waiting. As Riley took a seat nearby, she observed how small the skinny boy looked, stranded in a huge overstuffed armchair. He hardly looked like the same stoned but cocky kid she had found smoking pot with April that day.
He certainly did look scared. He undoubtedly thought that Riley had come here to report his pot smoking to his mother.
He ought to be scared, Riley thought. But her own fear was so searing that she had no desire to put anyone else through unnecessary trauma.
The boy’s mother stood behind the chair. She also looked frightened.
“Is Brian in some kind of trouble?” she asked.
For a moment, Riley again found herself at a loss for what to say. Of course she knew that Brian had nothing to do with April’s abduction. Even so, she had hitched that ride with him. And the truth was, Riley was angry about that. She sternly reminded herself to keep her feelings out of it. She took out her notepad.
“Brian,” she said, looking him straight in the eye, “April has been kidnapped.”
The boy’s eyes widened and he grew pale. Riley understood why. Just a second ago, the worst thing he could imagine was getting in trouble for smoking pot. Now his fear had ratcheted up to a new level.
“Who is April?” Carol asked.
“She—she’s my girlfriend,” the boy stammered nervously.
“Oh,” Carol said, sounding mystified.
“And she’s my daughter,” Riley added, knowing perfectly well how weird these words sounded under the circumstances.
For a second, the woman looked almost as if she might faint. She walked unsteadily to another chair and sat down.
“I’m so sorry,” she blurted out. “How terrible.”
Riley, too, felt a terrible surge of emotion. It was anger and fear all mixed together. For a moment,
She’d stored that photo in her own cell phone and still kept it there. It had actually helped Riley and Bill track Peterson down and get close on his trail once before. But would it be of any use now? Riley herself had barely been able to see him during her captivity, and she felt sure that he’d changed his appearance.
At that moment, she heard police sirens approaching. She knew they would check the neighborhood to find out if anyone had seen the man at Ryan’s house, or had noticed his car. Although the houses weren’t close together, several others had a line of sight to Ryan’s front yard. There must be somebody out there who could help—an eyewitness who had actually seen him and could identify him.
Who could that be? Riley asked herself silently.
Suddenly, the answer came to her. She pulled April’s phone out of her pocket. The number was in there, Riley was sure of it. It ought to be easy to find.
If only I could stop my hands from shaking, Riley thought.
Chapter 16
Riley’s hands were sweating when she knocked on the door. She hoped and prayed that she’d find out what she needed to know here.
Six minutes earlier, she’d frantically gone through the phone numbers in April’s phone until she’d found the one she was looking for. It was Brian, the boy she’d caught smoking pot with April yesterday. She’d called him and told him she was coming right over. She hadn’t bothered to explain why.
A tall, slender, well-kept woman answered the door. She looked like she went to a lot of trouble not to look old enough to have a teenage son.
Riley showed the woman her badge.
“I’m Agent Riley Paige,” she said.
She wasn’t sure what to say next. It was truly a bizarre situation—an FBI agent investigating the disappearance of her own daughter.
The woman saved Riley the trouble of explaining herself.
“Come on in,” she said nervously. “I’m Carol, Brian’s mother. Brian told me you were coming.”
Riley followed the woman into a spacious and elegant living room where Brian was already waiting. As Riley took a seat nearby, she observed how small the skinny boy looked, stranded in a huge overstuffed armchair. He hardly looked like the same stoned but cocky kid she had found smoking pot with April that day.
He certainly did look scared. He undoubtedly thought that Riley had come here to report his pot smoking to his mother.
He ought to be scared, Riley thought. But her own fear was so searing that she had no desire to put anyone else through unnecessary trauma.
The boy’s mother stood behind the chair. She also looked frightened.
“Is Brian in some kind of trouble?” she asked.
For a moment, Riley again found herself at a loss for what to say. Of course she knew that Brian had nothing to do with April’s abduction. Even so, she had hitched that ride with him. And the truth was, Riley was angry about that. She sternly reminded herself to keep her feelings out of it. She took out her notepad.
“Brian,” she said, looking him straight in the eye, “April has been kidnapped.”
The boy’s eyes widened and he grew pale. Riley understood why. Just a second ago, the worst thing he could imagine was getting in trouble for smoking pot. Now his fear had ratcheted up to a new level.
“Who is April?” Carol asked.
“She—she’s my girlfriend,” the boy stammered nervously.
“Oh,” Carol said, sounding mystified.
“And she’s my daughter,” Riley added, knowing perfectly well how weird these words sounded under the circumstances.
For a second, the woman looked almost as if she might faint. She walked unsteadily to another chair and sat down.
“I’m so sorry,” she blurted out. “How terrible.”
Riley, too, felt a terrible surge of emotion. It was anger and fear all mixed together. For a moment,
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