Now they all knew that Riley had been right all along. Peterson was still alive, and as much of a threat as ever. The flyer had put any remaining skepticism to rest, and some of the agents looked as embarrassed as she thought they should be.
The mug shot of Peterson and the sketch that had been made from Brian’s description were side by side on the flyer. Both showed an ordinary-looking man who might not stand out in a crowd except for his large size and prominent jaw. The resemblance between the sketch and the photo was unmistakable.
Riley wished she could feel vindicated. Instead, she felt utterly wretched.
Meredith stepped into her doorway, his craggy features knotted with sympathetic concern.
“How are you holding up?” he asked Riley.
Riley swallowed hard. She couldn’t let herself cry. She had to hold herself together.
“I feel so guilty,” she said. “Does that make sense?”
“No,” Meredith replied. “But nothing does at a time like this.”
Riley nodded. Meredith was absolutely right. She ought to know that as well as anybody. But after all her years as a field agent, she’d never been in this position. She’d been threatened, but she’d only observed this kind of terror from the outside. These emotions were new to her.
“Have you got any news?” Riley asked.
Meredith sighed wearily. “Not much,” he said. “We’ve got cops going door to door in your husband’s neighborhood with the flyer. Nobody recognizes Peterson so far.”
“What about the car?” Riley asked.
“The Fredericksburg cops located the car the boy described. Peterson had stolen it. It was found abandoned not long after he gave the kids a ride. A neighbor across the street said that she noticed a black Cadillac backed up in your ex-husband’s driveway. It was probably stolen too, and we’re trying to find out about it. But the neighbor didn’t see anything that happened.”
Riley’s heart hung on Meredith’s every word, listening for some reason to hope. She didn’t hear much to encourage her.
Meredith gazed at Riley for a moment. Then he said, “There’s nothing you can do here right now. I don’t suppose I could talk you into going home and getting some sleep.”
Riley shook her head.
“It’s still early,” she said.
Besides, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep until April was found. She doubted that much of the BAU would sleep until then either.
“Okay,” Meredith said. “I’ll let you know when we know more.”
He left her office. Riley stared at the flyer again. She picked apart Meredith’s choice of words just now. He’d said “ when we know more.” He hadn’t said if. Riley tried to take comfort in that. Of course she knew that Meredith had chosen his words carefully. Did he really hold out any hope that April would be found alive?
Right then she heard a familiar voice from her doorway.
“Riley.”
She turned around and saw Bill standing there.
“I heard,” he said.
His eyes were full of concern. They showed no trace of anger or resentment. Whatever bad blood had been between them recently, Riley knew that it had evaporated in the face of this tragedy.
Riley made one last vain attempt to keep her emotions under control. But then it hit her that she didn’t need to. Her friend was back—a friend who understood her better than anybody in the world.
Tears burst from her eyes and she leaped to her feet. She threw herself into Bill’s arms.
“Oh, Bill, you’re here, you’re here.”
She sobbed uncontrollably as Bill rocked her gently in his arms.
*
Bill was driving the SUV they’d taken out at Quantico. In the passenger seat beside him Riley was loading four three-inch shells into a Remington 870 twelve-gauge shotgun that she cradled in her lap. She’d requested the gun at the BAU before they left for D.C.
“Remember, that thing’s a SWAT weapon,” Bill said. “We’re just likely to be interviewing civilians for a while.”
“I’ll leave it in the SUV
The mug shot of Peterson and the sketch that had been made from Brian’s description were side by side on the flyer. Both showed an ordinary-looking man who might not stand out in a crowd except for his large size and prominent jaw. The resemblance between the sketch and the photo was unmistakable.
Riley wished she could feel vindicated. Instead, she felt utterly wretched.
Meredith stepped into her doorway, his craggy features knotted with sympathetic concern.
“How are you holding up?” he asked Riley.
Riley swallowed hard. She couldn’t let herself cry. She had to hold herself together.
“I feel so guilty,” she said. “Does that make sense?”
“No,” Meredith replied. “But nothing does at a time like this.”
Riley nodded. Meredith was absolutely right. She ought to know that as well as anybody. But after all her years as a field agent, she’d never been in this position. She’d been threatened, but she’d only observed this kind of terror from the outside. These emotions were new to her.
“Have you got any news?” Riley asked.
Meredith sighed wearily. “Not much,” he said. “We’ve got cops going door to door in your husband’s neighborhood with the flyer. Nobody recognizes Peterson so far.”
“What about the car?” Riley asked.
“The Fredericksburg cops located the car the boy described. Peterson had stolen it. It was found abandoned not long after he gave the kids a ride. A neighbor across the street said that she noticed a black Cadillac backed up in your ex-husband’s driveway. It was probably stolen too, and we’re trying to find out about it. But the neighbor didn’t see anything that happened.”
Riley’s heart hung on Meredith’s every word, listening for some reason to hope. She didn’t hear much to encourage her.
Meredith gazed at Riley for a moment. Then he said, “There’s nothing you can do here right now. I don’t suppose I could talk you into going home and getting some sleep.”
Riley shook her head.
“It’s still early,” she said.
Besides, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep until April was found. She doubted that much of the BAU would sleep until then either.
“Okay,” Meredith said. “I’ll let you know when we know more.”
He left her office. Riley stared at the flyer again. She picked apart Meredith’s choice of words just now. He’d said “ when we know more.” He hadn’t said if. Riley tried to take comfort in that. Of course she knew that Meredith had chosen his words carefully. Did he really hold out any hope that April would be found alive?
Right then she heard a familiar voice from her doorway.
“Riley.”
She turned around and saw Bill standing there.
“I heard,” he said.
His eyes were full of concern. They showed no trace of anger or resentment. Whatever bad blood had been between them recently, Riley knew that it had evaporated in the face of this tragedy.
Riley made one last vain attempt to keep her emotions under control. But then it hit her that she didn’t need to. Her friend was back—a friend who understood her better than anybody in the world.
Tears burst from her eyes and she leaped to her feet. She threw herself into Bill’s arms.
“Oh, Bill, you’re here, you’re here.”
She sobbed uncontrollably as Bill rocked her gently in his arms.
*
Bill was driving the SUV they’d taken out at Quantico. In the passenger seat beside him Riley was loading four three-inch shells into a Remington 870 twelve-gauge shotgun that she cradled in her lap. She’d requested the gun at the BAU before they left for D.C.
“Remember, that thing’s a SWAT weapon,” Bill said. “We’re just likely to be interviewing civilians for a while.”
“I’ll leave it in the SUV
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