steady, but she was whispering, âMove, move, move.â
Ramsey just kept his arms loosely around Emma. âYou okay, kiddo?â
âIâm scared, Ramsey.â
His arms tightened around her. He kissed the top of her head. âI wish I could give you the power not to be afraid of anything, Emma, but I canât. Fear isnât bad, just as long as it doesnât freeze you up. I know you donât like to think about it, but you didnât freeze up that time. You managed to escape and run into the woods and I found you. You were extraordinarily brave. And so you see that if you just keep thinking, if you donât give up, then you can help yourself. Youâve got a chance.â He knew Molly was listening. âYou wonât forget that, will you, Em?â
âNo,â she whispered. âI wonât forget. Thereâs the truck, Ramsey. Momâs close now.â
âCan you see the license number?â
âItâs really dirty, but I can see it.â
Then he laughed. âYou can see it but you canât tell me the letters or numbers. Iâm going to teach you how to read tomorrow, okay, kiddo?â
âI know how to read a little. Mamaâs taught me. She reads to me all the time. She points her finger at the words while sheâs reading. You think itâll just take one day?â
âWith you, maybe just half a day.â He said to Molly, âIt looks to me like itâs a B, then an L, then mudâs all smeared over the next letter. Thereâs a space, then three-eight-eight-something. That last numberâs too smeared to make out.â
âYouâll find a cell phone in my bag. Since youâre a federal judge, youâre bound to know someone who can tell us who owns the truck. Once you find that out, I promise Iâll call the cops in Denver and tell them. You donât have to tell anybody anything. Now, Iâll hang back until you find out.â
A cell phone. She had a cell phone and hadnât told him until they were holding on by their teeth. He wanted to yell at her, but he didnât. He pulled out the slim phone. He started to call Virginia Trolley in San Francisco, then paused. No, she couldnât do anything. He needed someone objective, someone with an inside track who wouldnât butt in, but would give him all the help he could. He dialed the main number to the FBI in Washington, D.C., and asked for Dillon Savich in the Criminal Apprehension Unit.
In two minutes he was talking to Savich. âWhy donât you ever use my e-mail, Ramsey? You know I hate phones. I think when I was a kid a phone cord must have wrapped around my neck and nearly choked me to death.â
âSorry, I donât have my laptop and modem with me. Long story. I need help, Savich.â
âTalk to me.â
No hesitation, no questions. Ramsey said, âI need to know who belongs to this license plate.â He gave Savich the information. âIâm on a cell phone.â He gave him the phone number. âYeah, Iâll keep it on. I owe you one, Savich.â
A grunt, nothing more. Ramsey smiled into the cell phone. He hung up but left the phone button on.
âWho did you call? The police in San Francisco?â
âNo. I called a friend of mine in Washington, D.C.â
âA good friend, if he didnât ask you any questions.â
âYes, a good friend. We met about four years ago at a law-enforcement conference in Chicago. At that time I was with the U.S. Attorneyâs office. Savich is into karate, big time, does an exhibition now and again. He got married about six months ago to another agent named Sherlock. Keep further back, Molly.â
âOh no.â
The truck was slowing. The man in the passenger seat was looking back. âTheyâve gone far enough to know weâre not there ahead of them. Slow down more, Molly. Yeah, let that Chevy get ahead of you. Good.â
He
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