I am.”
“What other connections are there?”
“It’s possible another drug was used. If that is the case, this may be the job of a copycat.”
“Copying what? Information about the kidnappings hasn’t been released to the public.”
“The public may not realize a serial kidnapper is on the loose, but the stories haven’t been kept quiet.”
“The information about the girls being drugged has,” he argued, because he knew in his gut that the man who’d attempted to take Everly was the same one who had kidnapped the other girls.
“I know, and I’m not saying you’re wrong in making these connections. I’m just saying we need confirmation before we can say anything with any certainty.”
“Agreed.” Because, that was the way investigations were run. Gather the facts rather than make assumptions based on hunches.
“Have you had a chance to speak with the witness?” Wren asked.
“Not yet. She has a head injury and is being treated. She did leave the scene after the police arrived. They had to track her to her place of employment.”
“That’s interesting.”
“If by interesting you mean suspicious, I agree.”
“You don’t think she was involved in the attempted kidnapping, do you?” Wren asked, the sudden sharpness in her voice letting him know that she was very interested in his answer.
He thought about the way Tessa had looked when she’d jumped out of the Jeep, with Everly held to her chest as she’d skidded across the pavement on her knees. She could have left his daughter behind. She had had no idea that he was following. “No, I don’t. But I think she’s hiding something.”
“If it’s not illegal, it’s none of our business.”
“Right now, my only business is making sure the guy who tried to kidnap my daughter is found and tossed in jail.”
“I understand. The team and I are standing behind you. We’ll do whatever it takes to make certain your girls stay safe and that the kidnapper is brought to justice. Jessica and I are on our way to Provincetown. We should be there in a couple of hours. See what you can get out of the witness before we arrive, okay? I’m curious to match her description with Jessica’s profile of the kidnapper.”
“Will do. I’ll give you the information I gather when you arrive,” he assured her.
“Great. See you soon, Henry.” She disconnected, and he slid the phone into his pocket, his gaze shifting to the end of the hall and the elevator doors that were opening.
His in-laws stepped out, Aria between them, mittened hands clutching theirs, her cheeks pink from the cold. She was a quieter version of her sister. Introspective and introverted, she tended to allow Everly to lead the way into new adventures. She would have been lost without her sister.
“Daddy!” she cried, breaking free and running toward him.
“Hey, munchkin!” he responded, lifting her and giving her a hug that might have been just a little too tight.
“I’m not a munchkin. I’m a young lady,” Aria corrected him, her expression somber and serious.
“Of course, you aren’t a munchkin. That’s just a figure of speech.”
“I know, but I wanted to remind you. Where’s Everly?” she asked. “Nana said she was at the hospital, but I didn’t believe her. Sister never gets sick.”
“You’re right. She doesn’t, but Nana never tells tales, either. Your sister really is here.” He set Aria on her feet and kissed her forehead.
“Why?” she asked, holding onto his hand and looking up into his face.
The girls were identical, their eyes the same shade of blue, their hair the same raven-black, but Aria was shorter and seemingly frailer, her scrawny frame currently hidden beneath layers of fabric and a heavy winter coat.
“She was sleeping a little too hard, and I got worried, so I brought her here,” he replied, trying to give her a response that would make sense to a not-quite six-year-old.
“That’s silly, Daddy,” she replied. “You always sleep too hard, and we don’t take you to the hospital.”
“Yes, but I’m not your sister. You know she barely ever sleeps, and when she does, she’s always easy to wake.”
“That’s true. Maybe, I should check on her. She’s probably scared,” she said with a frown.
“She’s still asleep, but you can see her.” He met his mother-in-law’s eyes. “I’m sure Nana and Pop-pop won’t mind bringing you in the room. I have a few things I need to take care of.”
“Of course we wouldn’t,” Rachelle said, her voice trembling. She stepped into the hospital room, urging Aria to follow. She was as shaken as Henry and trying not to show it. A long-time ER nurse, she usually had a calm approach to emergencies. Right now, she seemed on the edge of falling apart.
He started to follow, worried about her as much as he was about the girls.
Brett touched his shoulder. “She’s okay,” he said.
“She looks shaken.”
“She is, but she’d rather not know that we know it.” Brett ran a hand through his thick gray hair. “I feel terrible about this, Henry.”
“Nothing that happened is your fault. You and Rachelle have nothing to feel bad about.”
“I should have put new windows in. Better locks. A security system.”
“Provincetown is a safe community. You had no way of knowing something like this would happen.”
“Maybe not, but I still feel terrible. How is Everly?”
“The doctor said she would be fine.”
“And the other victim? I heard she had a head injury.”
It took a moment for the words to make sense.
Henry had been thinking of Tessa as a witness.
Brett was right, though. She was also a victim.
“I haven’t heard much except that she’s been admitted.”
“I wonder if there is anything I can to do help. We owe her a lot. If she hadn’t intervened, our Everly might not be with us.” A semiretired neurosurgeon, Brett had earned a reputation as being one of the best in his field. He still taught classes and gave lectures, and if it was warranted, assisted in cutting-edge neurosurgeries in Boston.
“I spoke to her before the ambulance transported Everly. She seemed lucid, but I’m going to check on her. I’ll let you know if things are worse than I suspect.”
“Rachelle and I will stay close to the girls until you’re back,” Brett said, his dark eyes so much like Diane’s that Henry had to look away.
“Thanks. I’ll hurry.”
“Take your time. We’ll work out a plan of action when you return.” Brett stepped into the room and closed the door.
Henry hesitated for just long enough to convince himself that a police officer, a nurse and his in-laws were plenty of protection for the girls. Then he walked to the nurses’ station and asked for Tessa’s room number.
The nurse gave it after she checked a master list of people who were allowed information about and access to Tessa and Everly. It was a short list. One Henry had helped create.
Hospital staff were on high alert, watching for unusual activity and turning away the press, who was already gathering outside the hospital.
A little