Page 76 of Midnight Creed

“Or they’ve already killed all the others.”

She heard his sigh of frustration. The thought made her sick to even consider, but she knew he could be right.

“Let me see if I can find out anything,” she offered.

“How?”

“My old assistant director sent me on wild goose chases all the time for his D.C. friends. I’ve unwillingly done enough favors I should be able to ask some questions.”

“Military brass?”

“No. Politicians. Although these days there isn’t much difference. Everyone in D.C. seems to be a politician. Do you have time for dinner tonight?” she asked.

“I wish.” He dragged out the word, and she knew he really did wish it. “But I can’t. We’re packing up. We just found out a little boy is missing.”

“I thought you said he was a teenager?”

“No, that was last week. Jason got a call. Actually, you met Taylor Donahue. Her seven-year-old son didn’t come home from school. She shares custody with Will’s grandparents. Sounds like he didn’t show up for school this morning.”

Maggie did remember Taylor. She’d ended up in the middle of a murder investigation last June. Maggie had met her mother-in-law, too, though she couldn’t remember the woman’s name offhand.

“Let me know if I can help.”

“Likewise. You don’t happen to have an item from this guy that would have his scent?”

She hadn’t thought of that. Her mind immediately went to the canvas bag underneath the bridge and the pair of shoes back at Quantico.

“I never thought of that. Would it actually work?

“If he’s out walking around the beach, yes. If he’s only driving, no.”

An incoming phone call interrupted. She glanced at the I.D.

“I’ve got to go. It’s Alonzo.”

“Be careful.”

“You too.”

She tapped over to Alonzo, her impatience blurting out, “What do you have?”

“You said you wanted to know more about the homeless woman.”

It wasn’t at all what Maggie expected. For the moment, she’d allowed herself to forget about Nessie. She wanted to ask how she was, but that wasn’t the information she had told Alonzo to get for her.

“Metro took her fingerprints.”

“Wait. That’s sort of unusual.”

“One of their own was almost killed. Kuszak thinks they’re treating this as a target hit.”

“What are you talking about? They think he meant to kill Racine, and Nessie just got in the way?”

“No. They think he meant to kill Racine, and Nessie lured Racine to where he wanted her.”

“That’s not what happened! Nessie was helping me.”

“Eventually, you’ll probably need to tell them that. In the meantime, Kuszak ran her prints.”