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The second-in-command from New Blood was standing among the trees, watching the scene. He saw May looking, and he stared back at her. She was astonished to see that his gaze didn't hold the resentment she'd remembered seeing there before.
In fact, he raised his hand in a small salute before turning away and disappearing into the trees.
And then, just as she was getting over her surprise at that, May's phone rang.
She saw it was Kerry calling.
"Hey, sis!" she answered, feeling glad to be speaking to her sister at the successful conclusion of a case.
But Kerry sounded rushed and flustered.
"Sis, where are you? I'm boarding a plane now. I'm going to be at Fairshore in about an hour's time."
"A plane? Why?"
Kerry sighed. "Have you not read your messages? I want to be there for this. It’s all happening! See you just now! In an hour!"
Kerry cut the call, and feeling excitement churning inside her, May checked the reams of texts and messages that had come through now that she was out of the bunker and had cell signal again.
She needed to read no further than the first of Kerry’s messages to realize what this was about.
"There's been a hit on the APB,"the first text said.
"We've found her!"
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
The small house where Harriet Downs had been traced to was in a poor, run-down area of Pineridge, a few miles from Fairshore. Side by side with Kerry, May approached, feeling her heart hammering in overtime. It was seven p.m. on a cold fall evening. But there were lights on inside the house, so someone was at home.
This was where answers were going to be found.
The hit on the APB, from a street camera, had clearly shown Harriet Downs passing by, before turning into the house. She'd been carrying a shopping bag and walking purposefully. May had felt shocked by the footage. Harriet had been going about her normal life, seemingly unaware.
This was the woman who had sent the footage? Who had broken into May's house to leave the threatening video?
"She disappeared too," May said as she and Kerry paced toward the house, walking carefully up the rough garden path that ran through the overgrown front yard.
"She was a victim, like the others," Kerry agreed. “She was taken, herself. But maybe she helped him. Maybe that’s why he let her go.”
She glanced behind her at the men following them. Two FBI agents were following Kerry here. This was, thanks to the evidence, now a suspected kidnapping case, as well as a possible serial killer case. Both were firmly in the FBI's jurisdiction, and their low voices and crackling radios reminded May that it had taken a massive network of resources to locate this woman, hidden away in the backstreet of this quiet little town.
Kerry seemed to sense May's anxiety, and she reached her hand over to grip her wrist. "We'll get our answers," she promised.
May nodded. She had no doubt about that. She was just worried about what those answers might mean.
Reaching the door, May looked over at Kerry.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Ready," Kerry nodded.
Reaching out, May rapped hard on the front door.
There was no answer.
May tried again. "Ms. Downs?" she called out. "Ms. Downs, we're with the FBI! We need you to come to the door."
Still, there was no answer. Something felt wrong. May swallowed, feeling a twinge of fear. Then Kerry reached over and thumped the door. "FBI!" she announced. "Open up!"
