No holding back that eye roll. Between television shows, true crime podcasts, and all the press that came with the Golden State Killer collar, everyone thought they were an expert now.
“Lincoln,” Oliver gently chided.
“What?”
Oliver chuckled, and Lincoln was glad for that, even if it was at his expense. “It’s a casual interest, compared to yours,” Oliver said. “But enough he found a connection to Apex. And taken together with the note . . .”
“You’re the expert, Agent Monroe,” Beverley said. “We would like you to go to Apex and assist our field agent there.”
“But the task force is here.” A situation room full of agents, a lab full of everything he could possibly need, and a file cabinet full of his research on Dr. Fear.
“The senator’s daughter is missing, and we haven’t caught any breaks.” Beverley pushed the note toward him. “Until this.”
“This may not be one either.” He was sure the note was from Dr. Fear, and he was ninety percent sure the killer had driven out to Roanoke to mail the letter there and throw them off course. Until this letter, there had been no evidence to the contrary.
“It’s all we’ve got,” Oliver said softly. “You know how much Ruby hates the water. I can’t imagine her drowning.” He swallowed hard, struggling to clear his throat and start again. “Whether it’s a copycat or Dr. Fear who has them, if past pattern dictates, we have forty hours left to find them. You are the best person in the Bureau to help us. I need you to do what I couldn’t.”
How was he supposed to say no to that? “Fine,” he conceded, with one caveat. “But I’m driving. It’ll be faster than dealing with the airports. And I don’t do puddle jumpers.”
Another watery chuckle from Oliver, a smidge of relief underlying the misery. Lincoln would take that. Pissy house cat for the win.
“Are you sure you want to drive?” Gabby’s voice crackled out of the phone speaker. The connection was shit but not so bad she couldn’t add her two cents from whatever embassy she was in this week. “It’s January.”
Before Lincoln could counter his ex-wife, their daughter added her two cents as well. “January in the Blue Ridge Mountains.” More like three cents, a whole shiny nickel’s worth of grief for him.
He reemerged from his closet, winter boots in hand, rescued from beneath a pile of yellowing sheet music. He glared across the room at Elena, who sat at his desk behind his laptop. “I’ll be fine,” he told the crown of her head, a frequent recipient of his discourse these days, her attention always on some piece of tech in her hands. At least today it was at his request. His assistant back at Quantico was scanning and uploading his Dr. Fear research as fast as she could, and as soon as each file hit the shared server, Elena downloaded it and made it accessible on his laptop.
“You’re from Los Angeles, L,” Gabby said, and he redirected his glare at the phone on the corner of the desk. “Snow is a foreign concept.”
He shoved the boots into his suitcase and zipped it up with more force than the poor underused thing deserved. “I’m taking the Wrangler. It’s four-wheel drive.”
“Doesn’t mean you know how to go in snow,” Elena commented.
Lincoln considered throwing a pillow at her, but he didn’t want to interrupt her techno-speed-demon groove. “And you do?”
“Mom lived in the Alps for a while.”
“You visited twice,” Gabby said. “You’re no more a natural at it than L.”
Lincoln chuckled. Mother and daughter sassing each other was one of his favorite things. His laughter died, though, when Gabby swung the conversation back to him.
“You should at least wait until morning,” Gabby said.
“It’s four here. Apex is only three and a half hours away. I’ll be fine.” He didn’t have time to waste, not with Ruby and Chase missing, the clock ticking, and his partner already on the scene.
“Ms. Parker, they’re ready for you,” someone said in German on the other end of the line.
“Danke schön,” Gabby returned, then said to them, “Gotta go, babes. L, shoot me a text when you get to Apex. Elena, behave for Katrina.”
“Love you, Mom,” Elena said between mouse clicks.
“Ditto,” Lincoln replied. “And will do.” At her scoff, he added an on-our-daughter’s-head promise that earned him the warm, uninhibited laughter he’d fallen for decades ago. It wasn’t the same kind of love anymore, but the sound still filled his chest with joy and made him look fondly on their daughter. “ETA for Trina?” he asked Elena once Gabby had hung up.
“I’m old enough to stay by myself.”
“For a few hours, yes. For an indeterminate number of days, no. Plus, you’ve got your second tournament of the season in Baltimore this weekend. How you gonna get there?”
“Metro. Train.”
