Page 73 of Bring Them Home

“What we haven’t given much consideration to until now, but I think it’s time we do.”

“Abigail McGee,” they said simultaneously.

Amanda let out a deep breath. “Bring Abigail up in the DMV database.”

Trent went into his cubicle, and she followed. He logged on to his computer and brought up Abigail’s last license photo, along with her physical descriptors. Trent read these off. “Five-foot-nine, brown hair, brown eyes.”

“Exactly what the girls estimated for height. Hair is easily changed.”

“Or covered up. The blond locks are clearly a wig.” Trent focused on the screen. “I don’t know about you, but I’d say the shape of the jaw and mouth are the same.”

“It’s her.” Chills spread through her. Had they overlooked a connection between Abigail and the Archers’ abductions?

“And now we know Abigail was behind at least one burner phone. Though I’d say she was on the other end of all of them. But why would she start reaching out to Valerie a year ago? Seven years had already passed. Why put herself at risk?”

“She got tired of the isolation, wanted her old life back?”

“Still, communication is one thing, but coming out of hiding is another. What would make her do it?”

Amanda might have an answer. “Her nephew. He needs a bone marrow transplant.”

“Right, so Valerie is desperate and reaches out to ask Abigail if she’ll get tested. It could explain why Abigail looked so upset reading Valerie’s message on that napkin.”

“Do you think whoever Abigail is hiding from is behind the family’s abduction?” She dared to voice the possibility, feeling the weight of it on her shoulders if they’d missed something.

Trent let out a deep breath. “Presumably whatever landed Abigail in WITSEC involved a violent criminal. And let’s say they know her identity. They’ve likely been keeping tabs on her family for the past eight years to see if she turns up.”

“Which she did, but why didn’t they just grab Abigail from the coffee shop?”

“She must have given them the slip.”

“But the damage was done. This person learned that Valerie Archer was in contact with Abigail.”

“And they could assume the entire family was and knew how to reach her,” Trent inserted. “So they kidnap them to get them to hand that information over.”

“But first they tossed the house in search of a clue for where to find Abigail. Then when that failed, it was on to plan B.”

“Sounds completely plausible to me.”

“We both got the feeling that the US Marshals lost Abigail. If they did, does this person have her now, along with Valerie and Brooke?”

“Hate to say it, but if they do, are any of them still alive?”

“I have to think they are. But who holds a grudge for eight years?”

“Someone with strong motivation to silence Abigail for good.”

Tingles laced through Amanda. “First thing we need to do is find out what landed Abigail McGee in witness protection.” She pulled the card Russell Holden had given her and tapped his number into her phone.

“You think he’s going to tell us that? He wasn’t exactly talkative before.”

“Let’s hope we can change that this time around.”

THIRTY-SIX

Amanda had called Malone, and he’d agreed to come to Central. She and Trent had just finished briefing Malone in his office when he received a call notifying him the marshal had arrived. Soon later, there was a knock on the doorframe, and Russell Holden was standing in the opening.

He made it here fast, but he’d told Amanda when she’d called that he was still in town. She didn’t expect he’d offer full disclosure for why he was hanging around the area. What she would demand was cooperation in answering their questions about Abigail McGee.