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“I went in.” Steve rubbed his eyes. “I thought maybe she fell, hit her head, or . . . But she wasn’t in there.”
“There was blood,” Will said again.
“Your mom wasn’t in there,” Steve said firmly. “She’s somewhere else.”
“Where?” Pete demanded in a voice perilously close to weeping. “Where did she go?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Peabody spoke with easy confidence. “Pete, Will, why don’t you help me get drinks for everybody? Inspector Warren, is it okay if we forage in here?”
“You bet. I’ll give you a hand.” He added a warm smile. “And make it Jake.”
Eve slid into the booth. “I need to ask you some questions.”
“It was too much blood,” he said in a soft voice, a voice that wouldn’t carry to his children. “A fatal loss of blood. I’m a doctor. I’m an ER doctor, and that much blood loss without immediate medical attention . . . For God’s sake, what happened to Carolee?”
“Do you know her blood type, Dr. Grogan?”
“Yes, of course. She’s O Positive.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes, I’m certain. She and Pete are O Positive. I’m A Positive, so’s Will.”
“It wasn’t her blood. The blood in the restroom wasn’t hers.”
“Not hers.” He trembled, and she watched him struggle for composure, but his eyes teared. “Not her blood. Not Carolee’s blood.”
“Why were you going to Staten Island?”
“What? We weren’t. I mean . . .” He pressed his hands to his face again, breathed, then lowered them. Steady nerves, Eve thought. She imagined an ER doc needed them. “We were taking the ride over, then we were going to ride back. Just for the experience. We’re on vacation. It’s our second day on vacation.”
“Does she know anyone in New York?”
“No.” He shook his head slowly. “She wasn’t in there. But she wouldn’t have left Pete. It doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t answer her ’link. I’ve tried it over and over.” He pushed his across the table. “She doesn’t answer.”
He glanced toward the concession where Peabody and Jake kept the kids busy, then leaned closer to Eve. “She would never have left our boy, not willingly. Something happened in that room. Somebody died in that room. If she saw what happened—”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re still searching. I’m going to check on the status.”
Rising, she signaled to Peabody. “It’s not her blood. It’s the wrong type.”
“That’s something. They’re really nice kids. They’re scared.”
“They’re on vacation. Don’t know anyone in New York according to the husband, and he comes off straight to me. What doesn’t come off is how a body could disappear, a woman who we’ll presume for the moment is alive could disappear, and potentially a killer/abductor could disappear. They’re here somewhere. Get the wit statement, though I don’t think that’s going to add anything. I’m calling in more officers, ours and DOT’s. We’re going to need to get data, statements and do a search on every person on this damn ferry before we let anyone off.”
“I’ll take care of our end before I talk to the woman. Ah, he’s kind of flirting with me.”
“What? Who?”
“The adorable inspector.”
“Please.”
“No, seriously. I am spoken for,” Peabody added with a flutter of lashes, “but it’s still flattering to have cute guys flirt.”
“Do the job, Peabody.”
Shaking her head as her partner went out to do just that, Eve gestured to Jake. “We’re going to need more men. I can’t let anyone off until we’ve confirmed IDs, interviewed and searched.”
