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More postings from Priscilla and Jan.
Jan:People think I’m crazy, too, because I haven’t given up looking for my Becky. But I’ll never give up.
Priscilla:I’ll call Angelica Gomez. If the police won’t listen, maybe she will.
Every nerve in her body zinged with panic. The police had ignored Priscilla, but she’d seen that nosy reporter and she was like a dog digging in the dirt for a ham bone. If she started asking questions, she might get the police’s attention.
She cursed beneath her breath. She knew what she had to do.
She slipped to the closet, took her .22 from the shoebox on the top shelf and slipped it in her coat pocket. Then she went to tell her husband she had to run an errand and ask him to keep an eye on the girls.
No one was going to take her family away from her. Not now. Not again. Not ever.
Eighty-Seven
Crooked Creek
Ellie woke to a message from Angelica wanting another update. The message also said that the Trumans wanted to go on camera and make a plea for their daughter.
She called Angelica, a lump in her throat. “Hey. I’ll text Shondra and ask her to arrange the interview.”
“Do you think you’re getting close?” Angelica asked.
Did she? “I hope so,” Ellie said. “I’ll keep you posted.” She disconnected, turning her attention to her disguise. It had done the job on a video call, but now it had to stand up to in-person scrutiny, and suddenly it looked less convincing.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Answering it, she found Derrick in a Braves jersey and hat. They’d already planned to drive separately in case they were walking into an ambush and had to split up.
“Any word?” Ellie asked.
“The meet is confirmed for ten at Bear Mountain Park. Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Ellie answered. “Do you want coffee for the road?”
“That would be great. Thanks.”
She hurried to the kitchen and poured two cups in travel mugs. Grabbing her holster and weapon, as well as her coat and hat, she hurried outside with Derrick.
“I’ll follow you and we’ll park my car a mile from the meet spot,” Derrick suggested. “Once we get Daisy, you can drop me and take her to safety. I’ll follow whoever is at the meeting.”
She climbed in her Jeep, then used her hands-free to call Shondra to set up the Trumans’ interview with Angelica. As the steep ridges of the mountain road rose around her and rain began to pound the car roof, the wind beating at the vehicle, she wondered if they were going to make it in time.
Or if they would be too late for Ava.
Eighty-Eight
Bear Mountain
The gray sky swirled, rain clouds morphing into full-fledged hail clouds, as Ellie maneuvered the winding switchbacks which were slick with ice. They’d dropped Derrick’s car as planned, but her nerves were crawling.
Scanning the parking lot, she pulled into a spot and cut the engine, noting no other cars were in sight. The area was known to draw tourists who wanted to enjoy the scenic ridges, waterfalls and hike the trails. Not today, with the temperature below freezing and winter weather in full swing. In fact, the area was virtually deserted. This was definitely not a legitimate adoption.
As they waited, she debated if they’d made the right decision to forgo backup and plant undercover officers around the park. But with the park empty, she still feared that whoever was delivering Daisy would have spotted any undercover officers and run.
That would endanger the child.
She just prayed they weren’t being conned and that MWC actually showed up.
Derrick rested his hand on his leg, his body tense. A second later a text came through on the burner phone.
