Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega) - Patricia Briggs Page 0,66
and the nearest restaurant I would consider eating at is a four-hour drive. The kids out here need him a lot more than the kids in Boston did. Once he saw that, he was okay. Moving him out of there when the time comes is going to be harder than moving him in was.”
“I take it you both know Agent Fisher?” Marsden interrupted.
“Yes,” Leslie agreed. “We’ve worked together before. I haven’t met you, though.”
“Agent Jim Marsden, Cantrip, and this is my partner, Hollister Leeds. This is our investigation. What is the FBI’s interest here? We’re not even sure if we have a kidnapping.”
Leslie gave a quick, professional smile that was remarkable in the amount of information it imparted: I’m sorry, I respect you and the job you do, but I am competent, too, and this time you have to back me. It was such a good expression that the words felt like an afterthought.
She used them anyway. “Sorry, gentlemen. The DOJ has determined that this is part of a larger terrorist operation, and that puts me in the driver’s seat. I would be overjoyed to have your assistance.”
Marsden paused and looked at Leeds, who was still on his knees by the bundle of sticks. He’d taken out a sketchbook and was drawing it.
“Terrorists?” Marsden asked. “How do you figure?”
She smiled at the civilians in the room. “Did these gentlemen already take your statement?”
“Come, Miss Baird,” said Ms. Edison. “I think we are in the way. I’ll send Miss Baird home, but I have some work to do in my office. Please let me know when you leave and I’ll lock up.”
“That would be terrific,” Leslie told her. “Thank you.”
Miss Baird raised her chin. “That child was in my class,” she said. “I feel responsible for what happened. Is there any way I could be informed what happens?”
“Of course,” said Anna before anyone else could refuse her. She pulled out her card, the one with nothing but the name “Anna Smith” in calligraphic writing on it and an e-mail address, and handed it to her. “E-mail me, and I’ll tell you what I can.”
“This is Dr. and Mrs. Miller,” Anna told Leslie, not quite comfortable saying, I don’t think they are competent to get themselves home. Hopefully Leslie would notice on her own. “They are our victim’s parents. I think they’ve been questioned enough.”
“Maybe Ms. Edison and I should see them home,” said Miss Baird. “I’m not sure either of them should be driving.” She looked at Ms. Edison. “If you drive them, I’ll follow and bring you back here.”
“I think that would be a very good idea,” said Anna, relieved. She made sure that the Millers had cards for the Cantrip agents and Leslie so that they could call with any questions and walked the four of them down the hall and out the door.
“She’s really gone.” Sara Miller looked up at her husband. “Our little girl is gone.”
He put his arm around her and said, “She’s been gone for a while.”
“We need to get her back,” said his wife earnestly, but not as though the full impact of her daughter’s disappearance had really hit her.
Dr. Miller looked over his shoulder and met Anna’s eyes for an unsettling moment. “Yes,” he said.
“Dr. Miller, we cannot promise that,” Anna said. “I can promise that we will find the person responsible and make sure that it never happens to anyone else.”
Ms. Edison stopped to frown at Anna. “How can you promise that? It’s a fae. You don’t even know what it can do.”
“I’ve worked with Special Agent Fisher before,” Anna said. “And my husband … Charles gets things done.” She turned back to the Millers. “We’ll find out what happened to her, and we’ll take care of the fae who took her.”
“Okay,” said Dr. Miller. “Okay.” He led his wife out the door.
“I’ll be back,” Ms. Edison said after the doors closed behind the Millers. “But the doors are all locked from the outside, so if you need to leave before I get back, just make sure the door is latched.”
“Terrorists,” Leslie was saying when Anna returned, “are people who commit violent acts against people with the purpose of coercing a population or their government. Hey, Anna, welcome back.”
“They’re off to see the Millers safely home,” Anna said. “Did they bring you up to speed?”
“Yes,” Charles said.
Leslie nodded and then looked at Marsden. Leeds, Anna saw, was sliding the fetch-bundle into a large evidence bag.