The Girl Who Disappeared Twice (28 page)

“Advice received,” Hope returned without so much as a pause. “And rejected. I’d go crazy here, wondering what was happening. I don’t want updates. I want to be there. And I will be. I’m paying your fee. That entitles me to occasionally call the shots. This would be one of those times. I’m going to Sunny Gardens. And you and your team are going to take me.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Day Nine

It was 2:40 p.m.

The task force, BAU and local police were positioned all around Sunny Gardens. Ryan’s van containing the entire Forensic Instincts team—plus Hope Willis—was parked in the wooded alcove on the east side of the grounds near the gardens where Linda was sitting. They’d been banished there, since the task force wanted to utilize all the prime areas that gave them a full view of the front and rear parking lots.

That was just fine with Ryan, since the Sunny Gardens administration had agreed to allow minimal video surveillance, and Ryan had arranged for Gecko to be part of that surveillance. Given the little critter’s range, the alcove was perfect for keeping an eye on Linda—and her guest.

Ryan made sure that Gecko was primed and ready.

The facility’s senior staff had been told only that one of their visitors was a person of interest in a law enforcement matter, and that they were to say nothing to anyone about the FBI and police presence. Their instructions were issued casually, as if the basis for the inquiry was standard rather than high priority. They were to make sure there was no disruption to their patients, and no panic among the rest of the staff.

Two forty-five.

The three-o’clock shift was arriving, and the task force, along with Sunny Gardens security, was monitoring the arrival of each vehicle. The visitor lot was separate from the employee lot. Both were being heavily surveilled. Nothing seemed amiss—yet.

Inside the van, Casey slanted a quick, anxious glance at Hope. The waiting game had depleted her to the point of near-collapse. Her complexion was sallow, her eyes were haunted and she was gaunt from having eaten next to nothing all week. She’d said very little during the ride up, just sat in the backseat of the van, twisting her hands in her lap and staring out the window. But her spine was stiff, and her entire body was rigid with worry.

Casey had sat beside her, offering an occasional word of reassurance, but mostly remaining quiet, aware that nothing she could say would ease Hope’s anguish. The only cure for her torment would be having her daughter home. And that’s what this stakeout was all about.

The minutes ticked by, and three o’clock came and went—along with Felicity’s perfect opportunity to drive through the gates and get lost in the lineup of cars. Casey’s whole team was starting to get antsy, even Hero, who whined with the keen instinct of knowing something wasn’t right.

“Why isn’t she here yet?” Hope asked in a high, thin voice. “The chief administrator said she always arrives between two and three.”

“I don’t know,” Casey said honestly. “Maybe she hit traffic.”

Hope swallowed hard. “Or maybe she got wind of what’s going on and is staying away.”

Casey wasn’t happy. There was merit to Hope’s concern. But there was also budding hysteria in her voice. And that could result in nothing but trouble.

“Hope, listen to me,” she said quietly. “You can’t allow yourself to panic. We’re going to find Krissy. Think positively. And don’t go to pieces on me.”

A tight nod.

“We’re in business,” Marc suddenly announced from the passenger seat. He pointed out the window where a blue Ford Fiesta was rounding the curve. It slowed down and turned into the main parking lot. The license plate and the driver’s profile told them all they needed to know.

“It’s Felicity.” Hope made a move toward the door, and Casey pulled her back, signaling to Marc with her eyes.

He locked the doors.

“Don’t even think about it,” Casey warned Hope in as gentle a tone as possible. “If Felicity sees you, it’ll blow everything we’ve worked for. Just stay put.”

“She’s scanning the area,” Ryan noted. He was sitting in the back of the van with his laptop, ready to send the necessary signal to Gecko.

“Maybe that’s why she’s late,” Marc commented. “She’s not a stupid woman. Even though it would be harder for
us
to spot
her
in a crowd, it’s far easier for
her
to spot
us
in the quiet aftermath of a shift change. Ryan’s right. She
is
scanning the area.”

Clearly, both men were right. Because Felicity parked in the visitors’ lot, then exited her car carrying a shopping bag, with a tote bag slung over her shoulder. She looked both ways several times, then turned to peer behind her.

Satisfied that no one was lying in wait, she picked up the pace, crossing over to the front walk and heading into the main entrance of the building.

Ryan glanced at his watch. “She should be showing up in the garden in the next five minutes.” He cued Gecko up, gave him the necessary command. “All set. Now we just sit back and watch the video show from inside the van.”

As he spoke, a view of the garden—and Linda—appeared on the screen. She looked tired, her head resting against the back of the chair, her gaze fixed on the red ribbon around her finger. “Soon,” they heard her tell the string. “My baby will be here soon.”

As if on cue, Felicity began to walk over. Even before the monitor confirmed that fact, it was apparent by Linda’s reaction. She sat up straighter, smiling and waving her hand.

“Hello, Mama.” Felicity leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. Then she sat down in the opposite chair and gave her the shopping bag, simultaneously placing her tote bag beside her on the grass.

“I brought you some of your favorites,” she announced, gesturing at the shopping bag. “Apples straight from the apple orchard, a box of cider doughnuts and two new nightgowns, both sleeveless and nylon, just the way you like them. I also brought you some new books to read, and this month’s gardening magazines.”

That made Linda happy. She leaned forward, lighting up as she surveyed the contents of the bag. “You’re so good to me. Such a good girl.”

“Here’s some more red string.” Felicity reached into her tote bag and produced a large spool of it. “Make sure you have them tie a piece around your finger next Wednesday morning.”

“I never forget,” Linda said proudly. “I always remind them.” She gazed firmly at Felicity. “Did you finish all your math homework? I can check it for you now.”

“That’s okay.” Felicity looked like a small child seeking her mommy’s approval. “I already checked the answers in the back of the book. I got most of them right. That’s because you helped me last time.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Linda beamed. “And I know you never look at the answers before you finish. You’re such a good girl.”

Felicity sat up straighter. Oddly, there were tears in her eyes, as if she knew on some level that the mother she’d loved was slipping away. “Do you know what else? I got a hundred on my spelling test. I wrote down all the words you taught me and the right way to spell them. I double-checked them when I was finished. I even used the dictionary. They were all right.”

“I’m so proud.” Linda clapped her hands together.

Felicity reached into her tote bag again, and pulled out some computer-generated photos. “I brought you pictures of our little girl. I know how excited you are about seeing her. I duplicated the photo that came out best, and put it in a frame. It’s in your shopping bag. You can keep it right beside you on your night table.”

Linda took the photos excitedly, perusing them, one by one. “She looks so much like you!” she cooed. “And I’m so glad you have her so you’re not lonely.” A flicker of sadness. “I wish I could see her. But you mustn’t take her out. Not anywhere. You know how scary the world is. And how bad things happen.” Linda leaned even closer, placing her index finger across her lips in a gesture of secrecy. “One of the nurses tried to take me down to the lake the other day. I wouldn’t let her. I know I would have fallen in. I would have died. I don’t want to die.”

“And you’re not going to,” Felicity said adamantly. “I won’t let you. We’ll share Krissy. We’ll both love her. And I’ll keep her safe. I promise.”

“You’ve kept her inside?”

“Just like you kept me. In her princess room. I even made her a special game for the computer. She likes computers, Mama. Just like me. Maybe she’ll be a web designer someday, like I am. She’ll get money without ever having to go out. Till then, I have the money in the big gym bag to take care of her. She’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. I’ll take care of her, like you take care of me. And if anyone tries to find us or hurt us, I’ll take her away. No one will know where we are but you.”

“Oh God.” Inside the van, Hope gripped the back of the seat. She’d been watching the scene over Ryan’s shoulder. “She’s going to run away. We’ve got to stop her.” She made a sharp move toward the van door.

Casey put an arm across her, stopping any sudden movements. Even though Marc had locked the buttons, she had to take Hope down a notch. Otherwise, she could start pounding on the windows and making a scene.

“Don’t,” Casey instructed. “Please, Hope. Let us do our jobs.”

Hope whirled around. “What if she takes Krissy and runs away? My daughter would be gone forever.”

“That’s not going to happen. The task force is prepared for anything. It’s not an accident that they’re letting this scene play out. If they storm in and grab Felicity, she might never reveal Krissy’s location. The kind of maternal commitment she feels for Krissy would make her put her own freedom and safety at risk before she’d risk endangering the child she thinks of as her own. The best way of making sure we find Krissy is to follow Felicity and let her lead us to your daughter.”

“But if that’s true, how could she leave Krissy alone in that prison? Who does she think is caring for her?”

“Felicity’s not thinking rationally. She’ll convince herself that somehow she’ll get back to her baby. We can’t trust the sanity of her reactions. We have to find Krissy firsthand.”

“What if Felicity panics and Krissy gets hurt?”

“Felicity is right here at Sunny Gardens, Hope. She’s not with Krissy. Which means that your daughter’s not in any imminent danger. Don’t fall apart on me now.”

“There’s an awful lot of staff milling around,” Ryan noted with a frown. “I don’t know how much they were told, but I wish they’d go about their business. We want things to look as normal as possible.”

At that moment, Felicity rose, telling Linda that she needed to use the ladies’ room. She left everything—her tote bag, and the shopping bag with all the goodies she’d brought—for Linda to enjoy. She then disappeared in the direction of the main building.

“Good,” Ryan said. “She’s going inside. Let’s use this time. I’ll give Jeri Koehler, the head nurse, a call, and tell her to page some of her personnel. That way, when Felicity gets back, she won’t have an audience waiting for her.”

He made the phone call on the private line Jeri had given him.

Soon afterward, the area around Linda began to clear.

“Smart move,” Casey praised Ryan. “We don’t want Felicity catching on to the surveillance.”

Fifteen minutes later, Casey wasn’t so sure.

“Where the hell is she?” she muttered. “It was a trip to the bathroom, not to the supermarket.”

“She might have stopped to talk to Linda’s doctor,” Marc suggested. “She left her tote bag, so I think we’re safe. Women don’t travel without their pocketbooks.”

“No, they don’t.” Casey was scooting over to the door, her reaction the antithesis of Marc’s. “Not even to the bathroom. Marc, unlock the buttons. And sit here with Hope.”

He complied at once, looping around and sliding in on the opposite side of the car, so Hope had no chance of following Casey.

“Where are you going?” Hope asked Casey in alarm.

“To make sure I’m not overreacting.” She wasn’t.

Because before Casey had taken her first step out of the van, she saw Peg jump out of her car and head over to Don’s, leaning in the window and waving her hand as she spoke. A minute later, a handful of agents and cops got out of their cars and scattered, some scrutinizing the parking lot, others making a beeline for the front door.

The top brass met Peg there, the hospital administrator clearly distraught.

Casey raced across the street and through the gates, charging up to the front door. “What’s happened?”

Peg turned to her. “One of the nurses was knocked out in the ladies’ room,” she replied tersely. “Her cap and uniform are missing. So are her car keys. And Felicity is nowhere to be found.”

As she spoke, Bob and Hutch flung open the doors and exited the building. “The nurse’s car is gone,” Bob reported. “Our offender must have used the electronic button on the key fob to find it. She took off out the back door. I’ve got the car’s make and model and the license plate.”

“Dammit.” Peg turned to the group of agents and cops around her. “Divide up. Guy, call the locals to cover the immediate area. Don, call the state police to patrol the highways. Will, check the closest car rentals, in case she does a dump and run like last time. And Jack, assemble a team to check the train and bus stations. She’s not getting away.”

Casey’s features tightened. “Peg, let me collect scent samples from the tote bag and chair in the garden for Hero to sniff. He’s a former Bureau dog. He’ll become familiar with Felicity’s scent. We might need it.”

Peg gave a hard nod. “Go.”

As Casey turned, a restraining hand clamped down on her forearm. She turned, staring into Hutch’s blazing eyes. “You can do your thing,” he bit out. “But that’s all. No creative tactics. Not this time. As for Hope Willis, keep her in that van. We don’t want her to leap out and screw this up. And we don’t want any of our people being put in the position of having to figure out who’s Hope and who’s Felicity.”

“I hear you loud and clear, Hutch.” Casey glanced down at her arm. “Now if you’d let me go, I’ll get to work.”

He released her at once.

Casey turned and sprinted back to the van, yanking open the door and giving this assignment to her Navy SEAL. “Marc, take Hero and get over to the garden,” she directed. “Very carefully, collect scent samples from everything Felicity touched.” She made brief eye contact with Marc. They understood each other perfectly. “Go now.”

“Done.” He was out of the van and around back, harnessing Hero and taking off. Simultaneously, Casey jumped into the backseat, and Ryan climbed out of the rear and ran around front, sitting in the driver’s seat and locking the buttons.