Page 116 of Now Until Forever
What it could be that would necessitate three people had to be the collateral, she had no idea. She didn’t want to wonder about that.
Chief Chaudhary nodded. “In the event that happens, please contact the police department as soon as you hear something.”
Eliana nodded.
Tony patted her arm and leaned over. “The Board of Governors won’t let anything happen to you.”
She glanced at him, unsure whether that was going to turn out to be a positive thing. More likely, it could very well be a trap of an entirely different kind.
Special Agent Fox said, “The FBI has been looking into Carolena Diaz since her disappearance. Prior to your arrival in Chicago, she was close friends with Raquel Maloney. What we found indicates they spent a considerable amount of time together, not so much time conversing online or via messaging.”
“So you think the reason Carolena hasn’t shown up is because she’s also part of the Reverence Sisters? Is that it?” Eliana shook her head. “There’s no way she’s one of them. She wouldn’t have been friends with me for so long and never even mentioned any religion, Bible study, or anything. In fact, her lifestyle seemed more like the opposite. I was trying to witness to her, not the other way around.”
“It’s a lead we are going to follow,” Fox responded.
Eliana glanced at Chief Chaudhary. “If Detectives Wallace and Maloney are really working for someone else, will another set of investigators be working the Shrine murders?”
The chief glanced at Sylvia, then replied to Eliana, “In the light of these disappearances and the tight timing of wanting to find them before the worst happens, the murder investigations will be put on the back burner.”
“That might be exactly what she wants you to do.” Eliana looked at Sylvia. “It’s probably the reason why she’s gotten away with it for so long. Because something else happens, and everyone is distracted by it.”
Sylvia shot her a pointed look. “We won’t let that happen.”
Chief Chaudhary said, “I’d like to know who the ‘she’ is that you are referring to.”
Before Eliana could explain to a room full of people that she had a conversation with Lydia Rosenberg last night, Sylvia said, “The Shrine is following its own line of investigation, but our inquiries aren’t yet complete. At such time as we are able to provide the police department with actual evidence to support our suppositions, that is precisely what we will do.”
Eliana frowned. If it took being that diplomatic to be the director of the Shrine, she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to do it. Regardless of what anyone else here intended for her future. Or Tony’s thoughts about destiny.
Special Agents Fox and Glor turned to Sylvia and the police department chief. The four of them started an animated conversation among themselves.
Eliana went back to her coffee while several of the scientists around the room got up and headed out. She glanced at Tony and saw the tattoo on his forearm, where he’d rolled up his sleeves.Bear.Another thing she didn’t want to get stalled out thinking on for too long. Distracted from what she should actually be doing.
Not that she entirely understood what that was.
Eliana had tried to call Maloney or Wallace last night, using the business card Wallace had given her. Of course, there had been no answer, and why would there be? They already had everything they wanted. What did they need to gain from her? Someone, somewhere, was rearranging pieces on the board.
Kind of like the game Lydia had said they were going to play.
But if this really was the work of the Mother and not Lydia Rosenberg, they still had no clue who she was and few avenues to find out.
Tony looked at his watch. A second later, he smacked the outside of her arm with the back of his hand, like a light tap. “Come on.” He pushed his chair back and stood.
She did the same. “What is it?”
“You’ll see.”
She rolled her eyes, but given his expression, she didn’t think it was bad. It seemed more like he thought it was the good kind of surprise. “I’m not sure how much more I can handle.”
“I know.” Tony glanced over as they walked. “I want to tell you we’ll get them back, but I can’t make promises I won’t be able to keep. All I can do is tell you that we’re doing everything we can to find them.”
Eliana let out a slow breath, sick to her stomach with worry. The muscles in her throat tight from nearly being strangled.
He slowed at the door to the public part of the museum, on the ground floor.
“I don’t doubt that.” She pushed through the door, eager to get this over with. “But the bottom line is the Reverence Sisters took them, and we have no idea who the Mother is.”
“I might be able to help with that,” a familiar voice said.
