Page 27 of Once Hidden
She leaned back in the chair, unsettled by the exchange.Was Timothy Lancaster truly an ally in this investigation?Or was this the opening move in some elaborate game she couldn’t yet see?Either way, she’d just entered into a bargain with a man whose mathematical brilliance was matched only by his capacity for violence.She could only hope that this time, history wouldn’t repeat itself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Riley shut down her tablet and tucked it into her bag.She found the idea of Timothy Lancaster keeping his video link open rather creepy.Maybe he was even still talking about his change of heart, but at least she could choose when to log back in and listen.And he had appeared to be working on those codes that no one else had been able to break.
She left the small office and closed the door behind her.
Rawley had said that Alstead was waiting in interrogation room two.The other end of the hallway,she guessed.Indeed, as she started walking in that direction, she spotted Ann Marie, Captain Hodge, and Chief Rawley clustered together.
“Did Lancaster give you anything useful?”Captain Hodge asked as she approached.
Riley shook her head.“Not yet—and it’s too soon to tell whether he’s really going to.But he claims that he wants to help us.Did you find out anything from Alstead?”
“No such luck,” Rawley said.“Marcus Alstead’s public defender showed up just now.Complete shutdown of the interrogation.We couldn’t get another word out of him.”
Riley wasn’t surprised.“To be honest, I don’t think we were going to get much anyway.”
“You don’t think he’s our guy?”Chief Rawley’s eyebrows rose.
Riley shook her head no.
Captain Hodge leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest.“I agree with Agent Paige.Marcus doesn’t fit.I’ve been working these cases long enough to know when something’s off.”
“We need to go over everything,” Rawley said.“In here.”
She indicated an open door, and they all moved into a small conference room, the space barely large enough for the four of them.They sat down and compared notes, going over the case and the arrest in detail—at least as much detail as they had so far.
Arranging the thoughts in her head, Riley explained, “Marcus was a convenient suspect, but the psychological profile doesn’t align.For one thing, the abductor we’re looking for is highly intelligent, capable of leaving clues that even our cryptographers are finding hard to crack.I don’t think Marcus is that bright.”
“Not nearly,” Chief Rawley admitted with a sigh.“So where does that leave us?”
“We still need to look into the disappearance of Cable Morris near Bundydale the night before last,” Riley said firmly.“I think we need to focus there now.”
“We should head out to Bundydale, then,” Captain Hodge said, checking the time.“It’s about an hour’s drive.If we leave now, we’ll still have a few good hours of daylight.”
“We need to let the authorities there know we’re on our way,” Riley said.
“I’ll call their local police chief,” Hodge said, pulling out his phone.“Abel Peckham is a good person – been chief there for almost fifteen years.Knows every back road and family secret in that county.He’ll work with us on this.”
Chief Rawley spoke slowly.“All right.I guess that you three need to be on your way.But keep me updated.”Then the police chief left to oversee her local issues.
The others gathered their materials, the meeting breaking up with a sense of renewed purpose.Captain Hodge stepped outside to make his call to Chief Peckham, his voice a low rumble in the hallway.
Riley collected her notes, tucking them into her bag while Ann Marie hovered nearby, clearly wanting to say something.
“What is it?”Riley asked, not unkindly.
“I was just wondering...Timothy Lancaster.What’s he like?I’ve read the case file, but—” Ann Marie hesitated.
Riley zipped her bag closed with more force than necessary.“Brilliant.Disturbed.And damned hard to read.At this point, I have no idea whether he’s really trying to help or if he’s playing me.”
Ann Marie absorbed all this with the serious expression Riley had come to appreciate.For all her cheerfulness, the young agent understood darkness when she encountered it.
They walked out to the parking lot together.Captain Hodge was already heading toward his State Police vehicle, raising a hand in acknowledgment as he passed.“See you there,” he called as he climbed into his car.
Riley unlocked their sedan and got into the driver’s seat while Ann Marie settled in the other side, immediately pulling out her tablet to review the Cable Morris file.As she navigated out of the parking lot, Riley adjusted the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of her own tired eyes.
“What do you think we’ll find in Bundydale?”Ann Marie asked.
