Her Silent Cry (Detective Josie Quinn Book 6)(29)

“What about Amy? Anything interesting in her past?” Josie asked.

Trinity sighed. “No. Her life is as boring as the day is long. Lived in New York City for over seven years before she met Colin. Took odd jobs, mostly waitressing work to keep a small, shitty apartment in Brooklyn that she occasionally shared with roommates. I could only find one of the roommates. She had nothing to offer. Amy was nice, quiet, kept to herself.”

Between the death threats from his job and his money, Colin was looking like the most probable reason behind Lucy’s kidnapping. Someone was out to either punish him or just get a big payoff.

Trinity said, “I’ll keep digging since I just heard from a reliable source that the FBI is now involved. I shouldn’t let you know what I find since you won’t tell me anything, but I will because you’re my sister.”

“And because you care,” Josie pointed out. “You care that a seven-year-old girl’s life is on the line.”

“Caring is overrated, dear sister,” Trinity said.

“Liar.”

Trinity laughed. “We’ll talk soon.”

Josie ended the call and trudged up the steps where Noah could already be heard snoring. She collapsed into the bed next to him, and a few minutes later, she felt Noah’s hand slide into hers. Their fingers interlaced, and she fell asleep instantly.





Seventeen





Josie woke to the sounds of Misty, Harris and Pepper downstairs. She checked her phone but there was no news. Lucy Ross had not been found. The kidnapper hadn’t called yet. Beside her, Noah stirred, his hand reaching for her. She turned toward him and pressed herself against his body, resting her cheek on his bare chest. He pulled her into him, his fingers brushing through her hair. “You have guests,” he said.

“I know,” Josie mumbled. “She’s kind of freaked out right now.”

“You think she made coffee?”

Josie laughed. “I’m sure she did. She’s got a two-year-old and a full-time job. She’s chronically sleep-deprived.”

“You haven’t had coffee in a few days,” Noah said.

“What?”

He pressed a kiss into her scalp. “You think I haven’t noticed?”

“That I haven’t had coffee?”

“That you haven’t been feeling well.”

“It’s stress,” Josie said dismissively. “With your mother passing, the case, and now this little girl.”

“It hits hard, doesn’t it?” Noah said. “Lucy Ross.”

A lump formed in Josie’s throat. “Yes.”

He hugged her close. She felt his breath on her forehead. “Let’s get to work, then.”





Josie texted Mettner and Gretchen to find out where they were—both had slept as long as she and Noah, which was most of the day—and promised to meet them at the mobile command center in a half hour. Josie and Noah showered and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Misty had made them an early dinner that was so delicious, Josie was tempted to ask her to move in permanently. On the way to the command center, Josie texted Oaks who said he’d meet them there to brief them.

Gretchen showed up armed with coffee and Danishes, but Josie could only stomach one cheese Danish before the nausea overcame her once more. She drank some water instead, willing her unruly stomach to settle as Oaks went over everything his team had accomplished while Josie and her team rested up.

“We got nothing from the note. No prints. The paper was just standard copy paper that could have been obtained at any office supply store, and the ink appears to be regular blue ink found in any common ballpoint pen,” Oaks began. The four of them sat at one of the card tables while Oaks stood at the head. “We talked with the park manager who looked inside the carousel column. One of the poles that controlled some of the horses had been disabled.”

“So when they started the ride, it would have been a problem,” Josie said.

“Right,” Oaks went on. “Several of the horses wouldn’t have moved up and down while the ride was in motion, so someone would have had to go into the column where they would have found Lucy’s backpack.”

“What about the other leads?” Josie asked.

Oaks continued, “Sex offenders checked out. They’re all accounted for and have alibis for when Lucy went missing. The parents who were at the park check out. No red flags. We did, however, find seventy-four credible threats to Mr. Ross related to the cancer drug he told us about last night.”

“Well,” Gretchen said. “That seems a lot more significant than he initially let on.”

“We think he was trying not to scare his wife,” Oaks said. “Quarmark’s legal department had already reported these threats to the local police. No one appeared to have any active plans to kill or harm Mr. Ross. My team has alibied half of those seventy-four people so far for Lucy’s kidnapping. We should have the rest checked out within the next twenty-four hours.”

Josie felt a wave of relief. It would have taken her small department weeks to do the work the FBI was able to accomplish in less than a day.

Oaks continued, “We took a closer look at the nanny and she checks out. She’s been in Colorado visiting her family for the weekend just like Mrs. Ross said. Her travel plans were made several months ago. We can’t link her to anyone who might have had the desire, wherewithal or capability of pulling off a kidnapping. She gave us permission to search her apartment, and her landlord let us in. Nothing unusual there. We interviewed a few of her friends and professors. Nothing suspect. She said she’d let us know as soon as she’s back in town which should be sometime today.”