I See You (Criminal Profiler, #2)(47)

“What’s going on with Mark Foster?” Nikki asked. “My sources tell me he’s out of surgery and that he’s talking.”

“We have no comment at this time,” Vaughan said.

“I also understand that you found the family vehicle,” Nikki pressed.

Reporters had their sources within the police department, but unwanted leaks always frustrated law enforcement. “No comment.”

“Come on, guys, I’m a part of this case. I found Marsha Prince’s bones. You can’t tell me that my discovery had nothing to do with what went on in the Foster house this morning.”

Vaughan tightened his jaw and was silent for a moment before he shook his head. “Again, I can’t comment. I have a missing woman and a teenage girl to find.”

“I can help with that,” Nikki said. “I still have a decent social media presence. I can put the word out. Ask for tips on the women. You know most people will talk to media before the cops.”

“Speak to the department’s public information officer, Britta Smith.”

“Brit is great, but she’s young,” Nikki said. “She’s never worked a case that’s this high profile.”

Zoe drew in a measured breath, knowing she would be willing to ask for help very soon if this case did not break. She sensed Vaughan, who was always pragmatic, would do the same. “I’ll keep that in mind, Ms. McDonald. But right now, I have to find Hadley and Skylar Foster.”

As he opened his car door, she rushed to say, “I was just down in Fredericksburg. I visited with Becky Mahoney. She was having an affair with Larry Prince just before his daughter went missing.”

Annoyance surged through Zoe. The last thing she needed was a reporter interfering in one of her cases. “What did Mahoney say?” Zoe asked.

She locked eyes on Vaughan. “There were several guys in the shop who had a thing for Marsha.”

“We’ve heard that,” Vaughan said.

“Did you also hear that one of the guys went out with Hadley and Marsha?”

“Any idea what his name is or where he is?” Zoe asked.

“Not yet, but I’m looking for him. If I get a lead on the guy and he looks promising, I’ll give it to you. But when these two women are found, I’m collecting on what you owe me.”

“Why are you being so generous?” Vaughan asked.

“Getting kicked in the proverbial balls and tossed to the curb has a way of humbling your ass. Besides, whatever the hell is going on here is bigger than an evening newscast.”

“It’s a deal,” Vaughan said.

Zoe and Vaughan slid into the car, and the heat coiled around her now like an unwelcome wool blanket. She glanced in the rearview mirror at the reporter and watched her walking into the hospital. “McDonald’s greed and self-interest is oddly refreshing.”

“We’ll see if she sticks to her word.” He started the engine and turned up the air-conditioning.

“A press conference would be a good move at this point,” Zoe said.

“I know. I’m just not looking forward to the three-ring circus that will follow.”

She understood his hesitation. Once they went public with the case’s details and asked the public for tips and leads, they would be inundated with people with bad information or who wanted their fifteen minutes of fame.



Vaughan and Spencer crossed the marble entryway of Mark Foster’s sleek office building, located on the edge of Old Town. He punched the elevator button, and they were soon riding the car to the sixth floor.

Vaughan had called ahead, and the receptionist quickly escorted them both back to a conference room that overlooked the historic section of the city.

They did not have long to wait before the door opened to an older man with a thick shock of gray hair and tanned skin. “I’m Simon Davenport. I own the company. We heard what happened at the Foster house today, and none of us can believe it.”

Vaughan shook his hand. “We’re hoping you can help us make sense of it.”

“Sure. Anything.”

“How long has Mark been with this company?”

“Fourteen years in the Portland office, and eight months here. We were lucky he wanted to move back east. He’s one of the best forensic accountants in the business. If it’s hidden, he’ll find it.”

“So the move was strictly job related?” Spencer asked.

“No, he said it was a family issue. I do know he took a substantial pay cut to move back to Virginia. He’ll get a bonus at the end of the year if he performs, but in the interim, he took a financial hit.”

“Did he complain about money issues?” Vaughan asked.

Davenport shook his head. “He didn’t to me. But in the last few months, he’s been working a lot of overtime to close a case. It has the potential for a tremendous payout.”

“Did he talk about his family?” Spencer asked.

“Not so much about his wife, but he’s crazy about his kid. I think the move back to the DC area was for the daughter.”

“How so?”

“I learned from his Portland supervisor that the girl landed in some kind of legal trouble, and the family decided a fresh start was in order. From my perspective, it seemed to be working. The few times I met Skylar, she seemed like a delightful girl.”