Crush(111)

He gunned it and the engine roared. “No. I called an old buddy on the force in Sudbury; no signs of anyone, anywhere.”

I took a deep breath.

“I also called Blanchet.”

My head whipped in his direction.

“It was close enough to the twenty-four hours.”

“And?”

“Turns out Michael reported her missing early this morning.”

My head snapped in Miles’s direction. “O’Shea reported her missing?”

That wasn’t good news at all. That meant he really didn’t know where she was.

“We’re monitoring his office calls, so if anyone contacts him there we’ll know.”

Unable to take anymore, I shook my head. “And what about calls to his cell and house?”

“I’m working on that.”

“When will it be done?”

“I had to ask for help. I got four guys on it. Hopefully within the hour.”

I pointed ahead to the road, where I eyed the cars stacked up, their red taillights a glowing line, their exhaust trailing white flares of smoke. The day was overcast and cold again. The traffic looked bad for miles, and it was at least an hour drive to Devens without it. I linked my hands behind my head. All I wanted to do was plow through the cars.

Like magic, Miles reached under his dash and pulled out a siren.

“No f*cking way.”

The grin on his face was one I’d hardly ever seen. And he opened his window and jammed that thing onto his roof.

With a small glimmer of hope that had no right being anywhere in my chest, I looked over at him. “I f*cking love you, man.”

“You better. I’m breaking so many laws right now.” He punched the gas and off we flew through the traffic, weaving in and out and around the line of cars.

We hadn’t even known each other a month, and he was putting himself out there to help me, which only proved it wasn’t how long you knew someone that mattered but the relationship you forged.

And the one I’d forged with Elle was unbreakable.

I was going to find her.

We were going to spend the rest of our lives together.

Interstate 90 was a breeze to get to on the Miles Express. My gaze was out the window, my mind a scattered mess of thoughts. Elle had to be okay. Why hadn’t anyone heard anything from her kidnapper, though? That’s what bothered me the most. If she wasn’t kidnapped for a ransom of some kind, why was she taken?

There was a green and white sign on the side of the road that read boston university school of theology. “Holy f*ck!” I pounded the window with my fist.

Miles jerked his head my way but kept up his speed. “What is it, man?”

My head snapped back as if Miles could read the sign even after we passed it. “When I went to see Tommy in prison and he told me he suspected O’Shea had killed his wife, he said something I totally disregarded as babble.”

“You know the police have no evidence that leads to O’Shea. He has a tight alibi, so chances are it was babble.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, but that’s not what I’m saying. Tommy told me the Priest had taken Lizzy.”

Route 2 was ahead and Miles eased off the gas. “I’m not following.”

“What if all this time we thought Lizzy abandoned O’Shea, she hadn’t really left him but she’d been held captive?”

Miles’s head nodded slowly. “I’m following you now, but what about the videos? They were filmed last month.”

I sighed. “I know, but if those men were tests of some kind?”

“And she failed.”

“She’d have still been held. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“What about when we saw her on the hotel footage with Tommy?”

“Maybe she’d gotten free and that’s why she was sneaking around. Why she was trying to contact Elle, but not Michael. Why she didn’t see her kid.”

Miles nodded. “It makes sense. It also makes sense that the Priest was the man behind the door in the videos.”

“And the one calling Elle.”

Miles nodded again.

“We have to find the Priest.”

“Another visit to Michael?”

I nodded. “Once we get back. What other choice do we have?”

“Not many. I’ve exhausted my resources. They’ve all heard of him but no one has seen him, nor do they know where to find him. I can bring in some guys from the Gang Unit, but it’s going to cost you.”

“However much, I don’t care.” I checked my watch, the one my grandfather Ryan had given me, and for once was thankful for the trust fund he’d set up for me, for the fact that money would never be an obstacle in getting Elle back.

“And Patrick?” he asked.

“My old man is set to meet with him this afternoon.”

The rain had stopped about thirty minutes ago. Finally. And was replaced by blasting sunshine. With the change in weather, we arrived at the wildlife refuge in record time considering we were coming all the way from the East End.

A blue-shirted county sheriff’s deputy was blocking the way down the road, the road the Mercedes was found abandoned on.

Miles rolled down his window. “Hey, man. Can you let me pass?”