“Fuck you.”

“And Makitalo doesn’t swear at me. Go see your son. Tell him to stay strong for his sister. How are the rest of them handling it?”

“Shitty.”

“As to be expected. Any developments?”

Mason gave him a brief rundown on the minivan and ransom note.

“A note? So there’s going to be some action downtown tonight?”

“We’ll see. I don’t think anything will come of it. I firmly believe it’s some sick person trying to make a buck.”

“What’s the FBI think?” Ray asked.

“They’re looking at everything. These are the two biggest leads we’ve had, and they’re throwing everything they’ve got at them. If they think the ransom note is a joke, I’m not hearing that from them. They know better than to blow it off. You can bet there will be some heavily armed agents surrounding that bench tonight. I pity the guy who tries to take on the FBI when they’re hunting a child abductor.”

“I asked around about Special Agent McLane. She’s got a good rep. I found one guy who’d dealt with her on an earlier case. He sang her praises. Said she got him everything he needed before he even knew he needed it. She’s smart as a whip and down-to-earth.”

“Yeah, she seems okay,” Mason admitted.

“Just okay?”

“She appears very sharp. She communicates well with the women and Jake. They’re all relieved to have her in the house, and she seems to genuinely care about everyone involved.” Mason remembered the look on Ava’s face as she’d rushed in with the news of the ransom note. She’d been flushed from the cold, her eyes sparkling from the excitement of the new lead. For a split second, he’d been simultaneously terrified that she had horrendous news and electrified by her female appeal. The adrenaline had lit her up in a way that’d struck him deep in his chest.

Mason felt peculiar about the attraction at such an inappropriate time. Work and relationships were kept far apart in Mason’s life. He’d watched too many pairs of cops heat it up and then explode in the aftermath. The job and one’s personal life were best kept worlds apart.

He missed a question from Ray, caught up in his Ava distraction. “What?”

“I asked what they found out about Lilian’s ex with the sexual predator history?”

“I’ll find out the results of their interview today. I’ll let you know.”

Mason signed off the call. It’d felt good to hear Ray’s vote of confidence. He’d never been in a position where a bunch of red arrows pointed directly at him. He knew he was innocent, so why was everything going to hell in his life?

Who had it in for him?

He’d watched Mason leave the police building, and through his binoculars from his hidden perch a hundred yards away, he’d seen how deflated the man was.

Glee swept through him. Suffer. You deserve every moment.

Mason Callahan was going to lose his job and every ounce of credibility. Wait until the newspapers picked up the story of the dirty cop. A man who brutalized and then murdered his confidential informant.

It’d been incredibly easy to hook the whore on meth. He’d supplied it for free for several weeks until she’d started seeking him out to get more. It’d been fascinating to watch her spiral into addiction.

He’d worked so hard to place the dominos, and now they were tipping over in perfect unison. At the end was Callahan’s sanity.

Served him right.

Three hours to go.

Ava had run to the grocery store with Robin. The woman had wanted to get out of the house, but didn’t know what to do. The last thing they needed was groceries. The house had been swamped with food from neighbors and friends. But Robin needed to bake. It gave her something to do and kept her from going crazy, so Ava supported her.

They’d taken Ava’s vehicle after sneaking Robin into the car and hiding her in the backseat. The media and cameras had watched them pass and ignored them as she drove off. She’d blown out a deep breath.

At the store, Robin loaded up on flour, sugar, butter, and chocolate. Ava grabbed yogurt and bottled water. Robin was distracted in the store, unable to focus on her short list.

“Don’t look at people. Just get what you need, and we’ll get out of here,” Ava instructed.

“It doesn’t feel normal,” Robin said, steering the cart down the wide aisle. “Everything feels off-balance and too bright. Why is this one little trip exhausting me?”

Ava knew she didn’t mean the brightness of the fluorescent lights in the store. “It’s the waiting. The waiting is getting to you. Every nerve in your body is on high alert and braced for a phone call or word from the police. It’s sapping your energy. And your calm.”

Robin nodded. “Exactly. I just want it to be over. I miss my little girls. I want Kindy and Kylie to come home,” she said softly. “It’s so hard that I can’t hug them when I need to.”

“You’ve talked with them, right?”

“Yes, they’re having a wonderful time at my parents’. It’s like a vacation for them.”

“And they haven’t asked any questions about the agents keeping an eye on the home?” Ava asked.

“No. They haven’t said anything to me. I doubt they’d notice. They’re simply too young. My parents are grateful the agents are there. I miss my mom, too.”

“They don’t have to stay away. It’s good to have family around you right now.”