29

Did anyone come through here last night? After two a.m.?” Logan asked the officer standing guard near the food court entrance.

“No one came past me except Agent Wong,” he said. “He came downstairs for some hot chocolate. Went right back up. That was it.”

Logan took a deep breath, trying to settle himself. “Did anyone check out of this building last night?”

“Sure. Some of the folks in training this week. Staff. Agents through with their shifts. They don’t live here, you know. They’re allowed to go home.”

“Look, Agent Quinn is missing, and she didn’t just grow wings and fly out the window. Plus, we have a dead police officer upstairs,” Logan said. “I’m sorry if I’m taking my frustration out on you, but right now all I care about is finding out why the officer died and getting my agent back. I might be overreacting, but she’s not the kind of person to go off without telling someone where she’d be. Will you check the gates to see who left either late last night or early this morning?”

The officer’s expression softened. “Okay. I understand. I’ll call the gates and check the tapes from the security cameras. I’ll also check with the staff and other officers. Can you describe her? I think I know which agent she is, but . . .”

Logan gave him a thorough description, which the officer wrote down.

“Thanks,” Logan said as soon as he was finished. “As fast as you can, okay? If we don’t find her quickly, I’ll have to bring in someone from the Washington field office.”

“Sure. I get it.”

The officer hurried away.

Logan headed back to the food court. “They’re calling the gate at the Marine base as well as the officers at the west gate,” he told his team. “I want to wait here until I hear from them.”

“I feel so stupid,” Alex said. “How could I not know she was missing?” She sighed. “The last time I saw her was right before she went into the bathroom to take a shower. I fell asleep.” She shook her head. “I don’t remember hearing her come out. I slept really well last night. Never heard her leave the room.”

Logan noticed Ben standing close enough to hear everything they were saying. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“You finished your profile, right? Chief Gorman sent Julie and me over to see if you had anything else for him. And to find out if you need anything more from us before we check out of our motel.”

“I’m glad he did. Do you mind helping us look for Kaely?”

“Of course not. When did you notice she was missing?”

Logan quickly brought Ben up to speed.

“So she could have been gone all night?” Ben asked.

“It’s possible,” Alex said. “Her bed wasn’t made when I got up, but you can’t tell much from that. I don’t make my bed every morning.” She frowned. “I think she would’ve left me a note to let me know if she left early for some reason. She wouldn’t want me to worry.” She shrugged. “At this point, I have no idea where she might be.”

“Break up into teams and look for her,” Logan said. “I’ll stay on this floor in case someone down here saw her. I also want to find out if the security cameras caught her. Monty, you’re in charge of the search teams. This will have to be quick. If we don’t find her within the next hour, I’m calling the WFO for help.”

As he walked away from his team, he prayed that time wasn’t running out for Kaely Quinn.

Monty pointed at Todd. “You and Robin check the first floor, then head over to the library. Maybe she went there. Bethany, you check out the second floor. Alex just told us all the rooms are being checked by police officers, but I’d like one of us to look around too. Kaely could be somewhere they might miss. Just don’t touch anything. Tell Officer Driscoll I sent you. If you have a problem, call me. I’ll come up there.”

“Let me do that,” Alex said. “I want to check our room to see if there’s anything there that might tell me where Kaely could be.”

“Okay, but then come back down as soon as you can. I really don’t think Kaely would leave the building, but I guess it’s not impossible. So I want you to drive through the grounds. Check for any signs that she might be somewhere on the property. Bethany, why don’t you go with her?”

“Could I go?” Ben asked. “The rest of you trained here. I’ve never seen Hogan’s Alley. I know this isn’t the best time to ask . . .”

Alex couldn’t blame him. As a simulated town constructed to teach investigative techniques, firearms skills, and defensive tactics, Hogan’s Alley was an interesting area. Scenarios involved investigations of terrorist activities, planning and making arrests, processing evidence at crime scenes, conducting interviews and searches, using ballistic shields as protection, and clearing areas and buildings so they’re safe to enter. Agent trainees weren’t allowed to carry live weapons. Instead, they were issued guns with no firing pin. Their actual handguns were secured in the academy’s gun vault and used only for firearms training.

The town consisted of a bank, post office, drugstore, laundromat, hardware store, barber shop, pool hall, and even a theater. The Biograph was modeled after the theater in Chicago where the FBI took down John Dillinger in 1934. Of course, it wasn’t a real theater. It actually housed an FBI office.

“No, that’s fine,” Monty said. “You two drive around the campus. If you see anything that concerns you, don’t get out of the car. Lock the doors and call me. I’ll order an SUV for you.”

“Okay,” Alex said. “I’ll get my coat while I’m up there.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go upstairs with you?” Ben asked.

Alex shook her head. “At least one officer is posted there. I’ll be safe. But thanks.”

“Bethany, you come with Nathan and me,” Monty said. “We’ll check out the Washington and Madison dorms. The training class was housed in Washington, so someone could still be there. Robin, Todd, check the gym, the pool, and the weight room. I need everyone back here within forty-five minutes.” His gaze scanned the team. “Call me if you find anything or have any questions.”

Monty looked around. “Where’s Julie?”

“She was here a little while ago,” Ben said. “She doesn’t know what’s going on.”

“Okay. We’ll find her as we’re looking for Kaely and bring her up to speed.” Monty frowned at the group. “Any questions?”

No one said anything. Monty hesitated for a moment, then said, “Okay, everyone. Let’s get going.”

Alex started to leave but then stopped. “Could you get the car, Ben? You could be warming it up instead of waiting around down here. I’ll catch up to you.”

“I’ll get one of the officers to meet you in the parking lot,” Monty told Ben. “He’ll get you an SUV.”

Ben nodded. “Okay.” He turned and headed out.

Alex hurried to the elevator. She really did intend to quickly check out all the second-floor rooms again, but she also had something else in mind. She needed a few minutes to herself, without anyone else around. When she got out of the elevator, she told Driscoll she had permission to go to her room.

“Have all the rooms been gone through yet?” she asked him.

“We’ve searched every single one,” Shawn said. “They’re good.”

“Okay. Thanks. I need my coat, and I want to take a look around our room one more time to make sure we didn’t miss anything. You’ve probably heard Agent Quinn is missing.”

Driscoll frowned. “Okay, but make it quick. There really shouldn’t be anyone up here until the floor is officially cleared.”

“I understand. I won’t be long.” She felt a little guilty deciding not to look through the other rooms for Kaely after all, but she was confident the officers had done a good job. Besides, something told her Kaely wasn’t in the building.

She’d just finished talking to Driscoll when the elevator doors opened and a man with a medical bag stepped off. He was with two other people wearing jackets that identified them as being from the medical examiner’s office.

“Sorry we took so long,” the man with the bag said. “The snow slowed us down.” He was clearly in charge and obviously the ME. “Where’s our victim?” he asked.

Driscoll turned his attention to him while Alex rushed to her room. This was taking too long.

After she pulled the door shut, she did a quick search of the room. Nothing told her where Kaely was. Then she grabbed the files on the table, the ones Kaely had been going through. She took a deep breath and sat down. “God, I need You to show me the truth,” she prayed out loud. “Please help me find Kaely. And please, Lord, keep her safe.” What was that Scripture she’d heard in church? “Your Word says You give Your angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways, so I’m believing that Your angels are with her. Watching over her. And over me right now.” She had to believe that God would protect her, and that she wouldn’t see the dark image that had appeared the last time she’d tried this.

She calmed herself and stared at the chair on the other side of the table. She knew how little time she had. Could she do this? And could she do it in time?

“Okay, we know you’re angry. Most of what you’ve done so far was directed at John Davis. But you’re continuing to kill. And you’re taking chances. Why? If you really cared only about Davis . . .” She paused as something popped into her mind. “Maybe you really don’t care about these other killings. They’re just . . . incidental. You are just using them to direct our attention away from the first killing.” Although she’d suggested this before, no one had really explored the possibility. As Alex tried to see the case in a new way, something Sherlock Holmes said drifted into her thoughts. “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Alex didn’t see anyone in the chair across from her. Maybe her imagination wasn’t as vivid as Kaely’s. But she suddenly knew what had been bothering her about this case. She took another minute to consider the possibility. Could it be? Why hadn’t she seen this before?

She took her phone out of her pocket and called Logan. He didn’t answer, so she sent him a text, asking him to meet her in the food court. Then she grabbed her coat and started to leave the room. But at the last second, she turned back and removed her vest from her go bag. After slipping it on and adjusting her holster, she left the room, took the elevator to the first floor, and jogged to the food court to wait for Logan.