LUKE THOUGHT FOR a long minute before responding to Abby.

“I think we should try to meet him.” He’d pulled over and stopped so they could talk about it.

“What?” Abby stared. He could see that she didn’t believe what she was hearing. “I almost lost you because of an obsession over meeting this guy, which you’ve even told me you think will probably turn out to be nothing. I think I should just lay it down now and forget it.”

“I’ll agree that I’ve been the biggest skeptic. But now that the guy is available, why not talk to him? It may be what you’ve finally wanted after all these years; it may not be anything. But you’ll know, one way or another. And we’ll do it together.”

She shook her head. “Maybe I’m tired. But I can’t help but think about Victoria Napier. Her broken collarbone was practically sticking through the skin, and she was still screaming about getting Stuart.”

She gripped his hand. He could see her eyes begin to fill. She held his gaze, and Luke’s heart melted at the pain he saw there.

“Luke, I don’t want to be that woman. So consumed with the need for revenge, so unforgiving, full of hate. It changed the way she looked.”

“Abby, you are so far from Victoria it’s not funny. Maybe for a bit there I was afraid that vengeance was on your mind, but not now. Now I see a woman fighting for justice —justice for those who have no voice. Just because those victims are your parents doesn’t mean that you’re frothing at the mouth like Victoria.”

“But it scares me, if there is a morsel there, that I’ll want to keep digging. Pastor Terry said people like me can hold on to the hurt and be afraid to let it go —”

He stopped her with a kiss. “You won’t because I won’t let you. Besides, I’ve seen your heart in this. You want the truth and you want a court to see the truth and make a judgment. Honestly, if there’s nothing here, would you hold on with your fingernails and keep digging?”

Abby sniffled and sat up straighter. “I never thought of that. I’ve moved forward believing that there is something to find. But . . .” She shook her head, frowning. “I wouldn’t like it, but if there is truly nothing here, I’d really have to let go.”

“And you would. I know you believe that God has this. You have the faith to let go and trust him for all of it.”

He could see a change move over her features. Finally she sighed and smiled. His chest tightened with love for her.

“Luke, you’re right. When I look up, let go of the tunnel vision, and consider the whole picture, you’re right. I may not ever see Alyssa brought to justice, but God is a God of justice; he’s got this whole mess whether I get to see it now or not.”

“Amen.” He leaned over and pulled her close, relishing her warmth and quiet strength, wishing they were done and on the way home but knowing that they needed to do this one last thing.

“It’s okay to call him back and tell him we’ll meet with Mike and listen to him, no matter what he has to say.” Luke brushed her lips with his.

“I will,” she said. “And I love the sound of we.”

“I’m so glad that you’re safe now,” Pastor Terry said when Abby called him back. “I probably left that message as you were . . .” His voice trailed off; then he continued. “I told Mike what happened, and he said he’d hang around, wait to meet you. You’ve been through so much.”

“Thank you. I’m okay now, and I do want to meet with Padre Mike.” Abby put a hand to her forehead, suddenly unsure of what day it was. A whole lifetime seemed to have passed since she met Pastor Terry. “Uh, what day is it?”

“Saturday.” Luke and Terry spoke at the same time.

“That’s right. I . . . uh, we can be at church tomorrow. Would Mike come there?”

“I think that he’d rather meet you at the homeless camp. But I’ll check with him to be sure and call you back. We’ve been praying for you. I bet you have quite a story to tell.”

“I pray that he’ll have something for us,” Luke said as she disconnected.

“Me too. What a message to miss. And I haven’t even played all of my messages.” She listened to the next one and it was nearly as eye-opening as the last. The cigarette-roughened voice of Gunther assaulted her ears.

“Abby, I’ve got a source telling me a bomb is about to drop regarding Governor Rollins. You may be right about who sprang Kelsey. They just arrested a firefighter who they believe helped her escape. If Alyssa was behind this like you think, the ceiling is likely to fall in on her soon. They’re investigating who footed the bill. Call me when you get a chance. This is really big.”

She played it for Luke as he pulled into the hospital parking lot.

“Maybe we’ve hit the mother lode there. And even if Alyssa is hiding something, this news makes it a moot point.”

Abby tried calling Gunther as Luke parked but got his voice mail. All she could do until Gunther called her again was watch a news report. In any event, Abby was now wide-awake. Woody was still sound asleep in the backseat, his arm around the also-slumbering Boomer.

“Think we should wake him?” Luke asked.

Abby shook her head. “He spent hours with an IED around his neck. I think he deserves a rest. Orson will understand.”

They quietly got out of the car. As they walked toward the hospital, Abby caught her reflection in a window. It brought her up short. She stopped and brought a hand to her head.

“I’m a mess. I look as if I’ve been dragged through the dust for miles.” She tried to straighten her hair with her fingers, turning around to see Luke chuckling.

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, raising his hands. “I think you look great. A little tired maybe, but awesome.” He took her arm. “In any event, Orson isn’t going to mind.”

She laughed and let him pull her along.

They continued into the hospital and took the elevator to the third floor. A tall, blond man with an FBI jacket was waiting for them. He didn’t look happy.

“Nice of you to answer my phone calls, Murphy.”

Luke threw his hands up. “Sorry, just didn’t have anything to tell you. And I was a little busy.”

“I’m just glad it’s Orson you work for. We might have issues.”

“Fair enough. This is Agent Skip Purcell,” he said to Abby. “He’s Orson’s friend.”

“Detective Hart, it’s an honor. I hear you kept your cool under some tough circumstances.”

“I’m here in one piece. How’s Orson?”

“Ornery, as always. But they tell me he’ll be fine. They also airlifted the officer Napier shot, Winnen, and brought him here. He got out of surgery a little while ago. The San Luis cops might want to talk to you.”

Abby nodded. She was prepared for that. Winnen’s phone, with the statement she’d recorded, had been handed over to the officer who responded to the storage yard. She’d thought Winnen would die, but the medics told her they had him stable before they left. Now the battle would be if he retracted his statement. But even if he did, they had cause to lean on Considine.

Before they went into Orson’s room, Abby stopped and looked back at Purcell. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Depends on the favor.”

“Can you check on the progress of another agent’s investigation?”

He gave a half shrug. “What’s this about?”

Abby told him what Gunther had said about the arrest of the firefighter who helped Kelsey Cox escape.

He shook his head. “You go talk to Todd. I’ll see what I can do about this, okay?”

“Okay.” Abby walked into the room and saw a worried Faye there at Orson’s bedside, holding the hand that was not bandaged. Seeing the concern in her face made Abby feel bad for all the angst she’d wasted about Luke and Faye. Obviously Faye’s thoughts were focused elsewhere.

The injured agent was sitting up, his right arm resting on a pillow and encased in a cast that looked like a torture device, rods poking out here and there. His face brightened when he saw Luke and Abby, but he still looked tired, and Abby bet he was under the influence of some powerful painkillers.

“Hey, it’s great to see that you’re okay. When I saw that car fly by me, I knew something was off.”

“I’m very happy you’re all right as well. I feared he hit you but couldn’t tell how bad. How’s the arm?”

“I got so much metal in this arm now I’ll set off every airport screener. But the doctor thinks he saved me. I’ll still be able to use the hand. Nothing else but scratches. Oh, and I’m filled up with some awfully good drugs right now, so don’t ask me for any secrets or promises.” He winked at Faye, and Luke laughed.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Luke said. “How much do you know about everything that happened?”

“Faye has kept in touch with Skip. Between the two of them, I’m up to speed. And I’m grateful Woody is okay. Dodged a bullet there.” Orson looked chagrined. “I’m so sorry I said yes to that job. Never should have helped her out.”

“I’m sorry too,” Faye said, “that you listened to my two cents.”

“Don’t say that,” Abby said. “Napier is in custody. It was a backdoor way to do it, but it’s all good.”

“What about Victoria?” he asked.

“I haven’t heard. I know that she was injured, looked like a broken collarbone, but I don’t know what’s going on with her.”

He yawned. “Well, you two get some rest. Thanks for all your hard work. Tell Woody I said the same.”

Luke chuckled. “You bet, buddy.”

When they stepped out of the room, Purcell was waiting for them, arms folded, stern expression on his face. “I just put my head in a beehive because of you.”

“What?”

“Who told you what you told me, about the arrest of a firefighter?”

“I’m not going to get anyone in trouble. What is going on?”

He looked around as if to make certain no one was listening, then pulled her and Luke aside and spoke in a whisper. “I hope it was a law enforcement source because this can’t hit the press yet. They did arrest a firefighter for assisting in the escape of a sentenced prisoner. And it seems he’s got a conscience; he’s singing his heart out. The team is now looking at someone who is close to the governor of the state. Can you believe that?”

Abby nodded. “Yeah, I guess I can.”

Purcell shook his head. “It blew my mind. At first they weren’t listening to the firefighter until they discovered that there were irregularities in the escaped prisoner’s detention. She was held in Long Beach way longer than she should have been. The reason —because the governor’s office requested it.”

Abby frowned, sure more than ever that Rollins freed Kelsey but wondering at the brazen stupidity of the move. “He could have pardoned her if he wanted her free. It’s not like she was waiting for an appeal.”

“That’s right. It’s pretty unprecedented and it lent credence to the firefighter’s story. Says he thinks the prisoner was kept in LB to give someone time to plan the breakout.”

“Wait.” Abby stopped him, head spinning. “If he was paid to cut her free, then —”

“The accident that caused the jail bus to crash was a setup, and someone died in that crash. This thing is bad and getting worse. It’s been combined with another investigation, something that happened on that case you were involved in up in the high desert.” He pointed at Luke. “Someone on the governor’s staff was killed up there, supposedly looking into hacking. They have a CI who says Cox was supposed to pay him to keep an eye on you and Abby, not a hacker.”

“And they can connect the governor to this?”

“They’re working on it.”