After the woman hung up, Rachel called Sam at once and told him what had happened. As she spoke to him she was hurrying through the park, dodging the rollerbladers, heading back home.
“She said three things again, Sam,” she said sharply into the phone. “What are they?”
“I told you. I have no idea.”
“Don’t you lie to me,” Rachel said, trying to remain calm. “Tell me what she wants. Tell me what we need to do.”
“What who wants?” Sam asked. “You just got an anonymous phone call and you’re all wound up about it. How do you know it was the same woman?”
“I just explained that part,” Rachel said. “Why won’t you tell me what she wants?”
“We’ll talk when you get here.” The phone in her hand went dead.
When she got home Dugan and Heyward were waiting for her, Heyward sitting by his computer, talking on his cell. Sam had changed into a suit and was standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. He had evidently given Rachel’s cell number to the agents.
“Where did she call from?” Rachel asked.
Dugan indicated Heyward. “We’re contacting your server. Tell me exactly what she said.”
“She had the numbers from Vanessa’s phone,” Rachel said. “Mine, Sam’s, my mother’s. All her friends.”
“What did she want?”
Rachel took a moment to gather herself. “Well, she wanted to tell me that. As proof that she actually has Vanessa. It does prove it, right? Nobody else could have those numbers.”
“It doesn’t prove anything,” Sam said. “The phone was missing for hours before it turned up. Who knows who had access to it?”
“Why are you doing this?” Rachel demanded. “Why are you doing this, Sam? They’ve got Vanessa and they want to talk to us.”
“I don’t know that they have her,” Sam said. “And even if they did—I don’t negotiate with terrorists.”
Rachel stared at him a moment before turning on Dugan. “She said three things. She wants three things. She said that the other day. Remember?”
Dugan looked at Sam, who shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t tell you what that’s about.” He paused. “But I do have an idea. Why don’t you guys track this woman down and bring her in? Why is that so difficult? You’re holed up here while she’s taking her little road show to half the towns in America.”
Before Dugan could reply to that, Heyward got off the phone. “They want a warrant,” he said.
“Who does?” Rachel demanded.
“Your server,” Dugan said. “We expected that. We needed one for Sam’s phone too.”
“Why don’t you already have it?” Rachel asked.
Dugan didn’t say anything. After a moment Heyward did. “Well, she wasn’t calling your phone.”
“She just did,” Rachel said.