If plugging her ears and closing her eyes worked to keep the evil out, Amanda would give it a go. But she knew better. The darkness was right there, lurking ever closer, and ready to pounce. They tried Abigail Cohen’s burner, and it was out of service. It was impossible to know what her and her daughter’s fate had become. But they’d focus on Leanne and Gracie for now. “Is it too much to hope that they’re all right wherever they are?” She referred to both the Cohens and the Reillys.
“Not at all.” Trent looked over at her. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
The Reilly home was in Woodbridge, so Gracie would attend one of the three public schools there. Amanda had been right not to attach certainty to Kim Brewer’s assurance that no other students were missing class at Dumfries Elementary.
They found Bill Reilly at home. He was a good-looking man, but his overbearing personality overshadowed any redeemable attributes. Not to mention he was an abusive man. He hung on the doorframe like they were having a casual visit, not discussing his family’s whereabouts. “Why are you looking for Leanne? She do something illegal?” He snickered a laugh.
“We just have some questions for her,” Amanda said.
“You know she hurt her ankle all by herself. She tripped on the rug.”
“I’m sure she did.” This from Trent, entirely sardonic.
“And you can’t take me in unless she’s pressing charges.”
“We’re not here about that,” Amanda said coolly.
“So you don’t believe me. I don’t care. Now scram.” It was as if he hadn’t heard a single word from their mouths. Bill started to close the door, but Amanda stepped forward, and it had him halting his movements. “What do you want?”
She drew up her height. “Where is your wife, Mr. Reilly?”
“Beats me. Quite sure she left me, but she’ll be back. She can’t take care of herself.”
Amanda’s hackles rose, but she swallowed her temper. “When did you see her last?”
“Tuesday morning before I left for work, but I didn’t see her after that.”
A Tuesday, just like with the Archers. They’d been killed on the Friday, three days later. Today marked the third day for Leanne’s and Gracie’s whereabouts being unknown. If they were the killer’s latest targets, she and Trent were quickly running out of time to save them. That’s if they weren’t already too late.
“You try reaching her?”
“Of course I did,” he spat. “Her phone kept ringing through to voicemail though. Now it’s off. But whatever. I’ll be fine. And she’ll probably come back, tail between her legs, begging me to forgive her.”
I highly doubt that! The thought fired through that Leanne might not even have the option. “When did you last try reaching her?”
“Wednesday.”
“That’s two days ago,” Trent pushed out.
“So?”
“You track your wife’s phone, Mr. Reilly?” Amanda asked, hoping to cool Trent some, though she felt somewhat hypocritical given her rising temper.
“No. Better things to do.”
Either he released the leash a bit more than Roy Archer had or was lying to them. But they couldn’t force him to admit to tracking his wife’s movements.
Bill added, “Besides, she’ll be back. What’s she gonna do out there all by herself?”
“It’s not just your wife who’s missing, Mr. Reilly. Aren’t you worried for your daughter, Gracie?” Marriages fell apart every day, but how a person could write off a kid was beyond her.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Did you even file a missing person report?” Trent asked.
“Why? She’ll be back.”
Trent stepped forward, and Amanda put out an arm, and only lowered it when she was confident he was staying put.
“Does your wife have money of her own?” Amanda asked.
“Nope.”
“Kind of hard to get anywhere without money,” Amanda pushed back.
“Exactly, so she’ll be back. I dunno what else to say.”
“Does she have a car?” She figured it best to make it sound as if they had no foreknowledge of this, just in case it set Bill’s sights on Nurse Freeman.
“Listen, I don’t know why Prince William County police detectives are so interested in Leanne, but leave me out of it.”
“Answer Detective Steele’s question,” Trent seethed.
Bill stared blankly at Trent, then said, “She did, but it was impounded.”
“We’re going to need to know where.”
“What’s it to you?”
“For us to know,” Amanda seethed.
Bill squinted and looked at them, then retreated into the house. “I’ll be right back,” he called out.
Trent stepped close to Amanda and spoke quietly, “I’m a few seconds away from punching his face.”
“Get in line.”
“Here it is.” He handed Trent a slip of paper with handwriting on it.
“Thank you for your cooperation,” Amanda said stiffly.
“Say, you don’t think something happened to them, do you?” For the first time since they’d graced his doorstep, he showed a crumb of concern.
Trent turned toward the car and mumbled, “What would it matter to you?”
Bill glanced at Amanda—Trent’s question had been cold and cutting, but she understood where it came from. The man hadn’t given them any indication that he cared his wife and child were gone.
“Open investigation.” She’d hide behind that because she was with Trent on his decision to leave Bill completely in the dark, as cold-hearted as that might sound.
She joined her partner in the car. “We need to have Leanne Reilly’s phone traced immediately, though it’s probably long dead by this point.” She paused there, hindered by her word choice. Dead.
“That’s where this is different from Jill Archer. Leanne’s phone wasn’t off right away. He said it rang to voicemail.”
“Not sure what that’s telling us, but something else is bugging me. It might be nothing. But Jill was last seen on a Tuesday morning and now Leanne. Is that a coincidence?”
“Hard to say. Were both women taken from the same place, somewhere the killer frequents on Tuesdays?”
“We know that Jill Archer was at the doctor’s office with Charlotte on Tuesday. From there? Somewhere else in the plaza or its lot? Finding out where Leanne Reilly’s car was impounded might be a good start.”
“Agreed.”
Trent got them moving, and Amanda pulled out her phone and updated Graves. Her next call was to Judge Anderson for verbal approval to trace Leanne Reilly’s phone and to collect her car.
She no sooner hung up with him than she called CSI Blair.
“Amanda, we’re working as fast as we can over here.”
“I know, but I need you to run something for us. Top of the pile.”
“Hit me.”
“We have a number we need you to trace. Could you do that right away and call me back?”
“Just for you.”
“Thanks.” Amanda gave her the information and ended the call, still a bit in shock at the transition in their relationship. Apparently the value of talking things through was underestimated. She filled Trent in on where they were.
“Any updates on forensics?”
“Not yet.” She hadn’t put her phone in her pocket yet as she debated following up with Nadia Webber at the FBI. She ended up doing that.
“I was just about to call you,” Nadia said after Amanda identified herself. The analyst continued. “Good news is I’m not seeing any other unsolved cases that appear to be connected with yours.”
“Thank you for looking.”
“Anytime. Good luck finding the unsub.” Unidentified subject…
“Thanks again.” Amanda ended the call and informed Trent.
“Hey, that’s good news.”
“It is.” But Amanda wasn’t celebrating just yet. The news didn’t mean Leanne and Gracie were safe.