The rear door opened a few inches. She willed the woman, Go, go, go! Get my grandson out of this place.
The woman turned back to look at her. There was an instant of déjà vu. A flash of Gertrude’s blue eyes and her defiant chin.
But it wasn’t Gertrude.
It was Gertrude’s daughter using Diana’s innocent grandson for protection.
They were locked in a stalemate. Janis wouldn’t leave the building until she was sure Diana was inside, and Diana wouldn’t go all the way in until Ethan was safely out.
Diana opened the door a few more inches and put one foot inside the small foyer.
“Not yet, Diana,” Smolleck’s voice boomed behind her.
Janis turned to look at her again. Why wasn’t the bundle moving? Was that even Ethan?
Janis pushed the rear door open another few inches.
Diana eased herself inside a little more as Janis watched.
Janis opened the rear door a little wider.
Good girl. “Janis,” Diana called, “let’s do this on the count of three.”
Janis nodded.
“One,” she said, coming inside as she watched Janis with Ethan continue cautiously out the door.
“Two.” They each inched forward.
“Three.” Diana started to step farther into the foyer just as something rushed toward her, smashing painfully into her legs and upsetting her balance.
She heard Smolleck yell, “Wait, Diana!” as she toppled over the low, rolling object and fell hard on the floor.
The hallway was dark. Was Ethan out? Was he safe?
She struggled to stand up, but someone was restraining her. She felt a stinging sensation in her leg.
And saw a tangle of metal, spokes on wheels going round and round.
A red tricycle just beyond her reach.
CHAPTER 47
Something was wrong.
Aubrey paced by the van, where one of the agents had instructed her to stay. She had lost sight of her mother when Mama had gone up to the front door.
Had she made it inside the building?
Was Ethan out?
The area closest to the small apartment building had been cordoned off, and there were no pedestrians, no moving vehicles. She strained to see Smolleck in the dim light. He was talking to several people in uniforms and suits, including Detective Gonzalez. Smolleck was shaking his head in a way that couldn’t be good.
She ignored a loud voice behind her to stay where she was, and ran down the street toward Smolleck. He gestured for her to stop. She slowed her pace as she watched him say something to the others and then come toward her.
His face was grim as he approached. “You need to stay back, Aubrey.”
“Where’s my mother? Where’s Ethan?”
“Your mother’s inside. She seems to have tripped or fallen over something.”
“So you don’t know if she’s okay?”
He shook his head.
“And Ethan?”
“Star set us up,” he said.
“Set you up?” Her heart bounced. “What do you mean?”
“Star’s daughter was carrying a pillow wrapped in a blanket.”
“A pillow? Oh, my God. Ethan’s still inside?”
“Our medics are trying to calm down the daughter so we can debrief her, but she’s hysterical.”
Failed. Their plan failed. “But Ethan’s in that building. And now my mother’s in there, too.”
“She understood the risks.”
“But you let her do it.” She heard the panic in her own voice.
“We all agreed it was the best chance to get Ethan out of there.” His face was red. “We had no way of knowing Star was bluffing.”
She took a deep breath. It wasn’t his fault, even though she sensed he blamed himself, but that didn’t change the situation. Star was capable of doing anything. “How are you planning to get my mother and Ethan out?”
“We’re working on it. Everyone seems to have an opinion.” He glanced back toward the group he’d been talking to.
“You’re not thinking of doing something that would endanger my mother and Ethan, are you?” If they stormed the building, Mama and Ethan wouldn’t have much of a chance.
“We haven’t decided on a plan.”
“But—”
He held up his hand and listened to his earpiece, then replied, “Okay. I’m coming.” He motioned with his head at Aubrey. “Come to the van. We’ll talk.”
She hurried alongside as he loped away from the time-share.
“Star’s back in communication with us,” he said.
“Back? You mean she was out of communication with McDonough?”
“Yes,” he said. “For a few minutes.”
“Did she say anything about my mother and Ethan?”
“She said your mom’s okay. But McDonough said she seemed surprised Ethan hadn’t come out with her daughter. He couldn’t tell if she was playing dumb or if something really went wrong with the swap.”
None of this made sense. “So where’s Ethan?”
“Hopefully Janis will have some answers when we debrief her.”
Aubrey took in a shaky breath. “What happens now?”
They reached the van. Smolleck rubbed the back of his neck. “We continue trying to negotiate with Star.”
A crowd had gathered behind the police line at the end of the street. Aubrey could make out news vans and reporters pushing up against the barricades. She felt completely helpless. The FBI would continue to negotiate. But what was there to negotiate? Star had both Ethan and Mama. Her own daughter was out of danger, and Star didn’t seem to care about her own life.
Aubrey thought about the behavioral-psych classes she’d taken. She turned to Smolleck. “The problem is that Star has nothing to lose.”
“It’s a big problem,” Smolleck said.
“But what if she had something to gain?”
He frowned. “What are you thinking?”
“What does Star really want in all this?”
“She said she wanted your mother.”
Aubrey shook her head. “She told McDonough she wanted justice. But justice for what?”
“You don’t believe your mother is her end game?”
Aubrey thought about the photo of the three friends that her mother had kept hidden in her room. The way Gertrude fingered her brother’s dog tag. Mama said Gertrude never took it off, even to shower.