“The warrant didn’t specify employee information,” Lucy said, “but Danielle targets a specific type of family. The family has one child, a boy, under the age of ten, and both parents work. Who else—other than your family—fits that profile?” She didn’t want to mention the adultery—that would raise the woman’s hackles and she might not talk.
“Oh, God—Kevin.” She pulled her cell phone out and dialed. “Mom? Mom—it’s Nina. Do you have Kevin?… I know, you always pick him up on time, I just … okay. Okay, I’m sorry, I was just thinking about him … yeah, I won’t be late, I know Monday is your bingo night.… Thanks, Mom.” She hung up and let out a deep breath. “Kevin’s safe. He and my mother-in-law just walked in the house. They’re making oatmeal raisin cookies.”
She was nervous. Why?
“What other families?”
“I have to think…” She sat down heavily at her desk. Lucy sat across from her.
“Carly has a boy. I don’t remember how old he is, maybe four now. She started working here after he was born.”
Lucy took a note. “Carly what?”
“Um, Carly Milligan. She works part-time, her husband is a surgeon. And then … no, they have a girl. Bruce Zarian has a boy. He’s one of the junior partners. Really nice guy. Melinda Cage—she’s an associate, she has a son. Well, she has two sons. The oldest is a teenager. I think she’s going through a divorce, I can find out—”
“Look at the employee list if that helps. One child, a boy, under ten and over five. Married.” She paused. “And in each case, the father had been having an affair.”
Nina’s face paled. “Wh-what? Sh-she kills husbands?”
“No. She kills their son.”
“Oh, God. Oh, God. This can’t be happening.”
It clicked. “Is your husband having an affair?”
“I-I don’t know. I don’t know. But … I am. I have to go to my son.”
“I will have an agent pick him up at your mother’s house and bring him here. Okay?”
“Okay. Okay. I have to talk to my husband. I can’t believe—”
“Hold on one second, okay?”
Lucy called Ken on the phone. “Ken, I need someone to pick up the Fieldstone boy at his grandmother’s house. He may be Danielle’s next target.”
“I’ll call you right back. Send me the address.”
“Plainclothes, discreet. If she’s stalking him, we don’t want her to become suspicious.”
“Roger that.”
Lucy got the address from Nina, sent it to Ken. “You and your husband are not in trouble here, but I need you to be completely honest in all your answers.”
“Always. Are you getting my son?”
“Yes, and my partner will get the names so you can give your mother-in-law the information.”
“Can I call Tony?”
“Yes.”
She made a brief call.
“I’m sorry about this,” Lucy said after she hung up, “but all the secrets need to come out.”
“Tony knows. I’ve been having an affair with Grace for three years, since her divorce. It’s … comfortable. Tony and I are happy, we make it work. We’re talking about having another baby. I love him.”
“And if he’s having an affair?”
“I-I’ll deal with it. I still love him. I can’t very well say he can’t screw around if I’m doing it.”
But Lucy could tell she was hurt. Either because he hadn’t told her or because she really was a hypocrite, Lucy couldn’t be certain.
“From what we know, Danielle targets families where the husband is the adulterer. There are four known victims over twenty years.”
“Twenty years?”
“I can’t go into details, but we’re confident we have the right person.” Lucy looked at her phone. “Can you call your mother-in-law and tell her to expect two FBI agents within twenty minutes, a man and woman. They’ll be dressed casually and show their photo identification and badges. If Danielle is stalking your son—and she has stalked the other victims—we don’t want to tip her off. If anyone calls or asks your mother about Kevin leaving early, she needs to tell them that friends picked him up because his mother had to work late.”
“What? Why?”
“We don’t want Danielle knowing that we’ve identified her. She’s on edge, she may snap and do something unpredictable. The agents will bring Kevin here.”
“But you’re going to find her, right?”
The door opened and Tony Fieldstone walked in. Lucy recognized him from his photos. He was several years older than Nina, in good shape, and dressed impeccably.
“What’s going on with Kevin?”
He looked at Lucy, then said to his wife, “Nina, you can’t talk to the FBI without Trevor here. Archie told me they have a warrant, but that doesn’t mean—”
“It’s Kevin.”
He blinked. “What?”
“Danielle’s wanted for murder. And Agent Kincaid thinks that she’s planning to hurt Kevin.”
“Danielle?” He shook his head.
“Sir, we’ve sent two agents to pick up your son at your mother’s house, and it’s imperative that we find Danielle Sharpe as soon as possible. I need to be blunt. She targets families who have one child and—”
Nina said, “Tony, are you and Lana sleeping together?”
The look on Tony’s face said it all. He couldn’t even respond to the blunt question.
“I thought so,” Nina said. “I just—why didn’t you tell me?”
“Not here, Nina! Not now—”
“It’s as much my fault as yours,” Nina said, her voice cracking. “She kills children of couples who are unfaithful. Four boys already, and Agent Kincaid thinks that she’s been stalking us. But my affair with Grace has been going on longer—I never thought—God, I never thought—”
Lucy said, “This is not your fault, Nina.” Her voice was sharper than she intended. “Neither of you are to blame. I can tell you more later, after we find her, but casting blame isn’t going to help.”
Tony went to his wife and hugged her tightly. “Are you certain?” he asked over the head of his wife.
“Yes.”
Ken came into the office, Trevor Banks on his heels. “Kincaid, a minute.”
Banks wasn’t happy. “Nina, have you been talking? I told you.”
Ken shut the door on Banks and said quietly, “She’s not there.”
“She bolted? Who tipped her off?”
“Address is a mail drop. We need another warrant to get her mail and records to see if there’s a physical address associated with it, but that’s going to take time.”
“Both Fieldstones are having affairs—but it seems they know, or sort of knew. We have to find her house.”
“Ask them.”
Lucy and Ken walked back into Nina’s office. Lucy asked, “Have you ever been to Danielle Sharpe’s house?”
They all shook their heads.
Nina said, “I can call her. She’ll recognize my number—she always picks up.”
“No,” Banks said at the same time as Lucy said, “Good.”
Lucy stared at the lawyer. “This woman may not seem like a threat, but she has the capacity for violence. She has killed four young boys and a babysitter. That we know about. Don’t ask me for proof, don’t ask me for evidence, that’s not your call. The AUSA issued a search warrant for her desk, her house, her car. We have an arrest warrant. We are going to find her, and the more you delay and play around with legal bullshit, the greater chance she’ll disappear. If Mrs. Fieldstone is willing to help us, then dammit, let her!”