“Not a body, a hostage,” Hayden suggested. “At least to start. Without his insulin, might still end up as a body.” She thought for a moment, staring at Mateo’s bike. “Kind of detail a panicked kid might not take into account.”
Lucy frowned. It still didn’t add up. “If Mateo is our actor and the goal was to get Fleming to open the safe, why tell my daughter to meet him here, limit his time?”
“Guess we won’t know until we find him and ask.”
“If I were you, I’d have crime scene techs carefully analyze the blood—not just what’s on the knife and safe, but all of it. Do spatter analysis as well as a DNA profile.”
“That’s going to take time. Maybe more than Fleming has.”
She was right. “You’re tracking Fleming’s phone?”
“I called it—it’s in the house, slid under the sofa.”
“How about Mateo’s?”
Hayden shrugged. “No answer. As soon as I have a few more warm bodies, I’ll get someone over there to ask permission from his family and get his carrier information. Right now, it’s just me and Gant.”
“Would it help if I did that for you?” Lucy hesitated to make the offer—she really didn’t want to get more involved than she already was and lord knew she wanted Megan far away from an active investigation into a possible homicide, but this entire scene made no sense. She hated that, knew it would bother her until she figured out what really happened.
Hayden frowned. Lucy wasn’t too surprised—local authorities often resented the FBI intruding upon their turf even when they invited the FBI in to help. But a case like this, two high-risk missing persons, violence involved, and one of them with a critical, time-sensitive medical condition—it would strain the resources of a large, well-funded police department, much less a small force like Harbinger Cove’s.
“Thanks, but I’m sure we can handle it,” Hayden said.
Lucy turned away, almost relieved Hayden hadn’t taken her up on her offer. Then she glanced back to the garden where Megan had gotten Shelly situated at the table once more. She blew her breath out. She really didn’t want to get tangled up in a case that was already a complicated mess, she absolutely did not want Megan more involved, and she understood Hayden’s reluctance to allow an outsider to trespass on her case. But…
“Chief.” She turned back to Hayden. “I know the pressure you’re under. I’m sure your guys are totally up to the job. But there are two men’s lives at stake. And this is what I do. High-risk missing persons.”
Hayden squinted and it wasn’t because of the afternoon sun. “What exactly is your assignment, Special Agent Guardino? Back in Pittsburgh?”
“It’s Supervisory Special Agent and I run the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad. We’re a multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction task force working sexual predators, human trafficking, child abductions, serial killers, and—”
“Missing persons.”
“And missing persons. Let me help. Until you can get more boots on the ground. You know the first few hours are the most critical.”
Hayden nodded. She pursed her lips, turning her gaze on Lucy. “If you deal with sexual assaults, then you must be good at talking with victims and their families.”
Every law enforcement officer’s least favorite job. “Yes.” Lucy glanced past Hayden to Megan and Shelly Fleming.
“I can handle Shelly,” Hayden said to Lucy’s relief. “But I’ll need someone to work with Romero’s family—without compromising the integrity of the investigation.” Her tone was one of warning.
“I can do that.”
“First I need their phone carrier info and permission to get a trace on Mateo’s cell. That and an objective assessment of their reaction. Any hint Mateo might be involved—or anyone else along with him.”
Basically, she was asking Lucy to spy on Mateo’s family.
“Let me collect Megan and I’ll head over there now.” Lucy joined Megan and the pastor’s wife. “Mrs. Fleming, we have to go now. So sorry about this.”
“The good lord will see Robert home safe and sound, I just know it.” She sighed dramatically and patted Megan’s hand. “God bless you both for your help.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Megan said. “We’ll keep you in our prayers.”
Lucy glanced at her daughter—they weren’t the most religious of families, but Megan seemed sincere. More of Nick’s influence, no doubt.
She led Megan back down the drive and past the cars. As soon as they were clear, Megan turned to her. “Mom, there’s something not right about this. We’ve got to find Mateo and get to the bottom of it.”
It had been so very long since Megan had trusted her enough to ask for anything that Lucy couldn’t say no. Besides, if she left Megan behind at the hotel, who knew what kind of trouble she’d end up in. Megan was headstrong—if she thought it might help find Mateo, Lucy wouldn’t put it past her to play amateur sleuth on her own. Better to keep Megan with her.
“You can come with me to talk to Mateo’s family. But that’s the end of it. We’re only going to facilitate things for Chief Hayden and the sheriff.”