“Yes, I do.”
“Is Archie getting anywhere?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Sam filled him in on what Archie had learned from Ethan’s text messages.
“Are you kidding me? These kids are eleven and talking about teaching a girl a lesson because she called one of them an incel? Do any of them even know what that means?”
“I didn’t until Archie told me.”
“It’s unbelievable. Eleven, for fuck’s sake. I’ll get over to the hotel and keep you in the loop—and I’ll be back here as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Gonzo.”
“Let me know if you hear anything about Ethan.”
“I will. My stomach is in knots.”
“Mine is, too, and he’s not my kid or nephew.” He gave her arm a squeeze. “Hang in there. We’ll find him.”
“I hope we find him before he does something he can never come back from.”
“I hope so, too.”
* * *
After Gonzo left to supervise the investigation at the hotel, Sam returned to Celia’s. It was getting close to eleven when Q walked her to the door.
Nick was seated on the sofa and stood when she came in. “There you are.”
“Here I am.”
He put his arms around her. “I was wondering if we should call Avery,” he said of their friend FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Avery Hill.
“I’m not leading this investigation. Calling him—in any capacity—could get me in a lot of trouble.”
“What if I do it?”
“Well, that’s a different scenario, I suppose.”
“He’s a friend, and if he could help, he’d want to.”
“Yes, he would. I suppose you can text him and see what he says.”
“I’ll do it. Are there any new leads?”
She filled him in on what Archie had found, and he was as shocked as she and Gonzo had been. “Apparently, there’s an entire subculture online devoted to the many ways these men believe women have done them wrong. According to Archie, it’s some pretty sick shit.”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“I hadn’t either and still wish I didn’t know about it.”
“You don’t think Ethan would be involved with hurting a girl, do you?”
“I’d like to think no way, but how well do I know him anymore? He’s grown up while I was busy raising my own kids, chasing murderers and being second and then first lady. I hate to say I don’t know him the way I did when he was younger.”
“And naturally, you’re feeling guilty about that.”
“Well, kind of.”
