I pick up the phone and hold it close. “We do, Chief. We like him a lot.”
CHAPTER 46
Cross
ALEX CROSS PULLS THE rented Camry into the Carolina Inn parking lot. He’s feeling tired and empty. It’s been only twenty minutes since he dropped Bree off at the airport, and already he misses her like crazy.
Alex walks into the lobby and sees a cluster of reporters and TV cameras. It takes only a second for him to realize why they’re there.
They’re waiting for him.
As soon as they spot him, the reporters surge forward, holding up mini-recorders and iPhones.
“Dr. Cross!”
“How long has your son been missing?”
“Where was Damon last seen?”
“Have you received a ransom note, Dr. Cross?”
Alex sets his jaw. Obviously, with the flyer out, the news hasbroken. And now, like it or not, he’s about to hold a presser. Right here in the hotel lobby.
He’s dealt with the press for decades on dozens of cases. Sometimes they’re a help. Sometimes they’re a hindrance. But one thing he’s learned: The media is a hungry animal, and it demands to be fed. Better to control the story than let it control you.
Alex stops in front of a small seating area in the lobby. He holds up his hands. “I’ll answer your questions,” he calls out, “but first I have a statement to give.”
A polished-looking woman with a cameraman at her side takes charge. “Everybody, hush up!” she demands. “Let the man speak!”
Alex nods to her in appreciation as the group settles down.
“Thank you,” he says. He looks from face to face, then stares directly into one of the TV cameras. “I’m Dr. Alex Cross. My son Damon Cross is a grad student at the university here in Chapel Hill. And right now, he’s missing.”
Alex stands his ground as the reporters and cameras push in closer.
“Damon was last seen when he left his apartment a few days ago. Nobody’s heard from him since then.”
The polished-looking woman pushes forward. “Dr. Cross! Do you suspect foul play?”
“There’s no evidence of that so far. But obviously, I’m worried.”
Another reporter calls out, “Dr. Cross, do you think your son’s disappearance could be connected to one of your previous cases with the FBI?”
Once again, Alex flashes to the long line of killers he’s encountered over the years. Of course he’s concerned that there could be a connection. His family has been targeted before.
“There’s no evidence of that at the moment,” he says.
“Dr. Cross, are campus security and the Chapel Hill police involved in searching for your son?”
Just barely,Alex thinks. “The local authorities have been very cooperative.”
Another reporter: “Dr. Cross! We heard there was a search conducted earlier today in the Mason Farm Biological Reserve. Was anything found?”
For now, Alex decides to keep the discovery of Damon’s bicycle to himself. “We did not locate my son,” he says. “The search will continue.”
Alex notices one of the reporters holding the missing person flyer with Damon’s picture. He leans forward and gestures for it, then holds the flyer up in front of the TV cameras. “This is my son Damon Cross. And this is the number to call if you have any information. Thank you.”
The reporters press forward with more questions.
