He cut the pizza into slices, thinking how ironic it was that a kid would choose a frozen store-bought pizza over the Chicago deep dish the city was famous for.
Bringing the pizza to the table, he closed the laptop and set it aside. His attempts to investigate the case on his own weren’t going as well as he’d hoped. So far, it was only through Griff that they’d gotten anything useful.
“I’d like to say grace,” he said, when Lucy had finished washing her hands at the sink. Lucy glanced at her mother but didn’t argue.
“Bow your head, Lucy,” Lauren said.
He cleared his throat. “Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food we are about to eat. We also continue to ask You to keep us all safe in Your care. Amen.”
“Amen,” Lauren and Lucy echoed.
He waited for Lauren and Lucy to take what they wanted first, before digging in to his own pizza. For something they’d picked out of a grocery store freezer, it wasn’t terrible. He smiled at Lucy. “I can see why this is your favorite.”
Lauren shot him a skeptical look, but simply added, “It’s good, isn’t it, Lucy?”
The little girl nodded, her mouth full of pepperoni pizza. Grady was glad Lucy had gotten some playtime, building a snowman, then watching TV. He hoped the fear of the gunfire had faded so that she wouldn’t suffer more nightmares.
When they finished eating, Lucy darted back into the living room. “Mom, can you help find my show?”
“Normally, I don’t allow her to watch this much television,” Lauren said in a low voice. “Too much screen time isn’t good for kids.”
“I know, but this is an extenuating circumstance, don’t you think?” He stacked their plates and carried them to the sink. Their lunch dishes were still there too.
“Yes, I do.” She joined him, watching as he filled one side of the sink with warm sudsy water and went to work. “I can do the dishes.”
“So can I.” He grinned. “I bet I have more KP experience than you do.”
“KP?” She frowned. “Kitchen, what?”
“Kitchen patrol. The army loves its acronyms.” He nodded at the dishtowel. “You can dry and put away.”
They worked together in silence for a few minutes, before Lauren asked, “Do you think Karla is one of the people involved in these attempts?”
He shrugged. “As Griff said, anything is possible. I served with some women, not many, but they were good soldiers.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “I really want to believe a woman wouldn’t kidnap someone’s daughter, but if she’s not a mother, she may not realize the agony she’s causing.”
“Or she doesn’t care because in her mind, the end justifies the means.” He tried to smile reassuringly. “Don’t dwell on this, Lauren. If she’s involved, the police will find the evidence they need and arrest her.”
“I hope you’re right about that.” She dried the plates and put them away. “They’ve escaped being caught so far.”
He hated to admit she was right. “With all the cameras in the city, I’m surprised they didn’t get something more from the initial abduction.”
“Me too.” She glanced over at Lucy. He noticed the little girl was wrapped in a blanket, her eyes drooping with fatigue. “Maybe by tomorrow this will be over.”
“I hope so.” If Karla and/or Eric Howington were involved, it shouldn’t be too difficult to track their movements over the past twenty-four hours. And there was still Joe O’Neil, the former security guard of Savion Enterprises to consider. They had more now than when they’d started, which was encouraging.
When he finished washing the dishes, Grady moved back to the kitchen table. A few keystrokes later, he found the list of fraternity members from the few years Nelson had been there. The list was longer than he anticipated, and he hoped Lauren would be able to identify someone who they could zero in on.
If not? He’d methodically start digging into each of the names, himself. Besides, it wasn’t as if he planned to get much sleep. A few military combat naps at the most was all he could afford.
Grady needed to stay alert and on guard until the kidnapper was caught and safely behind bars.
* * *
When the disheswere dry and put away, Lauren crossed over to join Grady. He glanced at her, then gestured to the screen. “Here’s the list. Can you point out Nelson’s friends? I figure they’re the logical place to start.”
She stifled a yawn and sat beside him. “I’ll do my best.” The list of fraternity members was long, as it spanned several years. She rubbed her eyes, then began to read.
