Grady filled him in on the events that started in the ballroom and ended outside in the alley outside the building. Lauren was grateful for the warmth, but she was impatient for the police and the FBI to stop talking and to start searching for Lucy.
“Has anyone gone to Simon Cromwell’s apartment?” she interrupted, before Grady could finish.
“Officers have been dispatched to that location, yes.” Agent Braun sighed. “We also have issued a BOLO for the vehicle.”
“I need to make a call.” Grady stepped away to use his disposable phone. Lauren hoped he was calling his FBI friend. She didn’t care if Griff was in Wyoming, they needed all the help they could get.
“I’ll accompany you back to your home,” Braun said. “I have a tech team who will join us so we can put a tap on your cell phone. That’s our best chance of locating where this guy is hiding with Lucy.”
“Fine.” She stood, ignoring the burning sensation in her feet. “Grady? Let’s get out of here.”
“Thanks, Griff.” Grady pocketed his phone and turned to join them. “Griff has his tech guy Dominic searching cameras for the SUV.”
Braun frowned. “We have techs working on that too.”
“More eyes can’t hurt.” Grady came over to take her arm. “Are you ready to go? Rex and Mick, I mean, Micah are going to meet us at your penthouse.”
“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate. This nightmare was her fault, but she tried to believe that Cromwell wouldn’t hurt Lucy. Not if he just wanted money.
Please, Lord.She swallowed hard, hoping her prayer was being heard as Grady arranged for the valet to have their rental brought around.
The next fifteen minutes passed in a daze. Lauren searched the cars around them for Lucy, even though she knew Simon Cromwell must have had her daughter stashed away somewhere by now. But she couldn’t seem to help herself. The congested traffic made her want to scream in frustration When they finally reached the Savion building, her nerves were shot. Grady parked in the same spot as earlier, and they were silent as they rode the elevator to the penthouse.
She walked into the apartment, keenly aware of the emptiness inside. No Clara, and worst of all, no Lucy. Lauren forced herself to head into the bedroom to change out of her gown. Not that she cared how she looked, but she needed something soft to cover her feet.
She grabbed her phone, only to see that it was dead. She plugged it in, then headed back to the living room. By the time she emerged, she saw that Grady had taken the time to change too. Remembering how handsome he’d looked in his tux made her look away. Her stupidity of insisting on attending the ball had gotten her daughter kidnapped. She couldn’t bear to think about how Grady had held her.
Kissed her.
Somehow, Rex and a tall man with blond hair, who she assumed was Micah, arrived a few minutes later. Grady let them in and made introductions she barely acknowledged. She couldn’t stop from rushing forward to snatch the new phone Rex held in his hands.
“Thank you.” She took the phone and quickly accessed her iCloud account so she could transfer the information over from her old phone number. The one Lucy knew by heart.
It took a few minutes for the missed calls, messages, and text messages to light up the screen. She searched them all quickly, but none were from Simon Cromwell.
Or Lucy.
She sank onto the sofa, staring at her phone. How long would it take for Simon to call? A few minutes? An hour?
Or longer?
Thinking back to when Jerry Cromwell had kidnapped her as a child, she vaguely remembered him giving her father time to get the money together. It hadn’t made much sense at the time, but now she understood the impact. Banks were closed now, and it was a Friday night. Some banks had Saturday morning hours, but to get the kind of cash Simon would ask for would be impossible.
Something he and his twin brother obviously hadn’t considered before grabbing her daughter.
“Lauren?” She glanced up at Grady. “Agent Braun and his tech guys are here.”
“Good.” She was about to stand up, but Grady placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her seated. No doubt he was still worried about her feet. Wearing the thick fluffy socks had helped ease the soreness.
“He needs to access your phone.” Grady gently pried the device from her fingers. “You’ll get it back very soon.”
“Okay.” Logically, she knew that tracing Simon Cromwell’s call was important. But she didn’t like giving up the only connection to her daughter, even for a few minutes. The tech guys and Agent Braun huddled around the dining room table to discuss the best way to proceed.
She belatedly realized they had likely missed dinner. Her stomach was a knot of tension, but she forced herself to consider the guests in her home. “I can see if there’s something to eat in the fridge.”
“Don’t bother. We’re fine.” Grady dropped down on the sofa beside her. He took her hands in his. “We’re going to find her.”
Tears pricked her eyes. “I hope so.”
