No. Stop.Right now they needed to keep things all business. “So what did you find out about Santa Claus?”
A nurse and patient approached them, and he held out his hand for her to get moving. “Let’s finish this discussion in the lounge.”
She headed down the hall until she reached the lounge, where she came to an abrupt stop inside the door. Only a few hours ago, this room, brightly decorated with balloons and butterflies on the wall, had been filled with smiling children and caring nurses. Now, the table once lined with refreshments held a laptop, file box, and reports strewn across the top, as if Reid had abandoned them in a hurry. A portable whiteboard with notes about Fowler jotted in vibrant blue stood next to the table. A foldaway cot hugged the corner, and bedding lay on the sofa.
“The hospital let us set up a command post here.” Reid’s voice came from right behind her and startled her.
“Us?” She looked at him. They were so close that she could see the slices of gold woven through the blue of his eyes.
“Micha is helping me,” he whispered. “He went to get something to eat.”
His gentle tone made her chest ache, reminding her of the time he’d been there for her, patiently sitting by her side, helping her work through Fowler’s attack. Now it set her mind heading in the wrong direction, and she couldn’t succumb to it.
She crossed the room to a chair, where she sat and tucked her feet under her body. “So you were going to tell me about Santa.”
“Toby Turner, the man hired by the hospital to play Santa, was discovered gagged and tied up in his van.” Reid joined her and leaned against the wall, legs crossed at the ankles as if chasing down a creep like Fowler was child’s play. He’d mentioned working with a child abduction team, so maybe her situation seemed minor compared to rescuing a child in the hands of a predator. But to her, it was big, terrifying, and confusing.
“Will he be all right?” she asked.
“Someone hit him and he lost consciousness, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.”
“And did he see who hit him?”
“Unfortunately, no.” Reid ran his hands through his hair. “The police have processed his vehicle and lifted fingerprints. Hopefully, they recovered Fowler’s prints.”
“I hope Toby wasn’t hurt. He’s the best Santa. We’ve been here for a few Christmas parties, and he’s been the Santa at each one.”
“So you know him?”
“Know him? Not really. Just his work, I guess you might say.” She tilted her head. “You don’t think he could be involved with Fowler, do you? I mean, I can’t see it. He’s such a sweet old man that he wouldn’t associate with a creep like Fowler.”
“He doesn’t have a record, which really goes without saying as the hospital wouldn’t hire an ex-felon to play Santa.”
“Oh, right. Good point.”
“Early indications say he has no connection to Fowler, but while you were getting Ella to sleep, I called my FBI buddy, Jack, to ask him to run a deeper background. He has a few analysts helping, so we should know something soon.”
She pursed her lips. “There’s something I don’t get. How could Fowler have organized this? He couldn’t have known Ella would be in the hospital or at that party. So how could he plan to be here? Especially after being out of prison for such a short time.”
“He’s most likely been following you since his release and saw you bring Ella to the ER. The nurses posted the party on the whiteboard by the elevator and included Santa’s visit in the posting. Fowler most likely noticed the board when he was here yesterday and hoped Ella would attend. If she didn’t, it would be no big deal to him, but if she did—”
“He would pounce on an innocent child.” She hated the bitterness in her tone, but she still really couldn’t fathom that they’d allowed this man to come so close to her daughter. “I can’t let go of the thought of him touching Ella.”
“Believe me. I understand how you feel.” He crossed the room and sat on the coffee table in front of her. He leaned his elbows on his knees and made eye contact. Tension radiated from him, and she held her breath as she waited to hear what he had to say.
“I’ve worked hundreds of child abduction cases, but last year when Jessie was abducted by that killer, I wasn’t prepared for the emotions that hit me.”
She fought hard to keep from letting him see her horror over the situation and further compound his suffering. “I’m so sorry. Would you like to tell me what happened?”
“She witnessed a crime, and the suspect wanted to eliminate her so she couldn’t ID him.” He flexed his fingers and stared at them. “I wanted to kill him.” His voice held a razor-sharp edge she’d never heard before.
She sat back, reflecting on his tone and the sheer determination in his eyes. He knew what it was like to have a child threatened and understood Megan’s every emotion. Understood it well.
She was certain he would help protect her child. No matter how Fowler tried to hurt them, Reid would help. Not because he cared for her, not because they had a past, but because he’d lived through the same excruciating pain and came out the other side.
If only she could be sure this situation would end as well for her and Ella.
Reid couldn’t handle Megan’s piercing gaze, and he looked away. After a night without sleep and Ella’s near miss, telling Megan about Jessie’s abduction drained his last bit of energy, and he needed to regroup. He couldn’t do that under Megan’s scrutiny. He waffled between continuing this discussion with a very personal bond connecting them and forcing the conversation to the business at hand.
