She took a few deep breaths and peered into the mirror again.
“You can do this, Megan,” she said to her reflection. “Ella needs you. She has no one else. Do this for her like you always do.” She forced her voice to grow stronger with each statement and visualized a day when Ella was as healthy as Jessie, and Megan’s only worry was typical girlie things like clothes and boys. “For Ella. Icando this for Ella.”
“For Ella,” she said again and lifted her shoulders higher.
She got her phone from her pocket and dialed her accountant, Greg. He answered on the third ring.
She explained her problem. “I need $500,000 in cash as soon as possible.”
“You need to get the police involved.”
“The FBI is working on the case.”
“And they want you to do this?”
“They’re coordinating everything,” she said, being intentionally vague.
“It’ll take me at least a day to ready so much cash.”
“Fine. Just do it.” She ended the call before she second-guessed her decision to give Fowler the money.
She took one last glance in the mirror to make sure she didn’t have a guilty expression on her face from stepping out on her own before marching to the door and down the hallway. At the landing, she paused at the railing. Down below, Reid stood tall and strong, talking with Jack. But it seemed as if they were arguing.
Had something else happened? Fear coiled like a snake in the pit of her stomach, and she ran down the stairs to find out.
Both men turned to face her. Jack’s lips were drawn in a tight line, and Reid scowled. But when his eyes landed on her, the scowl changed into a soft smile that eased some of her fear.
“Did something else happen while I was upstairs?” she asked.
“No.” Reid stepped closer to her. “We were talking about Fowler and what his next move might be.”
She sighed. “I mean no disrespect, but why waste time trying to figure out what you think he’ll do? You thought he wouldn’t call, but he did. That he wouldn’t contact me until tomorrow, yet here he was tonight.”
“Being wrong doesn’t stop us from trying to get into Fowler’s head,” Jack said.
“What’s to figure out?” she asked. “He wants money, told me he’d let me know where to bring it, and I want to give it to him so he leaves us alone.”
Reid stepped closer. “We’ve talked about this. Fowler will keep coming back for more.”
Reid’s tone was gentle, but she wouldn’t let him sway her. “Well, at least it’ll stop him from killing Ella because I didn’t follow his directions.”
“So he comes back again and again and again and you run out of money. What happens then?”
She raised her chin to minimize the difference in their heights. “I’ll tell him I don’t have anything left.”
“You think he’ll believe you?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice carried the frustration that was mounting inside of her. “I’ve never done this before.”
Jack stepped between them. “Take a deep breath, Megan.”
She gulped in air.
Reid moved around Jack and took her hand. “We’ve negotiated with men like Fowler before, and we know what we’re doing.” He paused and peered into her eyes, melting her frustration some. “We need you to trust us. Let us help. Don’t do anything rash.”
She wanted to let them handle things. How she wanted to. It would take a day to get the money together, and for that time, she could let them think she agreed with their plan. If they didn’t capture Fowler by the time the money was ready…
She would have to strike out on her own.
