Page 66 of Fallen Creed

“You’re saying the person who killed Darrow may have hurt Ryder?”

His response looked like equal parts of reluctance and clarification.

He put his hands on the table, one on each side of his plate. Turned them palms up. “Isn’t that what you’re already thinking?” he asked her.

Why fool herself? It was exactly what she was avoiding. She still did not want to believe that Ryder had been blindsided and injured. But if he had, she held out hope that he and Grace had escaped and were hiding somewhere. If he lost his phone in the attack, that would explain why he couldn’t call or text for help.

With her elbows already planted on the table, Maggie leaned in. The restaurant was empty, in between the breakfast crowd and lunch. Still, she kept her voice low and asked, “What about Libby Holmes?”

“What about her?”

Pakula was cleaning his plate with a wedge of toast, sopping the remains of his over-easy eggs. Maggie couldn’t watch. She’d barely gotten her toast and bacon down.

“The murder back in Virginia,” she refreshed his memory.

“I thought she was just a suspect. There was no arrest, right?”

“Doesn’t mean she wasn’t involved.” She sipped her Diet Pepsi, hoping to wash away the nausea. “I read the autopsy report last night. The body was dismembered.”

Pakula stopped mid-sop and stared at her. “Now why the hell didn’t you tell me that?”

“I am telling you. So, you think it could be connected?”

“That’s one hell of a coincidence if it’s not connected.”

“If Lucy can confirm Darrow’s identity, then we have to consider Libby is involved in her murder somehow. She may have run away because she’s a part of it. For all we know, she’s holding up somewhere with the killer and simply waiting for the snow to stop, so they can make a run for it.”

She watched him. He wasn’t dismissing her theory, or he would have already said it.

“And you think they have Ryder? Or they may have hurt him?” he asked.

She hated looping this idea in her mind. And she still didn’t want to say it out loud. Afraid her voice might show too much emotion, she nodded.

“But why dump Darrow’s body and stick around? We started finding it before the snow started. She disappeared last week. They had plenty of time to take care of business and beat it out of town. Out of the state.” He shook his head, then gestured at her leftover bacon. “Are you going to finish that?”

“No. Go ahead.”

She waited as he chewed. Perhaps it helped him think.

“We should go with your first gut reaction,” he finally said.

Maggie couldn’t remember what it was. Evidently, her expression told him that.

“Remember, the two women look like they could be sisters. What if the killer meant to get Libby? Didn’t realize his mistake until it was too late.”

“It doesn’t explain how or why she was involved in the Virginia case.”

“We both know how easily young girls can be manipulated. Even by guys like Freddie Mason.”

“What about Mason?” Maggie asked, suddenly reminded of the trafficker. Was it only two days ago they believed this could be some sick revenge war between human traffickers?”

“I’m trying to talk to him. He’s already lawyered-up. Some young hotshot from Lincoln who informed me he needed to be alerted forty-eight hours in advance, so that he could be present during any questioning of his client.” Pakula dragged a palm over his shaved head.

Maggie pretended not to notice that the stubble on his jaw was more pronounced than on his head.

“Whatever’s going on,” she said, “I think we agree that Ryder and Grace have been taken.”

“An injured.”