was a police car speeding down the street in their direction. Pep jerked the Jeep to the curb, and stopped. As soon as the police cruiser passed, he pulled out again. A quick glance in the mirror confirmed what he thought. The cops were turning onto the road he’d just been on.
“A little late, guys,” he said under his breath.
“Maybe we should go get them,” Barney suggested.
Pep could see the other car a block down, its progress also slowed by the police. “We can’t,” he said. He tossed his phone to Barney. “Get Logan. We need to let him know what happened.”
Barney put the call on speaker.
“They got away before the police could get there,” he said.
“What about Alan?” Logan asked.
“They have him.”
Logan said nothing for a moment, then, “Do you know which way they went?”
“We’re following them right now,” Pep said.
They could hear Logan take a breath. “Okay. Stay on them.”
“Where could they be going?” Barney asked.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps-”
“Ah, Logan,” Pep said.
“Yes?”
“Looks like they’re getting on the freeway.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
“Looks like they’re getting on the freeway,” Pep said.
Logan shot a look at Sara. “How well do you know Riverside?”
She shrugged. “Okay, I guess. I was only there for about a year and a half.”
“Dr. Paskota has Alan.”
Her face tensed, but she didn’t look surprised, obviously having worked that out from hearing his side of the phone conversation.
“They’re getting onto the freeway,” he said.
“Which one?”
“Which freeway?” Logan asked Pep.
“Two fifteen,” Pep replied. “North.”
“The 215 North.”
She frowned. “The 215 takes a sharp right in the middle of town where it intersects with the 60 and the… uh…91.”
“So which way are they going?”
She shrugged. “They could be going anywhere. If they stay on the 215, they’ll be headed right at us.”
Logan turned back to the phone. “Stay with them,” he said. “I’ll call you back in a minute.”
Though he knew who they were headed toward, he didn’t know where. He called Callie.
“I’ve been dying here,” she said. “What happened?”
“It’s not over yet. Alan went back to the house this evening before we could get there.”
“What?” She sounded even more surprised than Logan did when he first heard. “He promised me he was going to get Emily out of there.”
“Emily wasn’t with him.”
“She wasn’t? Where is she?”
“I was hoping you could tell me that.”
“I told him to take her to Big Bear,” she said. “I have a cabin up there.”
“If you were going to Big Bear from Alan’s house, would you take the 215 North?”
“Sure. Up to the I-10, then east to Highway 38.”
“Is there anyone in Big Bear he could have left Emily with?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure if he knows anyone up there.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
As he hung up, he asked Sara, “Did you guys have friends in Big Bear?”
“No. Well, I didn’t. Alan never mentioned anyone, either. Is that where Emily is?”
“That’s where Callie told him to go.”
“Alan would never leave Emily with just anyone. It would have to be someone he trusted.”
Having more questions than answers, Logan called Pep back to get an update.
“I was just about to call you,” Pep said.
“Why?”
“We’re not on the 215 anymore.”
“Where are you?”
“On the 60 Freeway, heading west.”
Logan put a hand over the phone. “They’re on the 60 West.”
“Sixty? That’s not the way to Big Bear,” Sara said.
“Maybe Alan’s misdirecting them,” Diana suggested.
“Yeah. That must be it,” Sara agreed, nodding.
Logan wasn’t ready to buy that yet. “You said your husband would only leave Emily with someone he trusts. Who would those people be?”
Sara thought for a moment. “Um…we have some friends. The Carters. They’d watch Emily for us in a pinch.”
“Anyone else?”
She shook her head. “We didn’t leave Emily alone much.”
Logan knew of one time they had. “What about when you and Alan went on your trip to San Diego and Tijuana?”
At the mention of the trip, she looked embarrassed. Then she froze. “Oh…oh, no…Alan’s sister. Rachel.”
“She’s in Riverside, too?”
She shook her head. “Simi Valley.”
Simi Valley was way on the other side of the San Fernando Valley, just northwest of Los Angeles.
“When we go to Rachel’s, we’d always take the 60 West part of the way.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
“I don’t remember her number,” Sara said.
“You don’t?” Logan asked, surprised.
“I made sure I didn’t memorize anyone’s number. And I got rid of my old phone when I left.”
“It’s okay. Callie will have it,” he said. He was right. Once he had the number, he punched it in and handed the phone to Sara. “Just hit SEND.”
He could tell the moment the call was answered. Sara pulled back, her eyes focusing downward.
“Hi, may I speak to Rachel?” She put a hand over the phone and whispered, “Kurt answered. Her husband.” Suddenly her attention was back on her call. “Rachel? It’s…it’s Sara…Rachel?…Yes, it’s me…I promise I’ll tell you later, but I need to-” She paused. “I know that. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. It was the only thing I could do… Please, you have to believe me…Rachel, Rachel, hold on. Just let me-” Her head drooped and she nodded,
