“This is a big house and there are back stairs,” Claire murmured, still half inside her own head. “But there’s another energy here. A new one. The kidnapper’s.”
“A kidnapper with a conscience,” Hutch muttered. “More personal traits.”
“Not just personal-feminine,” Claire amended. “My sense is that the intruder was a woman. She came specifically to get the special items that would ease Krissy’s separation anxiety.” A furrowed brow. “It’s a female’s energy-not dense or heavy like a man’s would be. More light and airy.”
“So you think the alpha male who’s running the show sent his female accomplice to do the dirty work.” Casey pursed her lips and nodded. “It makes sense. He’d get his desired results, and he wouldn’t be the one taking the risk.”
Hutch was scowling. “None of this feels right. A mobster with a grudge. One who demanded, and got, ransom money, but is still not satisfied. He also doesn’t seem to want an eye for an eye. He wants Krissy alive, but is showing no signs of returning her-just as Felicity Akerman was never returned
There were no ready answers.
“Are you sure nothing else was taken?” Claire asked Hope as she moved slowly around the room. She paused next to the empty space on the dresser. “The jewelry box was in this spot?”
“Yes,” Peg confirmed. “ERT took it for evidentiary purposes. And, according to Judge Willis, nothing else was taken other than what we’ve discussed.”
“Just the locket was taken from the jewelry box? You’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” Hope verified. “I checked the box three times. All my jewelry was untouched.”
“Do you have a red stone? A ring, a necklace, maybe earrings?”
Hope shook her head. “I have an opal necklace that projects a variety of colors. But none of them is red.”
“A ruby.” Claire stated it with certainty. “It’s a ruby.” She brushed her fingertips over the spot that had held the jewelry box. “And it’s not in the box that was here. Do you keep jewels anywhere else in the house?”
“No. I’m not really a jewelry person.”
“What about Krissy? Does she have any ruby studs, or fake stones that look like rubies?”
“She doesn’t have any jewelry, much less rubies. She doesn’t even like rubies, other than the name. It’s the one she gave to-” Hope stopped, her breath catching in her throat. “Ruby,” she whispered. “I never thought of that. I never checked…”
“Ruby?” Grace demanded.
“Krissy’s stuffed robin.” Hope was already halfway to the door. “She plays with her and Oreo all the time.”
By the time everyone had reached Krissy’s room, Hope was standing next to the shelves beside Krissy’s bed and was gazing at the top one, a stricken expression on her face.
“She’s gone. Nest and all.” Slowly, Hope turned. “Oreo and Ruby are like an imaginary family to Krissy. Oreo and Ruby are best friends, and Krissy is their nanny, like Ashley is to her.”
“That explains my dream,” Claire murmured. “It’s why Oreo was crying. And who he was missing. Ruby.” At the puzzled glances aimed her way, Claire explained the specifics of her dream.
“Once again, an attempt to make Krissy feel less lonely, more normal,” Sergeant Bennett concluded. “Nice work, Claire.” He was well aware that the FBI-particularly the BAU-was on the fence about Claire’s abilities. He couldn’t miss this opportunity to drive home the legitimacy of her gift.
Casey spoke up. “Not just more normal, more at home. The kidnappers are trying to recreate the securities of Krissy’s world. Her mother’s scent. A locket with pictures of the two of them side by side. And Krissy’s two closest inanimate friends in the world, the ones she keeps with her at night in the haven of her bedroom. These people want her to
“A willing captive,” Claire agreed. “Which she hasn’t been until now. She’s desperate to come home. The kidnappers are hoping to win her over.”
“Oh, God.” Hope sank down onto Krissy’s bed. “What if they’re unsuccessful? Krissy is so strong willed. What if she fights them? What if they hurt her?”
“Hope-stop.” Casey sank down beside her. “Let’s cling to the fact that Krissy is alive and that the kidnappers are trying to soothe her. It buys us a little time to figure things out. Let’s not waste that time panicking.”
“Then what do we do from here?”
“We divide and conquer.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The brownstone was dark.
Hero was stretched out on the carpeted floor, enjoying a late-night snooze.
In the bed, Hutch threw back his head with a shout, every muscle in his body strained to the hilt. Then, with an exhausted groan, he shuddered and collapsed on top of Casey, his body drenched in sweat.
Casey sank into the mattress and shut her eyes, still quivering in the aftermath. Her fingertips traced a fine line down Hutch’s back.
“Still mad?” she finally managed.
“Too tired to be mad-now.”
A soft laugh. “You’re tough to win over.”
“Have your way with me a few more times. I might reconsider.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Long, silent minutes passed.
Broaching the inevitable, Hutch rolled over, throwing an arm over his head and sprawling out on his back. “It’s bad enough you play by your own set of rules,” he said. “But you’re reckless, too. That ransom drop could have gotten ugly. We’re trained to handle that. You’re not.”
“Point taken. But I didn’t have time to arrange a posse. I had to act fast. Plus, I wasn’t sure it was a ransom drop. All I was sure of was that Hope was acting weird. Then she left abruptly-right after her father showed up. I didn’t think-I just took off after her.” Casey tipped her head back to look up at Hutch. “That’s as close to an apology as you’re going to get. I hope it makes the grade.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “You really are a piece of work. Yeah, fine, it makes the grade. I’ll give it a C+. But as for our methods-we’re never going to have a meeting of the minds on those.”
“True,” Casey agreed. “The good news is that the FBI task force is now on the same page with us about the two kidnappings probably being related. Your team can drill the hell out of Sidney Akerman and Joe Deale, and my team and I can soft-pedal it.”
Hutch gave her a quizzical look. “Meaning?”
“Meaning that organized crime is the FBI’s forte. But there are other ways to skin a cat. There are tons of subtleties yet to explore. Law enforcement’s job is clear-to chase down every viable lead, from the mob to the other suspects on your list. Which makes Forensic Instincts’ job just as clear-to hunt down more subtle leads, through the more subtle sources.”
“Just to clarify, you’re totally abandoning the idea that Krissy’s kidnapping might be an isolated event?”
“You know me better than that. I never abandon anything-not until the case is officially, and successfully, closed. I have a few avenues left to travel on the isolated kidnapping theory, although my gut tells me they won’t pan out. Nothing illegal, I promise. Mostly, I want to pursue the related kidnappings theory. I plan to go over the Felicity Akerman case file with Patrick. He’s going to be an invaluable resource in recreating the past-for your team and mine. I want to take in everything he tells me. Then I want to talk to Hope and, most importantly, to Vera Akerman. If Sidney was in trouble when Felicity was kidnapped, his family might know more than they realize. Hope, from a child’s innocent perspective, and Vera, from a wife’s real-life observations. I want to hear about friends. Business associates. Even casual acquaintances who struck an odd note.”
“It sounds like you’re reaching.”
“Maybe we are. But we don’t have a clear suspect, just a lot of muddied waters. So between your tried and true methods and our unconventional ones, we’ll have all the bases covered.” Casey propped herself on one elbow. “Speaking of unconventional methods, stop eyeing Claire Hedgleigh with such skepticism. She’s for real, and she’s
