'I'll protect you, Rachel. Tell me where he is, and I'll find him.'
'I told you, he's here.'
'What's his name?'
'I don't know his name.'
'What does he look like?'
'He doesn't have a face. He keeps changing his face.'
'What do you mean?'
Rachel started shaking.
'It's okay,' Darby said. 'I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you.'
'You were there. You saw what he did to Paula and Marci.'
'I know, but I'm having trouble remembering. Remind me what happened.'
Rachel's bottom lip quivered. She didn't answer.
'I saw the letters and numbers you wrote on your wrist,' Darby said. 'The letters are directions, aren't they? L equals left, R equals right.'
Rachel opened her eyes. 'It doesn't matter if you go right or left or straight, they all lead to dead ends, remember?'
'But you found a way out.'
'There's no way out of here, there are only places to hide.'
'What do the numbers mean?'
'You've got to find the key before he comes back. Look under my bed, I might have dropped it there.'
'Rachel, I need -'
'FIND THE KEY!'
As Darby pretended to look around the floor, she wondered if Rachel would reveal more information if she wasn't in her restraints. Lomborg would never allow it – not without him being in the room, not without the orderlies present.
'Did you find it, Terry?'
'I'm still looking.'
Think. Don't let this opportunity slip away. Think.
'Hurry, the door's going to open any minute,' Rachel said.
No one was standing outside the door; no one was even near the door. As much as she hated the idea, Darby wanted to go consult that stuffy prick Lomborg and see if he had any ideas.
'I can't find it,' Darby said.
'It's here, I just dropped it.'
'I'm going to get help.'
Rachel Swanson bucked against her restraints. 'DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE WITH HIM, DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME ALONE AGAIN.'
Darby grabbed her hand. 'It's okay. I won't let him hurt you, I promise.'
'Don't leave me, Terry, please don't leave me.'
'I won't leave you. I'm not going anywhere.' Using her foot, Darby pulled a chair over and sat down. Think.
Okay. Rachel thinks we're still trapped, so let's go along with the delusion.
'Who else is in here with us?'
'There's no one left,' Rachel said. 'Paula and Marci are dead, and Chad…' Rachel started crying again.
'What happened to Chad?'
Rachel wouldn't answer.
'Paula and Marci,' Darby said. 'What are their last names? I can't remember.'
No answer.
'There's someone else down here with us,' Darby said. 'Her name is Carol. Carol Cranmore.'
'There's no one named Carol in here.'
'She's sixteen. She needs our help.'
'I haven't seen her. Is she new?'
'Where is she?'
Think, don't blow it.
'I heard her cry out for help,' Darby said, 'but I can't see her.'
'She must be on the other side. How long has she been down here?'
'A little over a day.'
'She's probably still sleeping. He always makes them sleep when they first get here, puts drugs in the food. The doors won't open for awhile, then. There's still time.'
'What's he going to do to her?'
'Is she tough? Is she a fighter?'
'She's scared,' Darby said. 'We need to help her.'
'We need to get to her before the doors open. You've got to get me out of these handcuffs.'
'What happens when the doors open?'
'Get me out of these handcuffs, Terry.'
'I will, just tell me -'
'I've helped you, Terry. All those times I showed you where to hide, all those times I protected you – now it's your turn to help me. Get me out of these goddamn handcuffs right now.'
'I will. Let's call out to Carol and tell her what to do.'
Rachel Swanson stared at the ceiling.
'Carol needs our help, Rachel. Tell her what to do.'
The tape ended with a loud click. Rachel didn't move, didn't look; she just kept staring at the ceiling.
Darby flipped the tape over and started recording.
It didn't matter. Rachel Swanson refused to speak.
Chapter 31
Darby was exhilarated and scared, running on fumes of hope. She pushed the door open, wanting to find a pen and paper, afraid that if she didn't write everything down she'd lose it. She reminded herself she didn't have to rush. The whole conversation was caught on tape.
The crowd outside Rachel Swanson's room had doubled. Darby scanned the faces, looking for Coop – there he was, at the far end of the hallway, talking on the phone behind the reception area. He hung up just as she reached him.
'That was the lab,' Coop said. 'Leland just got a call from Banville. A package with Dianne Cranmore's name was found on the stairs of a house in Belham, about twenty minutes away from where Carol lives. The return address has Carol's name on it. As far as I know, nobody saw who dropped it.'
'What's in the package?'
'Don't know yet. It's on the way to the lab.'
'I want you to head back to the lab and wait for the package. Ask Mary Beth to do a search for two more names – Paula and Marci. I don't know their last names. Tell her to limit the search to New England.'
'And what are you going to do?'
'I need to talk to Lomborg.'
'Be nice,' Coop said.
Lomborg's mood had not improved. He crossed his arms as he listened to her idea about temporarily removing Rachel Swanson's restraints.
'There is absolutely no way in hell I'll allow that,' Lomborg said.
'What if we move her to a psychiatric facility? We'd be better equipped there, and you could watch her over a monitor.' Some rooms, Darby knew, were equipped with cameras to watch patients.
