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She appreciated the gesture. Really she did, but his edict was personal. It was about her safety—not about the best way to handle Solomon’s request. “Well.” She grabbed her phone and stood. “In that case, one of you better be ready to move, because I have things to do.”

Vera knew better than to tell either of the two what she had in mind now that the fog of fear and worry about her sister was thinning enough for her to think clearly. She headed out of the office, and as itturned out, it wasn’t necessary to tell them anyway. They both followed her toward the front exit of the building.

“Vee,” Bent warned.

She imagined he had figured out what she intended to do. So she ignored him.

“Vera,” Eric echoed, “slow down a—”

She pushed out the door and walked into the sunlight. It was a chilly morning, but the sun was giving its all. No less than a couple dozen reporters stood by for the scheduled press conference that was mere minutes away.

Vera walked directly into the crowd that instantly surged forward. Right up front was Patricia Patton. Vera barely restrained the need to roll her eyes.

“I have a preconference sound bite for you,” she announced. She didn’t have to look back to know both Bent and Eric had stalled and were now watching her and hoping she wouldn’t say anything one or both would regret.

“You may have heard,” Vera said, “that my sister Eve has been abducted.” Hurt swelled so fast inside her that she couldn’t speak for a moment. “We all know this is no longer about the Time Thief.You’ll hear more about the person we feel is responsible in a few minutes. But right now, I want to send a message to that person.”

Eyes and cameras zeroed in on her face. Recording devices extended toward her. Vera ignored all of it and focused on what she had to say. The message was simple and direct.

“I know why you’re here,” she said. Then she smiled. “It’s not my sister you want ... it’s me. So let’s make this easy. You let her go, and I’ll take her place. You know where to find me.”

She turned away, ignoring the barrage of questions thrown at her like bullets in a shoot-out. Bent and Eric followed her back through the front entrance, away from the crowd she’d riled up.

“Do you really think that was smart or beneficial?” Eric asked. He looked disappointed in her.

Bent, on the other hand, looked fighting mad. “She knows it wasn’t smart. She’s trying to force a reaction.” He glared at her.

Ah, Bent knew her well. Didn’t matter. She no longer cared what anyone thought. This was about finding Eve before that piece of shit did something Vera couldn’t fix.

She looked from one man to the other. “I’m ready to go to Nashville to see Solomon.”

“No way,” Bent said flat out. “I’m putting you in protective custody.”

“Like hell you are,” Vera fired back. “You’re not thinking like a sheriff, Bent.” She didn’t have to say the rest. He knew exactly what she meant.

“Just hold on a minute.” Eric held up both hands. “She’s right. He’s refusing to talk to anyone except Vera. It’s possible if she gives him the attention he wants, he’ll back his guy down. We have nothing to lose but a few hours’ time by giving it a try.”

Bent was not the easiest guy to make angry. He generally took everything in stride. She supposed he’d learned that kind of patience and restraint after all those years of having his father beat the hell out of him. His mother had died when he was just a little kid and wasn’t there to protect him. Then there was his time in the military. But despite all that, she, apparently, had the power to rile him up ... to scramble his focus, because he was thoroughly pissed right now.

“If she goes,” Bent said to Eric, “you go with her. I’ll take care of things here.” Then he pointed that weighty glare at Vera once more. “I do not want her going anywhere—particularly that prison—alone.”

Vera didn’t argue. She could live with his terms. “I want to go now,” she said to Eric. “Right now.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Bring your car around back,” Bent suggested. “You can get away while I start the press conference. We don’t need anyone following you. There’s a side entrance to the parking lot at the end of the corridor past my office.”

Eric headed in that direction.

Bent’s blue eyes, still fiery with anger, settled on her. “You do what you think you need to do, Vee, but don’t do anything else as careless as what you just did.”

“We can wait for his next move,” she argued, exhaustion pulling at her now, “or we can make the next move. It’s that simple, Bent.”

She wasn’t going to apologize for taking the necessary steps to prompt a reaction. Of all the people who had worked the Messenger investigation, she knew Solomon on a sort of intimate level the best.

He or his surrogate wanted a reaction fromher,so she’d given it to him.

Now it was his turn.