Page 128 of Distress Signal

A woman answered.

“Caldwell.”

“Hey, Addie. It’s Lane.”

“Hey,” she replied, tone softening. “What’s up?”

Lane shot both me and Aspen glares as if to say,not a word.

She and I exchanged a knowing glance but kept our mouths shut.

“We’re working on the Lindsey case, and I’ve got a question I’m hoping you can answer from a profiler’s perspective.”

“Hit me.”

“We’ve got an unsub here who has kidnapped a woman. Blonde, thirty…”

I tuned out while Lane gave Addie the background. Already familiar with the particulars, I allowed my mind to wander. Mainly, I hoped like hell Addie would be able to help us. Aspen was the best in the business, as far as I was concerned—she had, after all, been instrumental in taking down a serial killer who had been operating for over four decades—but even she struggled to find any leads. While Aspen wasn’t cuffed by the samebureaucratic red tape as law enforcement, Addie, as an FBI agent, had resources even Lane, as the county sheriff, couldn’t access.

Plus, her background in profiling could tell uswhymy sister had been taken, which could bring us one step closer to discoveringwhohad taken her.

“Lainey has been missing for three months,” Lane was saying when I mentally tuned back into the conversation. “But since Reagan’s arrival, she’s also been the target of harassment and two abduction attempts.”

“He wants them both,” Addie said quickly when he finished.

“That’s what I was thinking too.”

“They’re likely surrogates for someone from his past. Either someone he loved and lost, or someone who dealt him some sort of soul-deep emotional trauma.”

“If it was trauma-related, wouldn’t she already be dead?” I asked before I could stop myself. Lane hadn’t bidden us to speak, nor had he alerted Addie to my and Aspen’s presence.

Oops.

Addie sighed. “You know I hate being put on speaker in front of other people without my knowledge, Sheriff.”

“Sorry,” he replied, though he didn’t sound it at all. “Hey, Addie?”

“Yes?” the FBI agent clipped.

“You’re on speaker, and I’m here with Lainey’s sister, Reagan, and Aspen, who I’m sure you remember from the Prom Night Arsonist case.”

“Hoping to upstage law enforcement again, Miss McKay?” Addie asked lightly.

Aspen chuckled. “Just doing a friend a favor.”

“Fair enough. Now back to the matter at hand…in my expert opinion, yes. If this abduction and holding Lainey captive was related to past trauma, she would likely already be dead.” She paused, and I knew what she’d ask next. “I don’t mean to be insensitive here, Reagan, but are youcertainshe’s still alive? Fromwhat Lane has told me, there’s nothing to suggest otherwise, but it could be that her remains haven’t yet been discovered.”

“I don’t have any tangible proof,” I admitted, giving into a shiver at the image she painted. Remembering the poor woman in the county morgue whose identity was still a mystery. “But…we’re twins. I’d know.”

“I believe you,” Addie said, surprising me, and I relaxed fractionally. Aspen squeezed my arm reassuringly.

“You keep saying ‘he,’” Aspen pointed out to Addie.

“Given that Lainey is likely still alive, and someone is coming after you, Reagan, I am confident we’re dealing with a male unsub.”

“The same one Lainey slept with all those years ago.”

“Yes, I think that’s a safe bet.”