Page 74 of Every Last One

“You’re doing great too,” she told him. “Keep watching the video, switching between all the floors, and let me know if you see anything we should know about.”

“Happy to help any way I can.”

Neal came back into the vehicle, and his face was pale. “That was Detective Birch with an update on his finding at Perkins’s apartment.”

Everyone listened intently as the lieutenant filled them in.

“So they’re communicating through notes tucked into a library book,” Monica said. “That’s rather clever and keeps their conspiracy offline.”

“And he’s sure about the names?” Gibson said from the end of the vehicle at his workstation.

“Yes. They are the same as the usernames we flagged from the forum. I’ve sent Detective Birch to the library to see what more he can find out. If another woman checked out the book, we might finally get the shot caller’s identity.”

Alaya Princess…“It’s time for me to try her again.” It had been a matter Sandra had given a lot of thought. She pushed the digits for the boardroom, and the woman answered. She said nothing. Sandra let the silence ride for a few moments before speaking. “Alaya, let me help you.” Sandra felt far more comfortable pulling out this name now.

“Then you know.”

“Not everything. Talk to me.”

“I just have nothing left to lose.”

“You sound sad, Alaya.”

“No, I’m angry. I should just pull the trigger and?—”

People in the room collectively cried out.

“Has anyone been hurt?”

“Not yet.”

Sandra wasn’t sure whether to be assured by that response or not. There was more chaotic noise in the background. “Alaya,” Sandra said, a little louder to get her attention, “you say you have nothing to lose, but you came here today wanting something. Maybe it’s time to walk out, let this end. Do you want to surrender peacefully? I can run you through all of it, how it would work, and I’d be here for you when you come out. What do you say, Alaya?”

“I’m not ready yet. Even if I’d like the nightmare to end.”

Sandra didn’t like the tone of her voice more than her words. Was she talking about her own life? And earlier when she mentioned pulling the trigger, had she meant on herself? Assumptions were fatal in negotiations. “What nightmare?”

“This one. Being here with these people, with police outside.”

“We can end this right now. You just have to say the word.” Sandra waited as the seconds ticked off. She was prepared to hold the silence until Alaya broke it.

“I’m not going to let everyone down.”

“Your friends Carmen, Tom, and Shane?” Sandra wedged their names in there, and asking this might also reveal if the woman was concerned about anyone else.

“They’re not my friends. But you must know about the forum. You’re calling me Alaya.”

“We do. Fat Cats.”

“Then you know that this hospital has destroyed our lives,” she spat with venom.

“How did it destroyyourlives?” Crippling debt and the loss of loved ones, or was there something Sandra didn’t know about yet?

“You wouldn’t understand!”

The line went dead.

Sandra sat back, a little shaken by the shot caller’s reveals.The hospital has destroyed our lives…“I think motive here is twofold. This is about money and retribution.”