Page 24 of The Wolves Come at Night

“That he was sure she’d turn up, but because of the situation—he said that, situation, like there were quotes around the word—he would start checking into things right away.”

“All right. You hang in there and call me if you hear anything.”

“Sure. You think she’s okay, don’t you, Dr. Conway?”

The girl sounded ten, not eighteen, and Avery understood exactly how she felt.

She half laughed, half sobbed, “I’m sure she’s fine, but she’s going to get grounded when I get my hands on her.”

She hung up and looked at Santi. “Do you think the police know there’s a ransom demand?” Her voice sounded hollow and weak, and she cleared her throat. She would not falter, not now.

“No. I— No. There’s no way, unless you tell them. That’s just between us. And her kidnapper.”

“I have to call Nashville.” She already had her hand on the phone.

“Wait. Let’s talk this through.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I have to see what they know. I have to see…it’s Carson, Santi. My daughter. I can’t just sit here. I need to call…I need to go down there. Right now. I need—can you book me a ticket? There’s a direct flight. You do that while I talk to the police there.” She realized she was turning in circles, stopped, put a hand on the counter, and took a breath. She was trained to handle crises; she knew the first thing she needed to do was breathe.

Santiago’s espresso eyes were troubled. “You can’t run off, Avery. There’s a ransom demand. And whoever is making it is here, in New Haven. The letters…”

“You can handle this end while I go to Nashville.”

“No. I can’t let you run off without protection.”

“Santi, I am a grown woman. I’m not in danger. Carson is. And we’re wasting time.”

He ran a hand over his face, coming to a decision. She stopped moving again, curious.

“I understand. I’ll get us a flight, but I’m going with you. Alan can stay here in case Carson comes back or calls. Sit down.”

He pulled out a stool for her, and she sat, worried. He sat too, and took her hand in his.

“I will say this in all seriousness, Avery, and you must listen to me closely. I know how hard this is, but I also know how this works. Kidnapping for money, I mean. Please, don’t ask me how, just trust me. I agree, going to Nashville is exactly what you should do. It would look strange if you didn’t. But you cannot, under any circumstances, tell them about the ransom note. We will start raising the cash to get her back and handle that on our end. If we involve the police there in our negotiations, we endanger Carson.”

“Putting aside the fact that you’re scaring the crap out of me right now, Santiago, why, exactly, should I lie to the police?”

“Not lie. Omit. You can’t be blamed that the roommate called the police. But if the Nashville police know there’s a ransom demand, they will shift into high gear in a whole different way. They will be forced to pull in the FBI and other agencies that you do not want to be involved. You must trust me, Avery. I wouldn’t tell you this unless I knew it was the right thing to do.”

“How do you know? How?”

“I…I was in the military, a long time ago. I’ve seen these things. I want to call another friend, someone who might be able to help. Will you excuse me? Just for a moment.”

She nodded, and he disappeared out the back door. Images of Carson in various stages of duress were flying through her mind, and she fired off another text.

Where are you, honey?

Nothing.

She could hear bits of Santiago’s conversation, but again, the words were too fast for her to follow. She heard him say muerto once and cringed. Her daughter was not dead. At least not yet. The notes proved it.

Didn’t they?

Please let the notes prove it, she prayed. And please help me understand why Santiago is so sure this is the right path.

Santi came back inside and this time, the smile was strained but real. He rubbed her shoulder. “She is going to help us.”

“Who?”