"You did make a statement confirming that he was being investigated."

  "I don't recall that. But it's possible I confirmed we were talking to him along with other suspects. You know how the media is. You have to give them something."

  "I've never put that big of a target on a person of interest when there was so little evidence."

  He bristled at her words. "That's not true. You've been in the press. I've seen some of your interviews. You've had to talk about suspects. And you know that no matter how good we are, sometimes we just can't bring a missing person home. That’s a sad and harsh truth." He took an angry breath. "Your old friend, Bradford, needs someone to blame for his brother's death, and I'm a good target. Not just me, the entire team of agents that worked on that case. He's trying to destroy your fellow agents. I hope you don't forget that when you're talking to him. You can't trust him. You can't trust anything he says."

  She couldn't tell him he was wrong, because he was the best target Cooper had besides herself. But there was something really uncomfortable about their entire conversation, and she was beginning to better understand why Damon had given her the case.

  "Can I buy you breakfast?" Burnett asked.

  She was still hungry, but she was eager to get to the Benedict's house, and she really didn't want to spend any more time with Agent Burnett. "I had coffee. That's all I need."

  "Keep in touch."

  She gave him a brief smile as she got to her feet. "Thanks for your help."

  As she headed out of the restaurant, she got a call from Flynn.

  "The media is hounding us for an update. We're setting up a press conference for eleven o'clock this morning. I'd love to have something definitive to say."

  "I would love that, too, but we have next to nothing." She felt like a failure having to admit that. "The press conference could be helpful in increasing public awareness of the case and generating more leads. Have you spoken to Neil Benedict? Does the family want to make a statement?"

  "I haven't spoken to him yet, but I'd prefer if they didn't make a statement. I'd like to keep this short and simple with just you and Damon at the microphone."

  "Damon, not you?" she asked.

  "It's less complicated if Damon looks like he's running things."

  She was a little surprised that Flynn was so willing to stay in the shadows. On the other hand, that's where he'd always operated best. "All right. I'll go to the Benedict's house now and let them know that we'll be making a statement and hopefully talk them out of trying to be involved, too."

  Chapter Ten

  When she arrived at the Benedict home a little before nine, the media presence was heavy. The police had provided an officer to control the crowd, but as she walked past the caution tape, she was thrown numerous questions, none of which she answered.

  Another officer let her into the house, and she found three members of the Benedict household gathered in the living room: Neil and his parents were having an intense and somewhat heated conversation when she entered. There was no sign of Claire, Kristine, or Solange.

  "Agent Hart, I'm glad you're here," Neil said, getting up from the couch. "I want to make a statement. I want to ask for the public's help in finding my daughter."

  "We're going to hold a press conference today at eleven," she said. "It will be at the LA office, and the director, Damon Wolfe, and myself will be making a statement and answering questions."

  "Okay. So, Claire and I can speak as well."

  "We talked yesterday about why that wasn't a good idea."

  "It wasn't a good idea when we were waiting for a ransom demand, but that never came, and my little girl has been gone for twenty-four hours. We need everyone to start looking for her."

  "I understand your desperation and your fear," she told him. "I would want to do the same thing, but it's better if you don't go on camera."

  "Why?"

  "You'll give too much away."

  "Give what away? I don't know anything."

  "Exactly. But the kidnapper doesn't know that. It's best if he or she doesn't have any idea how close or how far away we are to finding them."

  "Are we close or are we far away?" he challenged.

  "We're working hard to find Elisa."

  He gave her a hard look. "You better not be trying to cover your ass in some way."

  "Keeping you away from the press is about Elisa and nothing else," she returned.

  "Where's Cooper? Why isn't he with you? I want him involved. I thought I made that clear."

  "I haven't spoken to him yet today, but I will," she promised, wondering why Cooper hadn't reached out, but she was happy not to have to deal with him just yet. "Right now, I'd like to speak to Claire."

  "Why?"

  "Because I need to talk to her," she said. "Where is she?"

  "She's upstairs in Elisa's room. She can't seem to leave it." Neil paused. "She didn't sleep at all last night. She's having a very difficult time."

  "You both are," she said with compassion in her gaze.

  "I just want to bring my child home."

  "That's what we're going to do," she said. Then she left the living room and moved up the stairs.

  Claire was in Elisa's room as Neil had predicted. She was sitting in a rocking chair, holding a stuffed rabbit to her chest, her face pale, her eyes and nose red from crying. She looked exhausted, like a shell of a woman.

  "Claire," she said gently.

  Claire started, her gaze swinging to Andi's. "Did you find her?"

  "Not yet. I need to ask you a few questions. They're personal, and I wish I didn't have to ask, but I do."

  "What?" Claire asked, confusion in her gaze.

  "Have you been treated for postpartum depression?"

  Claire's eyes widened. "Yes. Why?"

  "How long were you in treatment?"

  "A couple of months. But it went away. I got better." Realization entered her gaze. "You don't think I had something to do with this, do you?" She put a hand to her mouth. "My God! You think I hurt my daughter, and I'm trying to cover it up by pretending she's been kidnapped." Claire jumped to her feet, almost knocking Andi over. "How could you believe such a terrible thing? I love my daughter. I just had trouble feeling like myself." She shook her head in confusion. "I got better," she repeated.

  "I believe you," she said. "And I don't think you hurt Elisa. I just need to know everything about everyone in Elisa's life and that includes you. Who treated you?"

  "Dr. Mulders—Stefan Mulders. He'll tell you I snapped out of it a couple of months ago. It didn't last that long. And I'm a good mother. I swear I am."

  She didn't want to believe that Claire had anything to do with Elisa's disappearance, but years of experience had taught her to investigate every clue, not just the ones that led her in a direction she wanted to go. "I'm glad you're feeling better. It must have been difficult to go through that."

  "It was unexpected. I always wanted to be a mother. I thought it would be the happiest time of my life. I felt confused and numb, but I worked through it. Dr. Mulders said it's not uncommon. Lots of women suffer from postpartum depression."

  "That's true."

  "Neil had to help more during the early days, and then we got Kristine, who was wonderful with Elisa and with me. I don't think Elisa suffered because of my depression. I never wanted to hurt her. I just felt off, like I had no energy. I couldn't find any joy. And then, after talking to Dr. Mulders, the joy came back. I love being a mother now. I feel so empty with her gone. It's like there's a hole in my heart." She paused. "Do you have children?"

  "No."

  "Then you probably can't imagine how this feels."

  "I can't," she agreed. "Can you tell me any more about Kristine? I haven't found much information on her. Does she have friends? A boyfriend? A relative in town? Has she talked about anyone in her social circle with you?"

  Claire gave her a troubled look. "Kristine wouldn't hurt Elisa."

  "That wasn't my question."

  "She has a friend named Lindsay. I think she used to work with her somewhere before she became a nanny."

  "What do you know about Lindsay?"

  "You should just ask Kristine about her."

  "I will, but what has she told you?"

  "Not much. I think they run in a club together. Kristine doesn't really share her personal life. Neil and I try to respect her privacy."

  "All right. Is Kristine here now?"

  "I don't know. Probably. I haven't been downstairs."

  "I'll go look for her."

  "If you want me to take a lie detector test or something, I will. I love my daughter so much."

  "I understand. Thank you for being honest with me. I hope we'll have good news soon."

  When she left the baby's room, she headed down the hall to Kristine's bedroom. The door was open, the room was empty, and the bed was made. It looked exactly as it had yesterday, which made her wonder if Kristine had slept at the house. In fact, she wondered when anyone had last seen her.

  She left the room and moved quickly down the stairs to find Neil. He was in the entryway, and he wasn't alone. Cooper was with him.

  Her heart skipped a little beat as Cooper looked up and met her gaze, and something inexplicable passed between them. But she didn't have time to think about the weird tingle running down her spine.

  "Where's Kristine?" she said, when she hit the last step.

  Neil looked taken aback at her question. "She's around somewhere."

  "Is she? When is the last time you saw her?"

  Neil thought for a moment. "It was last night. She went out for a run around eight."

  "When did she come home?"

  "I didn't see her come back, but that's not unusual. I'm sure she didn't want to intrude on the family."

  "How was she acting yesterday?"

  "She was quiet and worried, feeling very guilty. She kept apologizing, telling me she was sorry. She tried to be helpful; she went to the store and picked up food. She tidied up the kitchen. I think she helped my mom make dinner, not that anyone felt like eating." He ran a hand through his hair. "She was being normal. Why?"

  "I don't think she's here, Neil. And I'm concerned that no one seems to know much about her life outside this house. Claire mentioned a friend named Lindsay. Have you heard Kristine talk about her?"

  "They run together."

  Another mention of the running reminded her that the bartender had told her Kristine belonged to a run club that met there on Thursday night. But she needed to talk to Kristine before another day passed. "Is there anyone else Kristine has talked about?"

  Neil frowned as he thought for a moment. "I guess we didn't really talk about her life much."

  "Do you know how the Weiselbergs met her?" she asked.

  "It was through another nanny at the park by their house. They tried her out for a few days and loved her. They gave her a strong recommendation. I assumed they vetted her before they hired her."

  That might have been the wrong assumption. "Do you remember the other nanny's name?"

  "No. I can call Glen and ask him."

  "That would be helpful."

  "I can't believe Kristine would be involved. Why would she be?" When Andi didn't answer right away, he turned to Cooper. "What do you think?"

  "That people can be motivated to do things if the price is right. Does Kristine have family back home that she sends money to? Parents, siblings?"

  "She did say her father died when she was young, and her mother raised her alone. I got the feeling they weren't close. Her mother didn't want her to move to the US. They haven't talked in a few years. I believe she was an only child. We paid her very well. She never asked for an advance on her paycheck or anything like that. She had free room and board here, so it was a great deal. It's not like she was desperate for cash or anything. And she lived a quiet life." He shook his head. "She's an obvious suspect. I understand that, but it doesn't make sense. It doesn't feel right."

  "Well, I'd like to talk to her further, so I'd like you to call her and find out when she's coming back," Andi said.

  Neil took out his phone and did as she requested, but Kristine didn't answer.

  "Leave her a message to get in touch as soon as possible," she instructed.

  "I'm sure she'll call me back," he said after he finished leaving the message. "She loves this job. She told me many, many times that she feels lucky to have found us. She adores children and being a nanny is the best thing she's ever done. I really don't want her to be involved in this. If I put my daughter's kidnapper in her bedroom, I don't think I can live with myself."

  "One step at a time. We just want to talk to Kristine, to know more about her. We'll see where it goes from there."

  He let out a heavy sigh. "I don't think I can stand not seeing Elisa for another day, much less another night."

  "Hopefully, it won't come to that. I need to get to the press conference. I'll check in with you after that."

  "Where's the conference at?" Cooper asked.

  "The LA office."

  "I'll see you there," he said.

  She wasn't thrilled to hear that, but she was happy that he didn't want to go with her now. She needed to get ready for a multitude of questions that she wouldn't be able to answer, and she didn't need Cooper to distract her.

  "Kristine didn't do this," Neil told Cooper. "Agent Hart is going down the wrong lane. It's more likely a stranger did this, someone from the construction company or something."

  Cooper was a little surprised that Neil was so strong in his defense of Kristine. He'd only known her for four months. That wasn't a long time. And she had been the last one to see Elisa. Where was Neil's anger at the nanny? It seemed odd that he had heard none of that. After Neil's earlier confession about sleeping with Jillian, he really hoped that there was nothing going on between him and Kristine.

  "How can you be so sure about Kristine?" he asked.

  "Because I know her. She has a good heart. She's a kind person. She's not Hollywood. She's not materialistic and obsessed with fashion or style or social media. She's just a sweet, young woman. And she loved Elisa." He stopped abruptly. "God! I'm talking in past tense. I don't want to do that. Kristine loves Elisa, and she wouldn't hurt her."

  "Do you know where she is right now?"

  "I don't. But it's not like she's missing. She was around all day yesterday."

  "Well, as soon as you hear from her, you need to make sure she comes back and talks to the FBI. Her absence creates a void that will fuel speculation. The best way for her to protect herself is to be completely forthcoming."

  "I don't think she's done anything to the contrary. She answered every question that was asked of her. They're circling back to her because they don't have anyone else. It just frustrates me because I want them to find the person who did this so we can get our daughter back."

  "And no one has reached out to you privately, right?"

  A flash of anger ran through Neil's eyes. "No. I haven't talked to anyone. And I'm still considering whether I want to speak to the media, even though Agent Hart strongly advised against it."

  He didn't think it was a good idea, either. Neil wasn't disciplined enough to follow a script, and who knew what he'd say or how he'd say it? "Just give the FBI some more time," he said. "Let's see how the press conference plays out. Maybe it will generate new leads." As he finished speaking, Claire came down the stairs, tears dripping from her eyes. It was difficult to believe she had any left.

  "Claire," Neil said with concern. "What's wrong now?"

  "They think I did it," she said. "The FBI. Agent Hart knows about my postpartum depression. Did you tell her?"

  "Of course not. And you don't have that anymore," Neil said, giving Claire a hug.

  "I told her I didn't. I said I love my daughter. I never wanted to hurt her."

  Neil turned to him with fury in his gaze. "Did you tell Agent Hart about Claire's issues?"

  "No. I didn't even think about it, and Agent Hart never asked me about it."

  "What the hell is she doing? We need another agent in charge. I have to call someone."

  "Hold on," he said. "Let me talk to Agent Hart and find out what she's thinking."

  "I need someone else," Neil said in frustration. "You were so right about inept investigators."

  He hated having his words taken out of context. But that wasn't important now. "Look, if Agent Hart knows, then everyone in the Bureau knows, so there's no point in trying to get her off the case. I suspect she's just checking every possibility. I doubt that this will be an issue."

  "It better not be."

  "I love Elisa," Claire repeated.

  "I know," he said. "Have you slept at all, Claire?"

  "I can't close my eyes."

  "You need to try. Maybe take a light sedative. Do you have something like that?"

  Claire shrugged. "I don't know."

  "I called Dr. Mulders' office, but he was out," Neil said. "He's going to call back as soon as he returns."

  "I don't want to take anything," Claire said. "I need to be alert in case Elisa needs me."

  "You need to rest so that you will have all your energy available when she's home," he told Claire. "Let Neil take you upstairs. Lay down for a while. See if you can get a little sleep."

  "He's right, Claire," Neil said.

  "Okay," she said wearily. "But you'll keep on them, Cooper?"

  "I will. I'll go to the press conference now." As Neil took his wife upstairs, Cooper left the house. The news vans were mostly gone, probably heading downtown to the press conference. That was good. He didn't want Neil or Claire walking out of the house in panicked, edge of a breakdown mode. Hopefully, Claire could sleep and get herself a little more together.

  He hopped into his car and started the engine. As he drove, he wondered why Andi had gone to Claire about the postpartum depression and where she'd heard about it. He actually hadn't even thought about bringing it up, because Claire had been fine the last few months, and he didn't believe it was an issue. But he could see why Andi had to ask her about it. He just wished she'd talked to him first. Maybe he could have smoothed the waters.