“Ah, I’ll run associates that could be affiliated with your father and have this type of car.”

  Ericka took a chair behind Quinn and watched as the letters and numbers scrolled in green along the screen. The algorithms this man could create in a matter of seconds baffled her every time.

  “How likely are we to get a match?”

  “I don’t know that it’s necessary, because I have a theory.”

  “Which is?”

  “I think it’s Sloan.” Quinn looked at footage from the hospital in Florida.

  “Sloan? But—”

  “He took out Josef but left your father alive. That means he needs him for something. He knows your father will likely come to see you, so he found you first.”

  “I don’t think my father is coming to find me.” Ericka could feel her heart rate increase. Why would he come to see her? He was supposed to be headed for witness protection, but he’d never showed. He was probably at some casino gambling or something.

  “Why wouldn’t he? He knows that his daughter is alive and well and looking for him. Why wouldn’t he come?”

  Ericka gulped.

  Why wouldn’t he come look?

  She was afraid to know the answer.

  ****

  Eddie waited outside while the medical examiner and the investigative team entered the building. Lunch time came before a metal cart was rolled out with a black bag atop.

  “Is that Rochelle?” Eddie couldn’t help but ask as the people passed.

  The medical examiner stopped. A heavy sigh parted his lips. “I believe so. At least it matches the portrait on the wall.”

  Eddie nodded. He’d heard only good things about the lady who had left an unstable situation in her country to begin a new life in America. Now this. It didn’t seem fair. Pain swelled in his chest as the metal cart’s legs were folded and the body placed into the ambulance. “What happened?”

  “I’ll need to get her back to the lab to confirm, but it looks like she took a shot to the gut.”

  “I see.” Eddie’s mouth went dry. He’d only worked traffic stops and handed out tickets. This was not something he was used to or wanted to be used to.

  “Detectives will be by to speak with you. Also, I suggest you send in a photo to that special unit. They are getting busted for not working real cases, so let’s help them out and give them something to do. You okay with that?”

  Eddie nodded. He knew where to find a photo. Rochelle had posted several online. And he was perfectly fine handing the case over. The last thing he wanted to do was stay in this neighborhood or work a murder.

  He pulled up a photo and sent it by text to the Police Assistance Unit. He explained that a 9-1-1 call had come in and all the details he had.

  Maybe they would take it from there.

  He prayed they did.

  Chapter Eleven

  Tito watched Bud sleep. The office was chaotic. People who worked there ran back and forth. Those that were assigned to observe stood back and crossed their arms in judgement of the busyness.

  They really were a busy unit. But they often stayed in their offices. Now they needed to look busy and like a cohesive group if they wanted to stay around.

  “Why aren’t you acting crazy like the others?”

  Tito looked up. An agent in a three-piece blue suit with a white blouse and heels that could puncture a lung while making her six inches taller than normal looked down at him.

  “I have a different job.”

  “Watching a kid? At the office?”

  “The kid is the job.”

  “I see.” She looked away then looked back at him. “How so?”

  “He was found in the back of two agents’ car after they stopped the mob from robbing a diner at the New York border.”

  “Oh.” The agent turned her head left and right as she studied Bud sleeping.

  Tito felt that she needed farther information, so he added, “We’re trying to locate his family.”

  “Do you often take in strays and bring them to the office?”

  “Not often.” He could hear the humor in her voice or maybe it was curiosity.

  “Perhaps we could pick up a coffee and you could tell me about the other times that you’ve done so.” Her lips twitched upward on one side.

  Tito swallowed.

  Coffee?

  She was asking him out while investigating his worthiness of purpose?

  “I admit my request may seem unusual. But I can get the coffee for free.”

  “How?” He knew they all did it, but they weren’t supposed to do it. Plus, he wanted to keep her talking so he could think about his response to her coffee request.

  She shrugged. “It’s a work expense. I’ll be learning about you.” She smiled.

  He didn’t know if he liked that or not.

  She moved closer and jostled his side. “Oh, lighten up, it’s humor. I’ll pay for the coffee, or you could pay.” She fluttered her lashes rapidly.

  The girl was flirting, but not very well.

  “I don’t know if that request is possible. As I said, I’m sort of busy.”

  She tapped a long red lacquered nail to her lip. “Well, let me make it easier for you. I’m required to investigate you. I could make it pleasant or not so pleasant.”

  “I see.” Now Tito understood. This wasn’t a date, but an interrogation. He should have known.

  “I don’t know if you do. Find someone to watch the kid because we have a place to be.”

  Tito squeezed his hands tightly, causing his nails to embed in his palms. The lady thought she was being cute, but it wasn’t working.

  She stepped into the hallway. “You, what is your name?”

  “I’m Archie.”

  “What do you do around here?”

  Tito answered, “He’s a computer wizard.”

  “That job is completely unnecessary at the moment. Come, watch this kid.” The lady pointed to Bud laying on the couch.

  Archie cocked his brow and shot Tito a questioning look. Tito nodded.

  What else could he do? He had to go along with Evers’ evil plot and that meant following the lead of her minions.

  “Just let me tell my supervisor.”

  “There is no need. All the supervisors have been instructed that if their members disappear, they have been snagged for an interview. They will realize that you’ve been taken for a more important purpose.”

  “Watching this kid is a more important purpose.”

  “At this moment, no, it isn’t. And I’m Agent Amy Guild by the way.” Agent Guild crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back at the waist. She attempted to show her importance, but it came off as something entirely different.

  Tito waited for the agent to say more, when she didn’t, he did. “Thank you, Archie. I’ll be back soon. Maybe you can get the kid to play a computer game and see if you can get him to remember anything about his parents.”

  “I will try.”

  “Thank you.”

  Tito left and Ms. Guild followed.

  “I understand there is a good coffee shop outside the building and down the street. We’ll go there.”

  He put his hands in his pockets and led the way. He knew where she was talking about although he’d never been there. Discussing cases out in public wasn’t something those in the office did. It was their job to be discreet.

  Besides, the only time he had for coffee was when he drank it in the car on the way to the office.

  “So, what do you like about working for PAU?”

  “The people.”

  “Ah, I’ve heard you have a very tight knit group here.”

  Her heels clacked against the glossy white hallway tile. The sound was like fingers on a keyboard. Not totally unpleasant.

  When they boarded the elevator, he feared she might hit the stop button and jump on him right there. Instead, she moved in as close as possible even though they were the only two aboard. The smell of her perfume assaulted his senses. He wasn’t sure he was a fan of lilac.

  When they left the tiny space, she moved to his side and matched his stride. He was impressed with her agility in the extra tall heels.

  “Are you worried about the child?”

  “A little.”

  “Why?”

  “He only knows a couple of people at the office. I don’t know how he’ll react when he wakes up and he has another stranger with him.”

  “Even though he seems to have adapted perfectly well to Ericka and Greg when he climbed into their car?”

  “Yes, even though.” Tito wondered how Guild knew that detail. He didn’t think that Ericka had shared it with everyone that it was her Bud got into the car with, but maybe she had. He’d only mentioned agents. Maybe Guild assumed since Ericka had been hanging out with the boy before. But how had she known about Greg?

  “Hmm, that’s interesting.”

  Agent Guild was an interesting person. The questions were incessant and yet not the usual questions. She almost spoke like someone who had already had too much coffee for the day.

  “What is your favorite coffee flavor?”

  “Black.”

  “Oh, traditional. Good to know.”

  He opened the door to the coffee shop, and she entered first. Once in line she finally stopped talking. Their coffees were ordered, and they moved along the long metal bar to the end and retrieved the hot liquid. She led the way to an empty table once they both had their cups in hand.

  “This looks like a nice place. Even has a view.”

  The view was of the outside two-lane road. Cars whipped past each other. Drivers honked. Pedestrians yelled when a vehicle got too close to the sidewalk.

  Yeah, it was a great view.

  “Ask your questions. I need to get back to the office. If not to work, then to guard the kid until we can find his parents.”

  “This kid, it’s true then that he was found in the back of Agent Stone’s car.” She cradled the coffee in her hands only taking one sip at a time.

  “Yes.”

  “And why didn’t the she turn him over to foster care? They should be looking after him while PAU works their magic and finds his parents. Isn’t that how it normally works?”

  Tito squirmed in his chair. She had a point. He’d not argued that because he knew Ericka’s history.

  “So, you agree with me, yet this avenue was not pursued.”

  “I’m not the lead investigator.”

  “And that would be?”

  She was baiting him to give up Ericka. It seemed Evers was more interested in taking her down than the unit.

  “I thought we were here to talk about me. How do I like the unit? If I think the unit is worthwhile. That kind of thing.”

  “Oh, we will get to that. It is just that my notes list a blatant disregard for conventional authority and rules in your office. Apparently, cases are taken based on if a work member has a need.” Her hands were wrapped around the coffee cup. She cocked her brow as she studied him.

  “Hmm.”

  Tito could have said that wasn’t always the case. They had taken a few that had nothing to do with Ericka or Greg. Although momentarily he was struggling to remember which ones they were.

  “So, you see it too? Interesting. If you see it, then your father must see it.”

  “My father?”

  That’s what this was really about. They believed that PAU was doing a fine job, but they wanted his father gone. They had taken Greg out of his position and now they wanted his father gone as well. Maybe he could learn why.

  “We have solved cases that no one else would have.”

  “True. That’s because they weren’t in New York, and they weren’t important.”

  “What about saving the representative’s daughter?”

  “Yes, her. That would have been a media nightmare, but really, was that our place? She was from North Carolina. She could have stopped performing. It was a complete waste of resources.”

  “It wasn’t done because of one of our work members.”

  “Well, sort of. Ericka Stone did look just like her and she was being chased by a serial killer that went after Rosetta instead.”

  Amy had a point. But he needed to drag the conversation back to his father.

  “Why does Evers have it in for my father?”

  Amy took a sip of her coffee. She made a face before sucking on her lip. “Burned it.”

  Her lip wasn’t the only thing she was trying to burn. He would just need to keep pushing until he found out what else she was after.

  ****

  Ericka waited for a few more moments and then stood. “I need to check on Bud.”

  “Of course. I’ll keep looking but I’m pretty sure that the car outside your house belongs to Sloan. I’m going to contact Greg and try to have some units go over and watch for him to come back and pick up his car.”

  Ericka nodded then left the room.

  The first thing she heard was the screams from a tiny voice. As she closed the gap, she increased her pace. She rounded the corner and Archie was standing in the doorway where Bud slept holding his hands as if pleading.

  Ericka approached. “Where’s Tito?”

  “That agent, Amy, something or other, took him and she made me watch the kid. I don’t think he likes me.”

  The ear-piercing screams grew even more. Ericka entered the room and squatted next to the couch. “Bud, what’s up?”

  “I don’t know him.” He huddled beneath the cover and pulled it over his head.

  Ericka sighed. She might have to put him with someone. Disrupting the office would get them all in trouble. No one there could afford any more of that.

  She took the cover and pulled it over her head as well.

  “Do we have to stay here?”

  “Well, we don’t, but these people are going to try to help you find your parents.” She paused. “You know what, I have an idea.”

  “You do?”

  “I do. That man you just scared is great on the computer. Why don’t we have him take your picture and feed it into the computer and see if there is a picture of you on there waiting.”

  “On the computer?”

  “It’s worth a shot.”

  “Okay.” He removed the cover from his head. “I’m ready for my picture.” He smiled showing a toothy grin.

  Ericka kept her laughter to herself. His hair was spiked from static electricity. She smoothed it down. “Now you’re ready. Let’s go find Archie.”

  Archie was in the hallway next to the Beta Team door sucking in deep breaths of air.

  “You all right?”

  He looked at Bud and his eyes widened. “I-I don’t want him around me.”

  “Are you hyperventilating?”

  “I-I need my inhaler.”

  “Where is it? I’ll get it.”

  “In there and they won’t let me in.”

  Ericka wasn’t taking that answer. She opened the door to Echo Team’s office. Men bowed over Archie’s computer wearing white gloves. They sent her a scathing look. One straightened.

  “Can I help you?”

  “May you help me, and yes you can. I have an agent who needs his inhaler and it’s in that desk. I’m going to get it.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Dude, don’t be a jerk. Give the guy his inhaler.”

  One of the others spoke up so that Ericka didn’t have to. She held out her hand and the one who appeared in charge opened the desk drawer and handed it over.

  “Thank you.” She turned and handed Archie his inhaler through the open door. He took a couple of puffs and instantly looked and sounded better. Then Ericka turned back to those in the room. “What are you looking for? Maybe we could help you.”

  The charge man laughed. “Help? We are trying to shut you guys down, but you want to help.” He shrugged and opened his hand toward the computer. “Be my guest. Help me do my job.”

  The computer was still on the lock screen. It appeared they were trying to use a special powder to see what keys Archie touched the most.

  Good luck with that.

  Archie changed his password more than anyone that Ericka had ever meet. Now she knew why.

  “Hmm, that is one thing I can’t help you with. I guess we’ll be seeing you later.”

  Ericka stepped out and eased the door closed. As soon as it clicked shut, she moved in a fast walk to the Alpha Team door. Archie and Bud were on her heels.

  She opened the door and ushered them inside. “Archie, use my computer. Take a picture of Bud and start running it. Everything else on there put some kind of door on it so they can’t look at it.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Quinn, they are checking all the computers for something. Archie’s computer is good, but all the others…”

  “I’m on it.”

  Quinn’s fingers moved so fast that they were a blur. She left him to his work and moved over to Bud. He displayed a toothy grin once more. One tooth was missing from the bottom row. She straightened him then Archie took the picture.

  “Now, we’ll run this through the database and see if anyone has reported you missing.”

  Bud looked at her. “Am I missing?”

  She guided him to a couch in the room and sat beside him. “You know, Bud, I’m not sure if you’re missing or your parents are missing so we’re checking everything we can. Is that okay?”

  “Yes.”

  “But if you can remember a name, an address, a town you might have visited, anything, it will help.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut as if concentrating.

  The sound of a ding on the computer sent Ericka lunging upward, but she was too late. The door opened.

  “What is happening in here? No one is supposed to be in these offices.”

  “We were just doing our jobs. You know the ones that we get paid to do.” Archie was lifted from the chair and his hands pulled behind his back. The entire time he craned his neck and tried to look at the computer screen.

  If there was something there that would help them find Bud’s family, they wouldn’t know it.

  They were escorted from the room into the hallway and the door was locked.

  Ericka tapped down her anger. If it was there once it would be there again, right?

  She prayed she was right.

  ****

  Maggie went from the room willingly. The others had fought to try to look at the computer. Quinn had been placing a block on his own computer and as many in the network as he could access. She was busy feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket.