“It will depend on Alex,” I answer Ryland. “Alex didn’t get to see Sophia this evening. I don’t know what she’s going to want to do. How long do you think they’ll keep her at the hospital?”

“If they drugged her with heroin, which is what I suspect, they may need to keep her under supervised withdrawal.”

“We’re staying at Jack’s tonight. Tomorrow, after we speak with him, we’ll decide what our plans are. If you need me at any point, you’ve got my number.”

“Same.”

Alex ends her call and joins us.

“You about ready to head out of here?” I ask her.

The FBI forensics team will have this area taped off potentially for the next couple of days. They are wrapping up the work they need to complete tonight.

Alex looks to Ryland. Is she seeking his permission?

“As you know, I’m a professor at UCSB. I’d be very interested in doing a case analysis. Studying it from a criminal behavior perspective.”

“I can understand why. The counterproposal to the ransom produced positive results. It will be interesting to learn how that altered the kidnapping team’s plans.” Alex nods, enthused he understands. “I’ll need to clear it with my supervisors. The biggest concern they will have is sharing any information before trial.”

“I was going to ask to meet with Reyes on my own. If his lawyer allows it. Spend some time with him. A criminal mind isn’t as different from a healthy one as people would like to think. And often they are more than willing to share their thought processes.”

“You’ll need to get in line. There’s a host of people wanting to meet with Reyes. We’ll be tracking the cryptocurrency payment on the ransom as well.”

“To reclaim the payment?”

“Not necessarily,” Ryland says. Alex’s brow wrinkles. “It’s all part of the case. Figuring out how the pieces fit together.”

I speak up to provide additional explanation. “The kidnappers assumed cryptocurrency is the ultimate cloak. But the FBI has a group that specializes in tracing crypto payments. Eventually, there’s a good chance they’ll slip up and they’ll find out who received the payment. They may have provided the information that led us to Sophia, but there’s a good chance that the same person has ties to the cartel.”

As we walk back to the car, it takes a tremendous amount of restraint to refrain from reaching for Alex’s hand or to place a hand on her lower back. I’m tired. We were never in any danger, but having Alex on the outskirts of an FBI raid had me on alert all the same. As my adrenaline crashes, I fight an unfamiliar desire to pull Alex into my arms, to reassure myself that this whole thing ended and she’s okay.

On the car ride back to Jack’s, Alex and I are quiet. I park Jack’s vehicle in the front circle. Lights are on in the house, and we push open the front door. A male voice calls out, “Hello?”