Yeah, yeah. Is he dead or something? Who are you, anyway?

Rachel didnt answer. She closed the door, started the engine and pulled away from the curb. She veered in the road a bit as she pulled out her phone and placed a call to Stanhope. The deputy answered on the second ring with the speed and tone of a man that was putting out a hundred fires at once. Hey, Gift.

Deputy Stanhope, I just visited the home of Seth Dillinger. He never answered the door but when I was about to leave, a woman on his street told me there had been an ambulance here less than two hours ago. She said she saw him rolled out of the house on a stretcher and into the ambulance. I need you to confirm it for me, please.

Thats news to me. Hold a second, would you. Let me get a confirmation on that.

Sure. Any clue which hospital he would have been taken to?

Probably just Roanoke General. If you head that way, Ill let you know for sure in about one minute.

Perfect.

There was a click as Stanhope ended the call. Rachel then immediately called Jack. She knew him well, so didnt expect him to answer until the fourth ring. Despite his devil-may-care attitude about most things, he was a tee-totaler when it came to obeying traffic laws. Sometimes hed totally ignore incoming calls if he was driving, even if he was in the middle of a case. Right away, she could tell that he had her on speaker when she answered, so he wouldnt have to hold phone.

Miss me? he said in lieu of a greeting.

You wish. Look…I got to Dillingers place only to find that he was rushed to the hospital less than two hours ago.

Jesus. Do you know what happened?

No clue. Stanhope is trying to figure all of that out for me as we speak. Im very likely going to be headed to the hospital when youre done on your end. But keep me posted all the same, okay?

For sure. Same with you. Someone on the list…being sent to a hospital. I mean, it could be a coincidence, but…

Yeah, I know. Her phone beeped in her ear as Stanhope was already calling back. Stanhope is beeping in. Ill talk to you later.

You using hands free? he asked with a smile in his voice.

Of course not. She ended the call and switched over to Stanhope as she came to the exit of the subdivision. Things suddenly felt as if they were moving far too fast, that the end was hurtling towards her at the speed of light. Deputy?