He pulled out his phone again and this time called Stanhope. The deputy answered on the second ring, sounding like a frantic coach on the sidelines of a tight football game.

Rivers?

Yeah, its me. Look…Im out here at Madeline Holcombs house. I know youre stretched thin, but I could really use some relief here. I may have something of a lead Id like to get behind.

Give me a few minutes and Ill see what we can do. Anything I can do to help with that lead?

Yes, actually. I need to know as much as I can about Brandon Holcomb as soon as possible.

Ill call the station and get someone on that right away. Hang tight, Agent Rivers. Youll be freed up soon enough.

Jack ended the call and found himself looking back to the Holcomb house. The hedges trimmed, the grass mowed pristinely, the inside sparkling clean. If it was all the work of Brandon Holcomb, it was clearly more than just trying to make his mother healthier and happier. He was trying to win her approval, despite the verbal abuse and tearing down.

And the more Jack thought about it, the more anxious he became…and as far as he was concerned, his relief could not get there soon enough.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Rachel rushed to the front desk just inside the hospitals main doors. She already had her badge and ID pulled, fully prepared to deal with the legal hoops shed likely have to jump through in order to get any information. On the drive over, shed worked out a rather simple approach that wasnt quite a lie and she thought might work. The woman at the white, curved desk in the central lobby looked up with alarm as Rachel hurried over to her, flashing her ID.

Im Special Agent Rachel Gift, she said. I need to know where a certain patient has been taken. He was just brought in within the last half an hour or so, I believe.

And whats this in reg

Its a matter of protection, she snapped. We believe him to be in danger and Ill be stationed outside of his room until more local law enforcement arrive.

Oh, oh, of course. What is the patients name?

Seth Dillinger.

The woman typed the name into the laptop at her station and nodded almost right away. Yes. Hes been checked in and is currently in room 36C. Looks like he was moved there no more than five minutes ago.