Fine. Just…Im going to set up a conference for six o clock tomorrow morning. I need you and Rivers here. If we dont get agents on the scene by lunchtime tomorrow, its going to be messier than it needs to be.

Yes, sir.

She ended the call, grateful that Anderson had essentially given her the rest of the afternoon and even a few hours of sleep tonight. Now came the hard part: telling Paige they were going to have to end the visit to Grandma Tates a day short.

CHAPTER FOUR

Youve got to be kidding, Rachel!

Peters voice through the phone sounded almost like a snake, a hissing sort of anger that was somehow pinched as it came through the phone. Also, she was so accustomed to him calling her Racha living little nickname between themthat her entire name coming out of his mouth sounded strange.

She and Paige were currently in North Carolina, about half an hour from the Virginia state line. Paige was sitting in the back, preoccupied with a diner dash-style game on Rachels iPad, while Rachel was speaking to Peter. Paige had her little earbuds in, listening to the orders being placed by a cartoon panda and his duck sidekick. This was a relief, as it meant she would not hear the conversation that was to come. Rachel had just told him about the call from Anderson and he was not taking it well.

Im not kidding. Besides, when things got hard, you ran off to focus on your job, right? Im doing the same.

Thats not fair.

I agree, and Im sorry for that. But your job is there, near home. I can call the sitter and set all of that up for you. But as of five o clock tomorrow morning, Im going to be unavailable for a few days.

So, in other words, nothing new.

Nothing new, she parroted, snapping at him. It hurt because she knew there was a bitter core of truth to it.

Then go ahead and call the sitter, he said. Rachel could not be sure, but she thought she heard a slight tremor of emotion in his voice. Maybe this is for the best. If we dont want to dump this on Paige right away, things need to seem as if theyre the same. Mommy and Daddy both drowning themselves in work. Thats about the norm, right?

She didnt necessarily see this as a slight against her, but of their style of parenting. Because he was right. Yes, Rachel had often wondered if Paige would grow up feeling as if she, Rachel, had never been there for her because she was always working. But to hear Peter come out and admit to the same thing in such a roundabout way was a bit more shocking than she expected.