There was also the way his mood had suddenly shifted. He’d been friendly enough when he’d arrived at Rebecca’s at eight that morning. The agent who had stayed the night was surprised that his relief wasn’t whom he’d been expecting. The new agent had flashed his ID, Ed O’Hara. He said it was a last-minute schedule change. Susan thought nothing of it. She knew from her years with Johnny that schedules were created only to be changed. But then the agent had gotten the phone call. They were to leave immediately. She’d asked if there had been a break in the case. He’d said Director Bradshaw would explain, and then he’d hustled her and Davie to his car.

Susan looked at the passing landscape. The rain intensified, peppering the windshield with greater ferocity. Instead of the expected I-95 North route to Washington, O’Hara was taking them on rural backroads. Without the sun for a reference, she couldn’t determine the direction they were headed.

She leaned her body against the seat belt so that she could see O’Hara in the rearview mirror. “Excuse me, but when will we get to this safe house?”

He cut his eyes to the mirror. He didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. “In about twenty minutes.”

“It’s just that we should soon be eating lunch.” She stretched out her hand so that her son could clasp it. “Davie doesn’t do well if the routine is broken. And I have medicine in my purse that he shouldn’t take on an empty stomach.”

“Well, when we get there, I’ll send out for some food.”

“Thank you.” She heard a phone buzz. Hers had been powered off.

O’Hara pulled a phone from his suit coat. Susan noticed it wasn’t the kind issued by the Secret Service.

O’Hara pressed it to his ear. “Eighteen minutes out.” He listened a moment. “Yes, I have it with me.”

It. Not them. Not Mrs. Finch and her son. It.

Davie squeezed her hand. Was he picking up the same vibes? She fought down her panic for his sake. Johnny, what have you done?

***

Ethel showed Jesse the threatening text as soon as they were back in the car.

“Oh, my God. Are you going to call Bradshaw?”

“Yes, but only to let him know Ed O’Hara was the duty officer, and he said Bradshaw was meeting them. That claim is already out there. We can honestly say we don’t know where O’Hara is at the moment. Nothing about this text.”

“But the resources Bradshaw can bring. The trained negotiators if this turns into a hostage situation.”