“Maybe ask him to come down here. Set up the room, powerful visuals, right? If you need help with it—”
“I’ve got it, and that’s a smart thought. The visuals speak louder than a verbal report. Let’s get to it.”
“I’ll get your coffee set up in the room.”
“Another smart thought. You’re on a roll.”
And so was she, Eve thought as she went about the—for her—laborious task of transferring new data from her machine to the conference room, ordering printouts.
She took backups, just in case, and headed down to set it up.
Once she had, she contacted Whitney’s office, requested he meet with her, then did the same with Mira’s office. More backup, she thought.
And because she was there, she sat down with the conference room comp to continue her research and runs on the potential target properties and owners.
She had about thirty minutes in it when Mira came in on heels made up of lots of crisscrossing blue straps. Summer-sky blue, Eve noted, like her trim, knee-skimming suit.
“Thanks for making time,” Eve began, and Mira waved that off.
“I wanted to catch up, and I see even with your writtens I have considerable catching up to do. Good God, Eve, so many? It’s stunning, even knowing how many children are taken, it’s stunning to see them grouped together.”
“And they do, group together. I’m as sure of that as I can be. It’s not just gut, it’s pattern, and type, and system.”
“I don’t disagree. While that coffee smells tempting, I think I’ll stick with tea.” Before Eve could rise to get it, Mira waved her off again. “You said the commander would be briefed as well, so wait for him, do it all at once. You’re working, and I don’t want to interrupt.”
“It’s possible locations. A lot of possibles, even though Roarke culled them down more than I could.” She gestured to the screen. “I’ve got them marked on the map. I’m digging into who owns them. The site could be rented, but if it is, it’s going to be part of the business plan. Whoever owns the building has to be part of it. It’s too risky otherwise.”
“Because?” Mira asked as she programmed her tea.
“The owner or owners may decide to sell. They may send him agents or reps to inspect the property, make sure it’s in good repair, or appraisers if they’re considering selling.”
“Yes, I see. And with the sort of enterprise you’re outlining here, purchasing the building is a business investment, with much higher security.”
“And if you own, you can outfit as you need. Rooms, facilities, that security.”
Even as Eve spoke, Whitney came in. She got to her feet.
“Sir, I appreciate you coming down.”
He wore a dark gray suit over broad shoulders that carried the weight of his command. The silver in his close-cropped black hair added a kind of dignity to his wide face. He said nothing for a moment as he stood and studied the boards.
“So many,” he said at length.
“I believe more, Commander, but these are highest probability generated by Peabody and myself, and Feeney’s team in EDD. All fit the pattern, including three types of victims within the age range eleven to thirteen. I’ve begun, and Peabody is continuing, to factor in others between the ages of six and ten.
“Geographically,” she began, but he held up a hand.
“Let me get some coffee, and first tell me where we are on the second girl you believe escaped.”
“Sir, the canvass in the area of the witness’s stall turned up two shopkeepers who ID’d Dorian Gregg, from sightings last December. Both were sure of the ID, and reasonably sure of the time frame. December, prior to Christmas. We’ve yet to find anyone who’s seen her since then. We’re still canvassing.”
“And the LEOs in Freehold?”
“Are on watch for her. But she won’t go back there.”
He got his coffee. “Dr. Mira?”
“I agree with the lieutenant on that. She has nothing there. She may have found a way out of New York between the time she escaped and we identified her and put out the alert to transportation stations, but that would be awfully quick work even for a bright young girl.”
“If Mina had a plan,” Eve added, “it would have been to get to the police and/or contact her parents. Dorian Gregg wouldn’t do either. Possibly, last resort, but she has no reason to trust either her mother or the authorities.”
“You’re putting a lot of weight into the stand she got away because of the planted blood.”