Chapter 24: The Trade

"Where?" I said.

Uncle laughed.

"I call you at nine. You take a cab. Alone. No coat with buttons on it, girl. My driver told me all about your buttons."

The line went dead.

Dez was staring at the phone on the arm of my couch.

"No," he said.

Then he closed his eyes and breathed out through his nose.

"Okay. Not no. Say it again later and I'll mean it better."

At five o'clock we were in the kitchen in Lake Forest.

The two agents in windbreakers sat at the island.

Dad stood with both hands flat on the marble counter.

Brendan leaned in the doorway in yesterday's shirt.

I played them the call.

When Verity's voice came out of the speaker, Mom put her hand over her heart.

When Uncle said the eye treatment, Dad's knuckles went white on the counter.

"No," Dad said.

"Dad..."

"Absolutely not. I lost you once on a pier. I am not handing you to that man in a taxi."

"He doesn't have her," I said.

Everyone looked at me.

"Verity's not a hostage. Uncle never threatens anything he's already done. It's boring to him."

"And she said he took her from the garage."

"Her car was found at O'Hare with the keys on the seat. Nobody takes a hostage and leaves the keys."

"Then why would you go?" Brendan said.

"Because the five kids are wherever she is," I said.

"And he's leaving tonight. He said do his books. You don't need books in a place you're staying."

The older agent set down his pen.

"We'll have a list of laundromats by midnight."

"He'll be on I-94 by midnight," I said. "With five kids in a van with painted windows."

"And the littlest one has a cough that's going to his chest."

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