Page 19 of Fatal Betrayal

"She went to get us some food a few minutes ago," Neil said. "She hasn't said anything beyond expressing how sorry she is that she didn't hear or see anything or check on Elisa earlier. She's feeling very guilty."

"What do you know about Kristine?" Cooper asked. "She's only been with you for a few months, right? Is it possible she's involved?"

"No way. She worked for the Weiselbergs for eight months. They thought she was terrific. They gave her a very strong recommendation. And we love her. She's great with Elisa. She's been with us since Elisa was two months old."

"Does Kristine have friends nearby? Does she have a boyfriend, someone she sees regularly?"

"She has friends she sees on her days off, but I've never met them. She's a sweet girl, kind of quiet. She doesn't talk that much to us."

"What about her family?"

"They're in Europe. She moved here on her own. Why does it matter? If Kristine was going to kidnap Elisa, why would she still be here?"

"She doesn't draw attention to herself if she stays put. But she could have let someone into the house. She was the only one there."

"She wouldn't have any reason to do that." Neil paused. "Unless you're suggesting she was bribed or something. But then, where's the ransom demand?"

"I don't know." Cooper frowned as there was a sudden commotion in the background. "Neil?" When Neil didn't answer, he repeated his name. "Neil? What's going on?"

Andi tensed as she heard a female voice shrieking in the background.

"Oh, God," Neil said, coming back on the line. "Claire just realized that the kidnapper took some of Elisa's clothes from her closet and a couple of stuffed animals. Why would they do that? What does it mean?"

Andi's gut clenched at that piece of information.

"They're not going to bring her back, are they?" Neil asked, pain racking his voice.

"You don't know that," Cooper said forcefully.

"Neither do you," Neil retorted.

"It could be a good thing," Cooper said. "Whoever took her wants to have clothes to put her in. They're taking care of her. They wanted to make sure she had her toys."

Damn! Cooper was good, she thought. He was talking Neil off the ledge, and she couldn't help but remember that he'd done that for her a few times.

"You're right. They wouldn't have taken her clothes if they weren't going to take care of her," Neil said with relief.

"Exactly. Keep the faith."

"I'm trying, but Claire is on her way to a nervous breakdown. I called Dr. Mulders, but he's out of town. Maybe you could come back at some point and talk to her, or do you think it's better for you to stay with Agent Hart?"

"I'll make time to do both," Cooper said, ignoring her miming the wordGO. "You haven't heard from anyone else, have you, Neil? You know you can't handle a ransom demand on your own, right? You need to loop in the FBI."

"I haven't heard from anyone. I can't imagine who would do this. Maybe it is Jillian. She hates me now. I can't think of anyone else who dislikes me, although maybe I'd have to put Shana in that category, too. They both think I'm oblivious to what's going on around me. Hell, maybe I am. Maybe I missed something important, and that's why Elisa is gone. This could be my fault."

"We don't know anything yet, so stop beating yourself up."

"I can't help it. I have this hole in my heart, and it's getting bigger with every minute that goes by. I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love her. It's overwhelming. I wish I could trade places with her. If I could, I would die for her."

She heard the fervent note in Neil's voice. It was hard to believe he was anything but a devastated father. On the other hand, while Neil had given Cooper a plausible reason for his meeting with Jillian, that didn't mean it was the whole truth. It also felt like Neil was trying to convince Cooper about the level of his pain.

"No one is going to die," Cooper told Neil. "Stay strong. I'll talk to you soon."

Cooper set down his phone, and they stared at each other for a couple of long seconds. "Something is off," he said.

She was surprised by his words, but she couldn't disagree. "I think so, too."

"He was trying too hard," Cooper added. "I need to go see him, to figure out what's off. That's where I have the most value right now. I can be with the family in a way that you can't."

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