Page 5 of Fatal Betrayal

Neil had been married twice, having divorced his first wife of thirteen years, an actress by the name of Shana Grier, three years ago. He'd married his current wife, Claire, a children's casting agent, a year ago, and they'd had a baby named Elisa a few months later.

They were a very attractive family, she thought, feeling a pang of worry for the smiling infant with the curly blonde hair and big blue eyes captured in the photo taken and shared on social media on Valentine's Day. She made a mental note to look for more public shares that might have resulted in raising someone's interest in the child.

As she thought about what she learned, she had one big question. "I'm still not clear on why the LA office is handing this case to us," she said. "They have a dedicated team working on kidnappings in the county and far more resources. With the Benedict's stature in the community, there will be media interest, and usually that requires a formal FBI presence."

"Yes, you're right, but there are extenuating circumstances," Flynn said. "The father of the missing child, Neil Benedict, is currently making a docuseries on falsely accused and incarcerated individuals based on a book by the infamous forensic psychologist, Cooper Bradford."

She stiffened at the mention of Cooper's name, shocked to hear that her childhood friend had a connection to Neil Benedict. "Seriously?"

"Yes. In the pursuit of that project, Mr. Benedict and Dr. Bradford have had some awkward and confrontational conversations with several agents in the LA office, including one agent who was involved in a previous kidnapping case that had an unresolved outcome."

Her stomach flipped over. She knew exactly which case he was talking about.

"Damon doesn't want any accusations of bias," Flynn continued. "He wants us to take over the case, or, more specifically, you. He'll provide backup resources as needed. With your work in New York, you have a reputation for being one of the best in this area, so it will be a win-win for everyone."

"Got it," she said shortly, hoping that Neil's connection to Cooper wasn't going to bring her former best friend and now mortal enemy into her orbit. But all she could worry about now was the missing child. "Will we be working together on this? I didn't realize you were still so hands-on, Flynn."

"I love the field," he said with a smile. "You'll be lead. Damon and I will offer support and assure the Benedicts that no stone will be left unturned in getting their daughter back."

She smiled back at him. "I already like my new job. I'm in charge. You and Damon are backing me up. That's sweet. And definitely not the way it was at Quantico, when you two were battling it out as team leaders, and I was just one of the followers."

He laughed. "That was a long time ago. I'm very familiar with your work, Andi. You turned out to be exactly the kind of agent I knew you would be. By the way, your former boss gave you a raving recommendation with one caveat."

"I would have thought any recommendation Eric gave me would come with a caveat, probably something like: doesn't always play nice with others."

"Eric said you were smart and driven and you don't stop until you run out of road and then sometimes you make your own path."

"Which he didn't always appreciate."

"He mentioned he thought you'd do better with fewer people looking over your shoulder. So, take whatever space you need. I trust every agent implicitly and I expect them to use their unique, individual strengths to close out a case."

She realized now why everyone was so excited about working with Flynn. His words almost seemed too good to be true, but he seemed sincere, and it was exciting to work for someone who viewed her with a high level of respect.

They arrived at the family home a few minutes later, a palatial three-story residence in the very expensive neighborhood of Beverly Hills, which was home to many film and television stars, as well as industry executives.

There were two police cars out front and several black SUVs, probably belonging to Damon's team. The police had set up a loose perimeter around the house, and there were more than a few neighbors gathered on the sidewalk.

As her gaze landed on a couple of teenagers on bikes, she felt herself whisked back in time to that night eighteen years ago when she and Cooper had followed police cars to the Montgomery house to find out Hannah was missing. She had wanted so badly to help find that little girl that she'd become obsessed with the case. It had taken up every second of her consciousness for months. It had destroyed her friendship with Cooper and ultimately driven her to her current career.

Forcing herself to look away from the kids, she unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car. When they moved deeper into the front yard, they were greeted by Damon Wolfe, someone she hadn't seen since Quantico, but his black hair and penetrating blue eyes were still the same.

"Andi," he said with a nod and a brief smile. "It's good to see you again. I'm glad you're here." He tipped his head to the gray-haired man standing next to him. "This is Detective Martinez from the LAPD. Agent Hart and Agent MacKenzie."

"What can you tell us, Detective?" she asked. The older detective had the weary eyes of a seasoned professional. Hopefully, he would be forthcoming with information and support. Her goal was to keep all agencies working together for the benefit of the missing child.

"Call came in at 9:45 a.m. from the nanny, Kristine Rozic," the detective answered. He consulted a small notebook in his hand. "Officers arrived within seven minutes. Mother arrived four minutes after that. Father came in at just after ten. No sign of forced entry. Back door of the house was open. Security camera on the front door didn't pick up any unusual activity. Alarm was off. Cameras at the back of the house were disabled and offline." He looked up from his notes. "Mr. Benedict said they had just finished a remodel addition at the back of the house and had yet to reinstall the cameras. I'll make our interviews available to you, but there isn't much more to report. Forensics hasn't picked up anything of note, but they're still working. Let us know how else we can help."

"Thank you."

As the detective moved away, she turned to Damon. "Does the family have any idea who might have taken their child?"

He shook his head. "They said they've had no problems, altercations, or threats from anyone in their personal or work lives."

"Ransom demand?"

"Not yet, but they are extremely wealthy, so my guess is it's coming."

"I want to talk to the parents and the nanny," she said.

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