Page 31 of Preying Game

“I guess you’re gonna have to do it by yourself,” Grant said.

“Christ. I wasn’t even there. Not the solid me, I mean. I was like a ghost.”

“I started out like that when I first got to where Jenny was being held,” Grant said. “If I can do it, you can too.”

“Maybe,” Jonah conceded.

“The first thing we’d better do is consult Frank and get organized.”

“But you can’t come back with me.”

“Maybe there’s something we can do.”

The sound of an engine made them both turn to see a police car coming up the road.

“Oh shit,” Jonah muttered as he remembered the “No Trespassing” sign.

A middle-aged cop in a tan uniform got out and walked toward them. His body was going to fat, and he scowled as he looked from the two Decorah agents to the helicopter and back again.

“This is private property.” His burnished name tag said “Cooper.”

“Sorry officer.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Looking for a kidnap victim,” Jonah said. “We’re agents with Decorah Security in Beltsville. We’ve both got creds. I’m going to reach into my pocket and get mine.”

Cooper watched him produce his wallet and flip it open to his Decorah ID card, then nodded.

“Jonah Ranger?”

“Yes.”

“And who are you?” he asked Grant, who also produced his ID

When they’d verified their identities, the cop said. “We haven’t gotten any word of a kidnapping.”

“The family is keeping it quiet,” Jonah answered, wondering how big a hole he was digging himself into.

“Well, as you can see, nobody’s here,” he cop said.

“Okay, I guess our tip didn’t pan out,” Grant said, then added, “When did this place burn down?”

“1961.”

The two Decorah agents exchanged glances.

“Do you know how the fire started?”

“No.” Cooper gave them a long look. “Why so many questions?”

“Because from the tip we got, we expected to find someone living here,” Jonah answered.

“Well, you got lousy information.”

“Seems like it.” Jonah cleared his throat, then asked, “And the place had been a burned out shell all this time?”

“There was some question whether Arthur Hayward died in the fire. Then the Hayward family sued the crap out of each other to get the property. It’s still in litigation.”

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