Page 166 of The Stalker

23

The Search

Tatiana bookedherself a room in the hotel and took her suitcase upstairs. It was nowhere near as nice as the rooms she’d been staying in with Hayden. Just a regular hotel room with an attached bathroom. No living room, kitchenette, or second bedroom for her.

It was almost midnight, and she was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She wasn’t ready for it to pass into the next day, because it would be the first day since she met him that she wouldn’t be in the vicinity of Hayden, and she hated that.

Before she even attempted sleep, she picked up her phone and dialed Mark. It was late even on the west coast, but she knew he’d always answer her call.

“Tatiana Swanson, a late phone call from you is never a good sign. What’s up?”

“Hayden’s been kidnapped. I need you to find out everything you can about Daniel Russo. The FBI think it’s an alias, and a good one at that. I need to know his real name and the names of any contacts, friends, family, whoever you can find. Locations he might use to stash Hayden away in Texas, places close to San Antonio, in particular. Spread the search from there.”

“Of course. Got a DOB on this Daniel?” Mark asked.

“Unfortunately not, but I’d say he’s late twenties to early thirties. He’s bald with a blonde goatee. Roughly six foot one or two. I have no clue on where he’s from, but if he has a Texan accent, he’s hidden it well.”

“If he’s using a fake ID good enough to fool the feds, there’s not a huge number of people who can source those, so that’s a good start. Any chance of you getting a copy of the ID he’s using?”

Tatiana sighed. “I’m persona non grata because he disappeared on my watch.”

“He what?!” Mark gasped.

“I was drugged with a bottle of water Daniel gave me.”

“Hmmm, any idea yet what drug was used? Could be another lead.”

Tatiana’s eyes widened as she considered it. That was a good point, and Cooper couldn’t block her from her own medical records.

“No, but they tested me at the hospital. I’ll contact them and see when they expect the results. I’ll let you know anything that I find. I’ll try to get a copy of his ID as well.”

“Okay, leave it with me. How many hours ago did it happen?”

“Almost twelve,” Tatiana sighed. “We’re losing time.”

“Noted. Give me twelve hours to find something. The sooner you can give me his ID, the better.”

They ended their call, and Tatiana frowned at her phone before she sent a text to Jesse.

Can you get me a copy of Daniel’s ID? I have someone who can hopefully find his real identity.

His reply came through a moment or two later.

I’ll try to think of a reason why I need it, but if I can get it to you, I will.

She quickly replied.

Thanks. The sooner, the better. Even a pic of it would be useful.

She paced back and forth by the windows of her hotel room as she called the hospital. When she managed to get hold of someone about her medical records, they told her that the tests weren’t back yet, but they would make a note for someone to contact her when they were. Unfortunately, they also said that it may take weeks to get results, and that was only if they could find the drug used because the tests could be inconclusive.

Tatiana felt bereft as she ended the call. Looking at the bright lights of the city below her as they twinkled in the darkness, she stopped her pacing to stare outside. Hayden was out there somewhere, and she needed to find him. She scrolled through her emails, but there was nothing new pertaining to Hayden’s case. She read back through all the emails she had received from Cooper previously, trying to glean any hints that Daniel might have left about his plans but found nothing useful.

Her worry and frustration were mounting as she pulled her old file out of her luggage. It felt like a lifetime ago that she’d put it together with information on Hayden, this case, and the people in his life. By three in the morning, she’d been through everything and gained no new information. She knew she needed some kind of rest, so she forced herself to lie in bed and close her eyes.

She woke just after six in the morning. Three hours of sleep was more than she’d expected to get, and the first thing she did was check for any messages from either Mark or Jesse. Mark hadn’t contacted her, but Jesse had sent a text.

No luck getting the ID. I’ll keep trying.

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