Page 81 of Cold Threat

“What happened to Stacy?”

Tony’s mother had been quiet while Ray shared what Duggan had found, but she was obviously moved by hearing what the little girl had gone through.

His father shrugged. “This is where she disappears. This was during the time that so many kids were lost in the system.”

“No hospital records for Michael after being abandoned by his father?” River asked.

Ray shook his head. “No, as we already know, he stayed infoster care until he was sixteen, then he disappeared too.” He took a deep breath and looked at Tony. “Son, I want to thank you and River for all the work you’ve done. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Not only did you deliver the profile, but you figured out the identity of the UNSUB. You and River made a great decision. You’ll be great P.I.s. I have no doubt of it.”

His father had always been encouraging, even though he wasn’t thrilled when Tony joined the FBI. But he never gave praise that he felt wasn’t deserved. Tony knew that what he’d said came from the heart. It meant more than Tony could say. He croaked out a “Thank you,” but he was certain his father knew how much his comment had touched him.

“You’re welcome. Now, you two relax. I’ll take it from here.”

Tony nodded, but that would be impossible to do. He glanced at River and saw the same concern in her face that he felt inside. Where was Michael Wilson now and what was he planning?

CHAPTER

FORTY-FIVE

River and Tony spent most of the day in the family room. Beth kept them filled with Christmas cookies, fudge, and candied popcorn balls. Although River tried to eat lightly, just sitting on the couch and stuffing her face while they watched Christmas movies or played board games made her sleepy. Finally, around two in the afternoon, she went upstairs for a nap. Beth had asked Tony to help with some of the Christmas lights in the front yard. A few of them had stopped working.

When River got to her room, she took off her shoes and flopped down on top of the bed. Feeling a little cold, she sat up and grabbed the quilt folded up at the foot of the bed. She pulled it over herself and then got the pillow out from underneath the comforter. There were pillow shams that matched the comforter, but River hadn’t put them back on. It didn’t seem important since she would just take them off again when she got ready for bed.

She could hear Beth and Tony outside, talking and laughing. Images from the movie she’d seen about the crucifixion flashed in front of her.

“Lord,” she whispered to God, “when I get home, I want things to be different. Please help me to walk in the kind of love andgrace You’ve shown me. I want to treat my mother in a way that pleases You. I don’t know why this terrible disease has happened to her, but I’m asking You to heal her. I know You love her, Lord. But no matter what, let this part of our lives be lived in a way that glorifies You.”

She flipped over on her side and was thinking about what Jesus had done for the world when she heard a noise from the backyard. Must be Tony looking for something. She wondered for a moment if she should go out and try to help him, but she knew Beth enjoyed spending time with her son. She probably wouldn’t want River to interfere, so she closed her eyes and within a couple of minutes felt herself drifting off to sleep.

ISLIPPED THE KEY INTO THE LOCK.Then I slowly unlocked the deadbolt. People always used the same key for both locks on their doors. Dumb. It only took one key for someone to get inside. I pulled the door open slowly, listening for a warning from the alarm. Nothing. Sure enough, they’d turned it off. A moment of carelessness despite their intent to be cautious.

I slipped inside and tried to close the door behind me. The cold had warped it some, and it took all my strength to pull it shut. It made a louder noise than I’d anticipated. I froze, listening to see if anyone had heard it or would come to investigate. Silence. Good.

I walked slowly through the deserted basement until I found the unfinished storage area I’d seen earlier. Even if someone came downstairs to do laundry, they wouldn’t open this door. There wasn’t any reason to. Their house was already decorated inside and out for Christmas. I’d seen their tree through the front window. This room would keep me safe until the snow started. I moved some boxes and made a space where I could wait. After I had everything just the way I wanted it, I took the snowmanornament out of my pocket and held it next to my cheek for just a moment. Then I put it back in my pocket. Because of the security system, I’d have to wait until after I completed my mission to hang it up outside. I already had the spot picked out. I smiled to myself. This mission was particularly satisfying. I’d be killing two birds with one stone. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing out loud. Very apropos.

The trap was set. Now to wait for it to spring shut.

WHENRIVER FINALLY WOKE UP,she looked at the clock. A little after four. She’d slept for a couple of hours. Not sure why she was so tired. Probably because the profile was done. As Ray had said, there wasn’t anything else to do, and she’d surrendered it to God. She felt better.

She sat up and wondered what Tony was doing. Suddenly she remembered about the snow. She got up and went to the window, taking a deep breath before opening the drapes. It was getting dark outside already, but not just because it was winter. The sky was full of clouds. As she watched, flakes began to fall from the sky. She quietly prayed they were all wrong. That the Snowman would wait another couple of years. That Ray would have more time to find him.

River went back toward the bed and picked up her cell phone from the nightstand. She quickly checked the weather report. Looking at the radar told her everything she needed to know. The storm was here.

Determined to stay calm, she went over to the mirror and ran a brush through her hair. Then she checked her image closely, making certain she didn’t have gunk in the corner of her eyes or drool on her face. After she was satisfied, she put on her shoes and headed for the stairs. She’d only made it halfway down whenshe heard Aimee’s voice. Great. The woman who hated her was here. She paused for a moment to remind herself once again that Jesus loved Aimee too and that River didn’t need to feel bad about herself or guilty about what happened to Tony.

Sending up a prayer for patience and peace, she took several more calming breaths and went downstairs.

CHAPTER

FORTY-SIX

When River reached the kitchen, she found everyone except Ray gathered around the kitchen table. Aimee looked up at her and smiled as if they were best friends. River didn’t like phony people, but she was trying to cut Aimee some slack, not just because she knew God wanted her to, but also for Tony. The last thing she wanted was to be someone who made his life harder.

“Good to see you, River,” Aimee said. River noticed that her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was nothing to do but make a huge effort to walk in love. Problem was, right now her flesh wasn’t in agreement. Not even a little bit.

“I heard your apartment building loses electricity in bad weather,” River said, trying not to say something she didn’t mean. Or something she did mean. “Coming here was a good idea.”

A meow from under the table answered River’s next question. She knelt down and came face-to-face with a gorgeous calico cat.

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