Page 149 of After Anna

“Ms. Ippoliti, it’s after business hours, and I’m on desk duty. This sounds like a matter for the local police, not the FBI.”

Maggie didn’t know the FBI kept business hours, but whatever. “They’ve already been contacted, but I think the FBI should get involved, too. There are two other girls who have gone missing, Jamie Covington from Congreve and Samantha Silas from Ardmore, Pennsylvania.”

“Covington? I remember hearing about that case. That wasn’t a missing persons case. My recollection is she was a runaway.”

“Maybe that’s what people were saying about it earlier, but I have new information that suggests that it wasn’t.” Maggie drove behind the snowplow. “Jamie Covington was a friend of my daughter’s, and they were also friends with another girl named PG, who waitresses at Eddie’s Diner in Tipton.”

“Your daughter went missing in April?”

“Yes, but we just found out about it, and I want to find her.”

“I can have my supervisor call you during business hours tomorrow.”

“But do I have to wait until then? Can’t you help me? I’m driving to Tipton to speak with PG.”

“You’re headed to Tipton now? That’s treacherous weather up north, Ms. Ippoliti. You shouldn’t be on the road.”

“Special Agent Delgado, forgive me if I’m concerned enough to drive around tonight. I’d do that for mycat, for God’s sake.” Maggie looked in the rearview to see Caleb giving her the thumbs-up.

“The Governor is about to declare a snow emergency.”

“He hasn’t yet.” Maggie accelerated when the snowplow turned off the road and she drove straight onto a single-lane highway leading out of town, mounded with snow on either side.

“Ms. Ippoliti, you’re not going to do your daughter any good if you get into a car accident, or cause one. I’ll have my supervisor call you.”

“Please do, as soon as possible, at this number. It doesn’t matter how late it is.”

“Will do, Ms. Ippoliti. But please get off the road and leave the policework to the professionals.”

“It’s not policework, Special Agent Delgado.” Maggie steered into the storm. “It’s what any mother would do.”

Chapter Seventy-three

Noah, After

Noah was released into Cellblock C, where inmates were talking or playing cards at tables with checkerboard tops and stainless-steel stools affixed to the concrete floor. An old TV was mounted underneath the first tier of the cells, playing on mute, and inmates were watching on closed captioning or with old earphones. Another line of inmates stood at two phones, waiting to make calls. There were more COs than Noah would have expected, and he looked up to see COs and officials clustered in front of his cell on the second tier.

Noah scanned the inmates for Drover, but he was nowhere in sight. Drover could have been in his cell, since inmates were permitted to stay in their cells during block time. After last night, Noah couldn’t believe that prison officials would leave both him and Drover in the same cellblock, but changing cells in prison was an administrative problem like any other, and it took time.

Noah spotted Peach and walked toward him, looking around. He didn’t think any trouble would break out when there were so many officials on the second tier, but still. He reached Peach, and they shook hands. “You okay? They didn’t write you up?”

“No.” Peach half-smiled. “I owe you, Dr. Kildaire.”

“Not a problem.”

“What’d you do with it?”

“Dropped it in the hallway outside. They’ll find it sooner or later, but they can’t link it to C.” Noah glanced over his shoulder. “Where’s John Drover’s cell?”

Peach hesitated. “205. Top tier, catty-corner to us on the other side. Don’t look now.”

“Is he there now?”

“No. He didn’t come back yet.”

Noah wondered if they had already changed Drover’s cell assignment. “Tell me about him.”

“He runs a gang from Coatesville. It doesn’t matter where he is, anyway. He’s got people.”

---