Page 85 of Forged in Steele

Sierra took the bag. “Our guy can handle the phone imaging for you if you need.”

“Thanks, but I have someone who can do it right away.”

She frowned.

“The FBI does have qualified agents, you know.” He grinned.

“I know. With Reed as my husband and several of our partners married to you feds, I hear about it all the time.” She chuckled as she got out a jar of fingerprint powder and set it on the table next to a brush and several vials holding white swabs.

Jared turned his attention to adding the phone details to the log while she swabbed and printed the device.

“Only one set of prints on the phone.” She shuffled a stack of cards holding fingerprints that she’d taken from the women. “Belongs to Katana.”

Jared nodded. “Figured it might be hers.”

“She’s the rebellious one of the three.” Bristol joined them. “But then Amelia had a phone too, and she’s very cooperative.”

Jared had taken the phone from Amelia before she’d departed, and Sierra had already processed that device to discover that it held only Amelia’s prints.

“Life here must’ve been very interesting.” Sierra flipped the phone. “I wonder how many babies Holloway placed.”

“Hopefully he kept records, and the home and office raids will answer that question.” Jared tried to look optimistic, but his hope was waning fast. “Will your team be able to process both of those locations if needed or have we maxed you out?”

“It’ll all depend on what we find here.” Sierra handed the phone back to Jared.

He pocketed it and looked at Bristol. “You ready to go to Holloway’s office?”

She nodded. “What about getting the phones imaged first?”

“I’ve already arranged for Colin to meet us there.”

“Thanks for coming again, Sierra.” Bristol pivoted toward the door.

Jared trailed her out to the car. He stopped to tell the surveillance team to remain in this location to keep an eye out for Holloway. Okay, tell was a nice way of saying demanded they stay and didn’t screw up this time. As he strode to his car, guilt ate at him for being so terse.

Bristol was right. It wasn’t their fault that an accident got between them and Pam. And thanks to Amelia, Pam had been located so it wasn’t a problem. Unless, of course, she disposed of valuable evidence during the time they were looking for her. Jared would love to search Pam’s home, but until they got a last name that wouldn’t be possible.

Bristol studied him when he climbed into the car but he didn’t say anything. She’d heard his conversation with the agents, and he had nothing to defend his cross behavior. Better to concentrate on getting them on the road for the short drive than to bring her down even more.

She faced him. “Do you think Olive, or should I say Pam, had something to do with taking Luna?”

He shrugged. “If she did, why didn’t she bring the baby to Holloway’s house like the other ones?”

“Maybe because of the AMBER Alert they worried the women might recognize Luna.”

“See that’s the thing that’s been troubling me in all of this. I know Holloway is a criminal, and we’ll make sure we keep digging until charges can be brought against him, but taking a baby from the hospital seems too risky for someone who’s been careful all these years.”

She frowned. “Unless he had a custom order like Pam mentioned. Maybe he had clients like us who agreed to pay a lot of money for a baby quick. If he did, he could steal the child, and even if the adoptive family figured it out, they wouldn’t report it, right?”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “Maybe not.”

“And newborns aren’t easy to identify,” she continued. “If they were, hospitals wouldn’t have to take careful measures to keep the baby from being switched at birth. Even if they are immediately footprinted.”

“That’s true.”

“And if the child is no longer with the woman who we think took her, then that could put an end to the trail and Luna won’t be found.” She sighed. “I mean look how we’re struggling to get a solid lead.”

“True, too,” he said. “But an age progression study could be done in the future, and the child could be recognized. Especially if the child didn’t resemble either parent.”

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