What could this mean for Justin?
It was a mere ray of hope, a complex long shot. But, to Amanda, it was a lifeline.
She fumbled in her tote bag for the scrap of paper she’d been carrying around since last April. It was well past business hours but she didn’t care. She knew they worked around the clock when necessary. She wouldn’t call; she wouldn’t give them a chance to turn her away.
As she unfolded the crumpled paper, she yanked out the file folder she carried with her at all times-just in case she ever followed through on her idea. Everything was in there. And it wasn’t just an idea anymore.
She pressed a speed dial number on her phone-a call to her oldest and dearest friend, Melissa, who lived in Manhattan and who would never let her down.
“Lyssa,” she said when she heard her friend’s voice. “I need you to come over and relieve me. It’s not Justin. He’s okay. But can you come now?” She sagged with relief at the reply. “Thanks. It’s an emergency.”
CHAPTER TWO
Cold air. Bare trees. Christmas lights twinkling up and down the Tribeca street.
At 9:15 p.m. in this residential section of Manhattan, the four-story brownstone that housed the offices of Forensic Instincts was a secluded haven, isolated from the jungle of the city. Two sweeping willow trees marked either side of the brownstone, and a sense of peace made it seem more like a home than a workplace for Forensic Instincts.
Tonight was even quieter than usual. Casey Woods, the company president, was out holiday shopping with some friends. Most of the specialized team had taken the night off. They were all still recovering from the whirlwind of cases they’d tackled over the past month and a half-all of which had been dominated by an intense kidnapping investigation.
Marc Devereaux was the only FI team member who was on-site. And he wasn’t working. He was in one of the empty meeting rooms, doing a hundred push-ups, feeling the sweat soak through his workout clothes and hoping the intense exercise would help wipe away the mental ghosts that had come back, full force, these past few months.