How can there be a threat that’d warrant the family being collected dragnet-style and there be no sign of it anywhere online or in any of the usual places?”
“I have no idea, but whatever it is, it must’ve been hard-core for the Secret Service to react this way.”
“Is it weird that you can’t find any mention of a threat?”
“A little. What’re you thinking?”
“I keep reliving the fear that the people who took her aren’t really Secret Service agents.”
“You didn’t see their badges?”
“I did but I didn’t get close enough to really examine them.”
“You really think it’s possible they were fake?”
“Not anymore. They contacted Gonzo to let him know they have his son because he was with Sam’s sister Angela, and we think that means they’re legit. The whole thing happened so fast, and it was so weird the way they showed up at a crime scene and just took her. How did they know where we were? She’s not under any kind of protection.”
“It is bizarre. Do you think they keep tabs on her even though she’s not officially under their protection?”
“If they do, that’d be news to me—and to her too, I suspect.”
“The whole thing is crazy,” Archie said. “I’ll give you that.”
“Let me know if you pick up any chatter about her or Nick.”
“I will. For sure.”
“Thanks, Archie.”
Gonzo came out of the office, shut the door and locked it. “Let’s get this over with.”
Dreading the thought of seeing Ruby Denton’s parents to ask them for dental records, Freddie got up and followed Gonzo out of the pit.
* * *
AFTER GETTING THE INFO on where to find Ruby’s parents from the Missing Persons squad overseeing their daughter’s case, Gonzo and Freddie headed for the city’s northeast corner. With that entire squad out pursuing leads in Ruby’s case, this dreadful task fell to them.
“I hate shit like this,” Gonzo muttered while they fought late-afternoon traffic.
“Me too. How does anyone cope with not knowing where their kid is?” As soon as he said that, Freddie felt bad because Gonzo didn’t currently know where his kid was. At least he knew the little guy was safe, though. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be insensitive.”
“No worries. I know where mine is—or at least who he’s with—and I’m losing my mind wondering how long it’ll be before I can get him back.”
“I just keep thinking about what kind of threat would spur this sort of reaction,” Freddie said.
“I imagine the worst kind. I can’t think about it, or I’ll go nuts.”
“At least you know he’s safe with people who love him and being guarded by federal agents.”
“Try telling that to Christina. She doesn’t want to hear that he’s safe and loved. She wants to hear he’s coming home.”
Ruby’s parents were staying at a hotel that’d seen better days on Massachusetts Avenue, one of the main arteries into and out of the District.
“Ugh,” Freddie said when they pulled up to the shitty-looking motel. “Look at this place.”
“Probably all they can afford. Who knows how long they’ll be here.”
They took the outdoor stairs to the second floor and knocked on the door to room 218.
The door flew open, and the exhausted-looking man who opened it immediately identified them as cops. “No,” he whispered. “Please don’t tell me...”
Freddie and Gonzo produced their badges and introduced themselves.
“Mr. Denton,” Gonzo said, “we don’t have any new information for you, but we can tell you that a female body was pulled from the Anacostia River today.”
A sharp cry of distress came from inside the room.
“May we come in?” Freddie asked.
Mr. Denton stepped aside to admit them, and Mrs. Denton rushed at them, fisting Freddie’s shirt, her eyes wild and rimmed with red. “Is it my daughter? Just tell me. Please tell me.”
Freddie covered her hands with his and gently extracted them from his shirt. “We don’t know yet if it’s her.”
“Take me to her,” Mrs. Denton said. “I need to see her.”
“I’m afraid it’s not possible to visually identify her,” Gonzo said.
She let out a wail, and only her husband’s arm around her kept her from falling.
“What do you need from us?” Mr. Denton asked.
“Dental records.” Gonzo said it quickly. They’d learned that was the best strategy in situations like this.
The woman’s legs collapsed under her, and her husband led her to the bed, where she sat and dropped her head into her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
Gonzo placed his card on the desk. “If you could have them sent to us at the address written on the back of this card as soon as possible, we’ll let you know if it’s her.”
Mr. Denton nodded in understanding. “We’ll take care of it.”
“We’re sorry you’re going through this,” Freddie said. “We’re doing everything we can to get answers for you.” The Missing Persons squad had been working around the clock since Ruby disappeared. Until a floater showed up in the river, they hadn’t had a single break in the case.
“Thank you.” Mr. Denton showed them to the door. “We appreciate all that’s being done to find her.”
As they headed for the stairs, Gonzo stopped all of a sudden to lean against the wall. He closed his eyes to take a deep breath.
“You okay?” Freddie asked.
Gonzo nodded but he didn’t move from his post against the wall.
Freddie wasn’t sure what he should do, so he waited. Since Arnold died, Gonzo had been more prone to moments such as this when the job seemed too much for him. The old Gonzo, the pre-Arnold-being-killed Gonzo, would’ve powered through a situation like this, knowing it was part of the job. This Gonzo... Well, he was different—quieter, moodier, anxious and tense. He didn’t smile as easily or joke around the way he used to.
Freddie missed the old Gonzo, but he understood. He couldn’t fathom what it would be like to lose Sam the way Gonzo had lost Arnold. Just having her taken off the grid by the Secret Service was making him crazy. Losing her forever...
