“I’ll notify the local police and the water patrol,” Luke said. “And the Coast Guard.”

Behind them, Daniel was being wheeled out on the gurney.

“Go with him,” Beardsley said. “I’ll be fine.”

Another gurney entered the way they’d come. “These medics are here for you.” She took Beardsley’s hand. “Thank you. You saved my life.”

He nodded, his eyes flat and cold. “You’re welcome. Tell Bailey I’ll visit her.”

“I will.” Then Alex and Luke followed Daniel’s gurney out the door, looking at each door as they passed. Five more victims. She wanted to scream, but in the end she moved up to Daniel’s side, took his hand, and went out with him into the sunshine.

Chapter Twenty-six

Atlanta , Friday, February 2, 5:45 p.m.

Alex.” Meredith came to her feet as Alex rushed through the emergency room doors. “Oh my God, Alex.” She threw her arms around Alex and Alex held on tight.

“It’s over,” she murmured. “They’re all dead.”

Meredith pulled back, visibly shaking. “You’re hurt. Where are you hurt?”

“It’s not my blood. It’s Daniel’s and Granville’s mostly. Did they bring Daniel in?”

“The helicopter got here about twenty minutes ago.”

Alex went to the nurses’ station, Meredith at her side. “I’m Alex Fallon. Can you-”

“This way,” the nurse interrupted as a crowd of reporters surged around her. She led them back to a small waiting room. “Agent Chase Wharton told us you’d be coming. He wants to talk to you.”

“I want to talk to Daniel Vartanian’s doctor,” Alex insisted. “Bailey Crighton’s, too.”

“The doctor’s in with Mr. Vartanian now,” the nurse said kindly, then looked at Alex more closely. “You were here a few days ago, visiting the nun who died.”

“I was.” Alex was pacing the small room, her nerves jangling.

“You’re an ER nurse.” The nurse’s brows lifted. “Now it makes sense. That was one hell of a field job you did on Vartanian.”

Alex stopped pacing and looked the woman in the eye. “Was it good enough?”

The nurse nodded. “Looks that way.”

Alex let out a sigh of relief. “Can I see Bailey?”

“Come with me.”

Alex held Meredith’s hand hard as they followed. “Where is Hope?”

“With Agent Shannon and Riley, still at the safe house. We thought it best not to bring her to see Bailey until she’s cleaned up. Alex, I saw Bailey when they brought her in. She’s in really bad shape.”

“But alive,” the nurse said. She gestured to the exam room. “Just a few minutes.”

Despite the preparation, Alex winced when she saw Bailey. “Bailey, it’s me, Alex.”

Bailey’s eyelids fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes.

“It’s okay,” Alex soothed. “You need to rest. You’re safe. Hope’s safe.”

Tears seeped from Bailey’s swollen eyes. “You came. You saved my baby.”

Alex gently took her hand, noting the bruises and the nails broken well past the quick. “She’s a beautiful little girl. Meredith’s been taking care of her.”

Bailey forced her eyes open, looking from Alex to Meredith. “Thank you.”

Meredith’s swallow was audible. “Hope’s fine, Bailey. She misses you. And Alex never gave up hope that you were alive.”

Bailey licked her dry, split lips. “Beardsley?” she croaked.

Alex dabbed Bailey’s mouth with a wet cloth. “He’s alive. He saved my life, too. He told me to tell you he’d come to see you. Bailey, the police found your father.”

Bailey’s lips trembled. “I need to tell you. Wade… did some horrible things. My father knew.”

“I know. I finally let myself remember. Craig killed my mother.”

Bailey flinched. “I didn’t know that.”

“Do you know about the pills I took that day? Did Craig give them to me?”

“I think so. I don’t know for sure. But Alex… Wade… he… I think he killed Alicia.”

“No, he didn’t. He did a lot of other horrible things, but he didn’t kill her.”

“Rape?”

Alex nodded. “Yes.”

“There are others.”

Alex shivered. Granville had said the same thing. “You mean the letter Wade sent you? We found it, with Hope’s help.”

“There were seven. Wade and six others.”

“I know. Except for Garth Davis, they’re all dead, and Garth’s been arrested.”

Again Bailey flinched. “Garth? But he… Oh, God, how stupid I was.”

Alex remembered Sissy’s phone call and the man Bailey was supposed to have met the night before she was taken. “You were having an affair?”

“Yes. He came to see me after Wade died, offered his condolences as mayor.” She closed her eyes. “One thing led to another. And Wade warned me, too. Trust no one.”

“Did Garth ask about Wade’s belongings?” Meredith asked quietly.

“A few times, but I didn’t think anything about it and I hadn’t gotten Wade’s letters yet. I was so happy to be treated nice by someone in the town… Garth was looking for that damn key, just like him. That’s all he kept asking for. That damn key.”

“Who kept asking for the key?” Alex asked, and Bailey shuddered.

“Granville.” She said it bitterly. “What did the key open?”

“A safe-deposit box,” Alex said. “But it was empty.”

Bailey looked up in devastated bewilderment. “Then why did he do this to me?”

Alex looked at Meredith. “That’s a good question. Daniel and Luke thought the seventh man had another set of keys, but I guess Granville didn’t.”

“Or he would have taken the pictures from the box himself,” Meredith said.

“He may still have done that,” Luke said from the doorway. “Granville may have taken the pictures years ago. We don’t know yet. But Simon’s turning up alive after all those years had them all nervous. If Daniel had Simon’s key and Bailey had Wade’s key, they would have started asking questions, and Granville didn’t want that.” He stood next to Bailey’s bed. “Chase wants to talk to you, Alex. How are you feeling, Bailey?”

“I’ll be okay,” Bailey said fiercely. “I have to be. How is the girl I found?”

“Unconscious,” Luke said.

“That’s probably for the best,” Bailey murmured. “When can I see Hope?”

“Soon,” Meredith promised. “She had a terrible trauma seeing you beaten. I don’t want to scare her again. Let’s get your hair washed and try to hide some of the bruises before we bring Hope in to see you here.”

Bailey nodded wearily. “Alex, I told Granville I sent you the key. Did he hurt you?”

“No. This blood on my shirt is mostly his. He’s dead.”

“Good,” Bailey said harshly. “Did he suffer?”

“Not enough. Bailey, who else did you see while you were being held?”

“Just Granville and sometimes Mansfield. Sometimes their guards. Why?”

“Just asking.” Alex would wait to tell Bailey that Granville said there were others, just as she’d wait to tell her Craig had murdered Sister Anne. “Sleep now. I’ll be back.”

“Alex, wait. I didn’t want to tell him you had the key. He…” Her eyes filled with tears as she pointed to the fresh needle marks on her arm. “He shot me up.”

Alex stared at the needle marks, horrified. “No.”

“I was clean for five years. I swear.”

“I know. I talked to Desmond and all your friends.”

“Now I have to quit again.” Bailey’s voice broke, breaking Alex’s heart.

“You don’t have to do it alone this time.” Alex kissed Bailey’s forehead. “Sleep now. I need to talk to the police. They’re going to want to talk to you about the girls.”

Bailey nodded. “Tell them I’ll help all I can.”

Atlanta, Saturday, February 3, 10:15 a.m.

Daniel woke up to find Alex sleeping in the chair next to his bed. He tried to say her name three times before he could get enough volume to wake her up. “Alex.”

She lifted her head, blinking to immediate attention. “Daniel.” Her shoulders sagged and for a moment he thought she’d cry. Panic snaked through him.

“What?” The single syllable tore a chunk from his throat.