“I’m sorry, sir,” Daniel said. “We’ll call you the moment we know anything new. I know it doesn’t help right now, but we’re doing everything we can.”

“Thank you. When can I have…” His voice broke and for the first time that day tears welled in Alex’s eyes. She pursed her lips and fought the sudden wave of compassion.

“We’ll have her body released as soon as we possibly can,” Daniel’s boss said gently. “We’re so sorry for your loss, Mr. Barnes.”

Mr. Barnes was walking to the door when he stopped cold and stared at her and what little color remained in his face drained away. “You.” It was barely a murmur.

Alex looked at Daniel from the corner of her eye. She had no idea of what to say.

“Mr. Barnes.” Daniel stepped forward. “What is it?”

“Her picture was on the news yesterday. My Claudia saw it.”

Alicia. The news had quickly picked up on the Arcadia story, and its link to Alicia’s murder. This man had seen Alicia’s picture, not mine. Alex stood on wobbly knees and opened her mouth but still had no idea of what to say.

“What did your wife say about the picture?” Daniel’s boss asked.

“She knew the girl… remembered the case. Claudia was just a little girl, but she remembered. It upset her. She almost stayed home last night, but she had to go to that damn party. I should have gone with her. I should have been with her.” Barnes glared at Alex, horrified disbelief in his eyes. “You’re supposed to be dead. Who are you?”

Alex lifted her chin. “The picture you saw was my sister, Alicia.” Her lips were trembling and she firmed them. “Your wife knew my sister? Was she from Dutton?”

The man nodded. “Yes. Her maiden name was Silva.”

Alex brought a bandaged hand to her mouth. “Claudia Silva?”

“You knew her, Alex?” Daniel asked gently.

“I babysat Claudia and her little sister.” She closed her eyes and focused on quieting the screams that tore through her mind. I’m losing my mind. She opened her eyes and pushed past the noise, focusing on the man and his grief. “I’m so very sorry.”

Roughly he nodded, then turned to Daniel’s boss. “I want every man you can spare on this case, Wharton. I know people…”

“Rafe,” one of the other men murmured. “Let them do their jobs.” They ushered Barnes from the room, leaving a hush behind them.

Alex met Daniel’s eyes. “Two women from Dutton are dead and Bailey’s still missing,” she said harshly. “What the hell is happening here?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel said, his face stern. “But we’re sure as hell going to find out.”

Ed Randall cleared his throat. “Daniel, we need to talk. Now.”

Daniel nodded. “Okay. Just a little longer, Alex, and I can take you home.”

The men went to the back offices, leaving Alex and Leigh alone in the front. Alex lowered herself into her chair. “I feel… responsible somehow.”

“Involved,” Leigh corrected. “Not responsible. You’re a victim in this, too, Miss Fallon. You may want to consider requesting protection.”

Alex thought of Hope. “I will.” Then she thought of Meredith. She hadn’t called her cousin in some time. When she found out about the near miss, Alex imagined some level of hell would break loose. “I need to make a call. I’ll be out in the hall.”

Ed leaned against the corner of Daniel’s desk. “We may have tracked the blankets.”

Daniel rummaged in his desk drawer for a bottle of aspirin. “And?”

“They were bought at a sporting goods store three blocks away.”

“Right under our noses,” Daniel said. “Intentional?”

“We can’t discount it,” Chase said. “Did they have security tapes?”

Ed nodded. “Yep. Purchase was made by a kid, maybe eighteen. White, five-ten, one-fifty. Looked right up into the camera, so we got his face. Kid paid cash. The store clerk remembered, because it was a lot of cash.”

Daniel dry-swallowed two aspirin. “Of course he paid cash.” He tossed the bottle back into the drawer. “I’m afraid to ask. How many blankets did he buy, Ed?”

“Ten.”

Chase hissed. “Ten?”

Bile rose in Daniel’s throat. “We need to get his photo posted to all units.”

“Already done,” Ed said. “But the kid didn’t look like he had anything to hide. I bet he’s a stooge, probably hired to buy the blankets. It’s not illegal to buy blankets.”

“He can still tell us who hired him,” Chase said tightly. “Is that it? We’ve got a press conference in five.”

“No. There’s more.” Ed put the small plastic bag containing the single hair on Daniel’s desk. “This is the hair you got off of this morning’s vic.”

“Claudia Barnes,” Chase said.

“It’s not hers.”

“We knew that,” Daniel said. “Claudia was a blonde. This hair is brown.”

“I ran it through the colorimeter.” From a paper bag, Ed took a fake ponytail, looped in a teardrop shape. “I pulled the closest match from our hair samples.”

Daniel picked up the sample with a frown, immediately seeing the significance. It was caramel colored. Just like Alex’s. “Fuck.”

“I swear to God, Danny, I took one look at Alex Fallon out there and did a double-take. He’s left a hair, if not her color, then damn close.”

Daniel passed the sample to Chase, keeping his fury tamped down. “This guy’s playing with us.” And with Alex.

Chase held the single hair up to the light. “Is it possible this is a fake hair, like from your ponytail sample? I’ve seen them in the drugstore where they sell hair color.”

“No, it’s definitely real and definitely human,” Ed said. “And it’s old.”

Dread settled in the pit of Daniel’s stomach. “How old?”

“One of guys in the lab is a hair expert. He thinks at least five years. Maybe ten.”

“Or thirteen?” Daniel asked and Ed shrugged.

“Maybe. I can test it, but once I run the test there won’t be a lot left for DNA.”

“Run the DNA first,” Chase said grimly. “Daniel, get Alex to give us some hair. I want them tested side by side.”

“I’ll have to tell her why.”

“No, you don’t. Tell her anything you want, just don’t tell her why. Not yet at least.”

Daniel frowned. “She’s not a suspect, Chase.”

“No, but she’s involved. If it’s a match, then tell her. If not, why upset her?”

That at least made sense. “All right.”

Chase straightened the knot of his tie. “Now, it’s showtime. I’ll field the questions.”

“Wait a minute,” Daniel protested. “I’m lead. I can field my own damn questions.”

“I know, but remember what I said about hearing ‘Vartanian’ and ‘Dutton’ in the same sentence. The brass wants me to face the press. Nothing else changes.”

“Fine,” Daniel muttered, then stopped when he got to Leigh’s desk. Alex was gone. “Where is she?” He shoved his hand into his pocket. He still had her car keys. She could have taken a cab, but surely she wasn’t that stupid. If-

“Relax, Danny,” Leigh said. “She’s in the hall making a phone call.”

Daniel felt a spike of tension in his neck ebb. “Thanks.”

“Daniel.” Chase was holding open the door. “Let’s go.”

Daniel could see her at the end of the hall as he, Chase, and Ed walked the other way. She was on her cell phone, bowed over, hugging herself with one arm. Her shoulders were shaking and with a jolt he realized she was crying.

He stopped, the pressure on his chest making it hard to breathe. After all she’d been through in the last two days, he hadn’t seen her cry. Not once.

“Daniel.” Chase grasped his shoulder and yanked. “We’re late. Let’s go. I need you focused. You can talk to her later. She can’t go anywhere, you took her keys.”

Ed shot him a look of surprised sympathy and Daniel realized everything he felt must be showing on his face. He carefully drew a blank expression and left Alex crying in the hall.

He’d do his job. He’d track down this killer who taunted them with keys and clues. He had to make sure no other women were found in ditches. He had to keep Alex safe.