Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

defiant.
    He’s protecting me , Clay realized, incredibly touched.
    ‘Lieutenant Ciccotelli?’ Clay asked and the guy nodded.
    ‘You’re Maynard.’ He stuck out his hand and Clay shook it. ‘I’ve heard stories. I wish we weren’t meeting under these circumstances.’
    ‘Thank you.’ Clay pointed to Alec. ‘Alec Vaughn, from Chicago.’
    Ciccotelli’s dark brows shot up. ‘Really? I’ve heard stories about you, too, but you’re always twelve years old in them.’
    ‘Twelve was a pretty action-packed year,’ Alec said lightly. ‘I’ve led a relatively uneventful life since then.’
    Ciccotelli shook Alec’s hand. ‘I think you’ve broken your streak of uneventful, son.’ He gestured them into his office. ‘Come have a seat.’
    Ciccotelli’s office was tidy, his desk cleared of paper, every book neatly arranged on the shelves. It might have been stark, except for a toddler’s artwork taped to his office door. In the bottom right corner of each drawing an adult had written ‘Anna.’
    And, of course, there was the photo on his desk – a blonde with a radiant smile. She sat astride a motorcycle, her helmet tucked under her arm.
    ‘Your wife?’ Clay asked.
    ‘Better be,’ Ciccotelli said. ‘If Sophie found me with the picture of another woman on my desk, she’d . . . well, let’s just say she’s very skilled with sharp objects. Add to that she’s eight months pregnant and very cranky, and I toe the line.’ He checked the time. ‘The others should be back soon.’
    ‘Who are the others?’ Clay asked.
    ‘The detectives I’ve assigned to this case, plus Agent Novak.’
    ‘ You’ve assigned to the case? You’re homicide.’
    ‘So it says on my badge.’
    Oh no . Dread pooled in Clay’s gut. ‘But Pamela MacGregor is a missing person case. Have you found her?’ Please let it not be too late .
    ‘No, we haven’t found her. But this afternoon we were able to link her disappearance to a homicide that occurred yesterday afternoon.’
    Clay closed his eyes. ‘Who?’
    ‘Elmarie Stodart, a young au pair from South Africa. She’d taken her two charges, a toddler and a five-year-old, to the mall to see Santa. From what we’ve been able to piece together from the older child’s testimony, Elmarie saw that the toddler had dropped a toy on the floor of the parking garage, locked the kids in the van, and went to get it. We think she discovered Pamela being forced into a vehicle, tried to help, but was stabbed in the process. By the time she was found, she’d bled out.’
    ‘And the children?’ Clay asked, afraid to hear the answer.
    ‘The baby had fallen asleep, but the five-year-old saw everything. She’s in shock.’
    ‘Security tapes?’ Alec asked.
    ‘The cameras don’t see between vehicles. Elmarie’s killer stabbed her between two vans, then pushed her body under a car. None of that action was captured. We know her killer left in a black van. We ran the plates – they were stolen off another vehicle. We put it on the wire as soon as we knew, but I imagine they’ve already been changed.’
    Clay dragged his hands over his face. ‘Was the child able to describe the killer?’
    ‘No. She was too hysterical. My sketch artist is going to try tonight. At the moment, we have nothing. That’s why my detectives want to talk to you. Linking Kimberly MacGregor to this Doug person is the first real lead we’ve had.’
    ‘You need to be in contact with Agent Carter in Baltimore. I have his number.’
    ‘Already talked to him. And he already knew about the black van. We’ll conference with them at 8.15. Before then, I’d appreciate any information your PIs have dug up.’
    ‘I want to sit in on the meeting,’ Clay said baldly.
    Ciccotelli went still. ‘And if I refuse?’
    ‘I’ll still tell you everything I know. I want this Doug stopped.’
    For several seconds Ciccotelli said nothing. Then he lifted his brows. ‘How do you feel about being an unpaid consultant?’
    It was an invitation, and far more than Clay had expected. ‘Favorably. Thanks.’
    There was a knock on the door and Wiznewski stuck his head in. ‘Maynard, you have a call. Your partner has been trying to reach you on your cell for a half hour.’
    Heart hammering, Clay took the receiver Ciccotelli offered, checking his cell phone at the same time. ‘No bars in here,’ he said to Paige. ‘I wasn’t avoiding you.’
    ‘Clay, it wasn’t Ford in that basement! We don’t know who it was,