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“We’re trying,” he said gently. “We’re questioning everyone. I’ve sent men to search the entire park.”

“They won’t find her here. Do you think I didn’t do that?” she asked fiercely. “I ran all over the park, calling her name. She didn’t answer.” The tears were beginning to fall. “I called and called. She didn’t answer. Bonnie would answer me. She would answer—”

“We’ll try again,” the detective said. “We’re exploring every possibility.”

“There’s a lake. I taught her to swim, but what if—”

“It’s an ornamental lake, just a man-made token. It’s only a drop of four feet in the deepest spot. And we’ve interviewed a father and son who have been sitting on the bench by the lake all afternoon. They would have seen her if she’d fallen into the water.”

“She has to be somewhere. Find her.” That’s the only thing she could say. That’s the only thing that made sense in a world that was suddenly drowning in madness. Bonnie had to be found. All the radiance and love that was Bonnie couldn’t be lost. God wouldn’t let that happen. They all just had to search harder, and they’d find her.

“We’re sending out another search party,” Detective Slindak said quietly as he gestured to the officers starting out toward the trees in the distance. “We’ve put out an all-points bulletin. You can’t do anything more here. Let me have an officer drive you and your mother home. We’ll call you as soon as we hear something.”

“You want me to go home?” she asked in disbelief. “Without my little girl? I can’t do that.”

“You can’t help more than you have already. It’s better that you leave it to us.”

“Bonnie is mine. I won’t leave here.” She whirled away from Slindak. “I’ll go with the search party. I’ll call her name. She’ll answer me.”

“She didn’t before,” Slindak said gently. “She may not be there to answer.”

He hadn’t said “or she might be unable to answer,” but Eve knew it was in his mind. Cold fear was causing the muscles of her stomach to clench at the thought. Her heart was beating so hard that she could barely catch her breath. “She’ll answer me. She’ll find a way to let me know where she is. You don’t understand. Bonnie is such a special, loving, little girl … She’ll find a way.”

“I’m sure that you’re right,” the detective said.

“You’re not sure of anything,” she said fiercely. “But I am.” She started at a run after the search team of officers heading for the trees. “This is all a mistake. No one would hurt my Bonnie. We just have to find her.”

She could feel the detective’s gaze on her back as she caught up with the search team. She knew he wanted to make her stop. He wanted her to behave sensibly and let them do their job. But it was her job, too. She had brought Bonnie into the world. In the end, that made it only her job.

I’ll find you, baby. Don’t be afraid. I’ll fight off anything that could hurt you. Wait for me. I’ll always be there for you.

No matter how long it takes or how far I have to go, I’ll bring you home, Bonnie.

CHAPTER

2

Present Day

“THE DIRECTOR IS ON THE PHONE, Agent Venable.” Harley’s tone was hesitant. “He sounded a little—”

“Pissed?” Venable said. It didn’t surprise him. Dickson was not known for his patience, and Venable hadn’t been jumping through his hoops on this assignment. “I don’t want to deal with him. Tell him I’m—”

“It’s the third call,” Harley said.

“And you’re afraid he’ll shoot the messenger,” Venable said.

“I’ll give him whatever message you want me to give him,” Harley said. “But this time he asked me to give him Agent Ling’s cell number.”

Shit. “And did you?”

“I said I’d have to look it up.” He paused. “But he’ll get it.”

Venable knew that Hal Dickson, as Director of the CIA, would get any info he wanted if he went to the trouble. But the people who made him go to that trouble would suffer for it.

“Why does he want Agent Ling?” Harley said. “I told him that she was on another assignment.”

“And you think he cares? Some of those South American countries are on the verge of revolution, and the situation