Missing in Death
I’m Lieutenant Dallas, with the New York City Police and Security Department. This is Detective Peabody.”
    “You found her. You found Carolee. She’s—”
    “We haven’t yet located your wife.”
    “She told me to wait.” The boy with his head on Steve’s lap opened his eyes. “I did. But she didn’t come back.”
    “Did you see her go into the other bathroom?”
    “Nuh-uh, but she said she was gonna, and then we were going to get dogs and drinks. And she gave me the routine.”
    “Routine?”
    He sat up, but leaned against his father’s side. “How I had to wait right there, and how if I needed anything, I was supposed to get one of the guys who work on the boat. The uniform guys.”
    “Okay. Then you went into the men’s bathroom.”
    “It was only for a minute. I just had to . . . you know. Then I came out and waited like she said. It always takes girls longer. But it was really long, and I was thirsty. I used my ’link.” He slid his eyes toward his father. “We’re only allowed to use them if it’s really important, but I was thirsty.”
    “It’s okay, Pete. She didn’t answer, so Pete tagged me, and Will and I headed back to where he was waiting. They’d been gone at least ten minutes by then. There was the Out of Order sign on the door, so I thought she might’ve used another restroom. Except she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t have left Pete. So I asked this woman if she’d just take a look inside. And then . . .”
    He shook his head.
    “She said there was blood.” The older boy swallowed hard. “The lady came running out, yelling there was blood.”
    “I went in.” Steve rubbed his eyes. “I thought maybe she fell, hit her head, or . . . But she wasn’t in there.”
    “There was blood,” Will said again.
    “Your mom wasn’t in there,” Steve said firmly. “She’s somewhere else.”
    “Where?” Pete demanded in a voice perilously close to weeping. “Where did she go?”
    “That’s what we’re going to find out.” Peabody spoke with easy confidence. “Pete, Will, why don’t you help me get drinks for everybody? Inspector Warren, is it okay if we forage in here?”
    “You bet. I’ll give you a hand.” He added a warm smile. “And make it Jake.”
    Eve slid into the booth. “I need to ask you some questions.”
    “It was too much blood,” he said in a soft voice, a voice that wouldn’t carry to his children. “A fatal loss of blood. I’m a doctor. I’m an ER doctor, and that much blood loss without immediate medical attention . . . For God’s sake, what happened to Carolee?”
    “Do you know her blood type, Dr. Grogan?”
    “Yes, of course. She’s O Positive.”
    “You’re certain?”
    “Yes, I’m certain. She and Pete are O Positive. I’m A Positive, so’s Will.”
    “It wasn’t her blood. The blood in the restroom wasn’t hers.”
    “Not hers.” He trembled, and she watched him struggle for composure, but his eyes teared. “Not her blood. Not Carolee’s blood.”
    “Why were you going to Staten Island?”
    “What? We weren’t. I mean . . .” He pressed his hands to his face again, breathed, then lowered them. Steady nerves, Eve thought. She imagined an ER doc needed them. “We were taking the ride over, then we were going to ride back. Just for the experience. We’re on vacation. It’s our second day on vacation.”
    “Does she know anyone in New York?”
    “No.” He shook his head slowly. “She wasn’t in there. But she wouldn’t have left Pete. It doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t answer her ’link. I’ve tried it over and over.” He pushed his across the table. “She doesn’t answer.”
    He glanced toward the concession where Peabody and Jake kept the kids busy, then leaned closer to Eve. “She would never have left our boy, not willingly. Something happened in that room. Somebody died in that room. If she saw what happened—”
    “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re still searching. I’m going to check on

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