The security officer looked composed and well rested in contrast to the nearly frantic anxiety that Walter exhibited. “Where have you been?” Walter demanded. He realized that he sounded as if he were dressing down an underling, so he softened his question. “Have you heard anything? I’ve been going crazy wondering what was going on.” Hogan answered as he eased into a side chair. “Well, let’s see. We’ve covered your house. Looks like it happened pretty much the way you guessed. But we know that Emily wasn’t injured. She was drugged and taken out in the shower curtain. There’s every reason to believe that whoever set this up wanted to make damn sure that Emily remained alive.” “Thank God …” Childs collapsed into his chair as if a heavy burden he had been struggling with had finally been lifted. But after a fraction of a second at peace, the anxiety reappeared in his eyes. “But will she be safe?” “I think so. Unless somebody screws up. From what you said about the messenger and what we saw in your house, we think that these are rank amateurs.
