After a few seconds, Brandt said, “He didn’t say where he was going?”

I heard her loud “No” this time.

I raised my eyebrows, questioning this outburst.

Brandt put the phone on speaker then.

She said, “So I’m stuck here without a car. Where did he have to go in such a big hurry?”

“You got me,” Brandt said.

Tom made a motion with his hand to keep her talking.

“Um, any favorite places you guys have found in town?” Brandt asked.

“No. And that coroner lady phoned. The death certificate has been issued and I can pick it up. If I had a car.”

“Did you call Doug after he left?” Brandt asked.

“I tried. He’s not answering, and that’s not like him. He got a phone call and he was out of here. And what am I supposed to do now?”

“I can come over and take you to see the coroner,” Brandt said.

“Would you?” she said. “That would be great. The sooner we get the death certificate, the sooner this mess can be settled. That farm belongs to you and Evan. If we sell it, he’ll have enough for tuition.”

“Um… I thought Doug said he’d help with that,” Brandt said.

“Until about a month ago, I thought so, too. But all of sudden he says Evan should work his way through school. Anyway, we can talk when you get here. Thank you so much, sweetheart.”

She disconnected before Brandt had a chance to say good-bye.

Tom said, “Go stay with your mother, but stall her about this death certificate thing. Create some excuse not to get on the road. There’s a killer loose, and the police will want to know exactly where you are. And if Professor Lieber returns, stay cool and call me.” Tom rattled off his number, and Brandt added it to his phone.

“But what about Evan? You think he’ll be okay?” Brandt said. “Was Evan the one who called Doug and he’s gone to that farm, too?”

“If Lieber’s on his way there, he’ll be met by the entire Mercy police force. We’ll make contact with them and make sure they know what the microchip revealed.”

Brandt seemed hesitant, but he finally left with my urging after I told him he had to take care of his mother.

“I hope Brandt doesn’t take a detour to that farm to play big brother,” I said to Tom as we stood in the foyer.

“I think he’ll do what we said,” Tom said. “Now call Candace.”

But she didn’t answer, and when I called Mercy PD, B.J. put me on hold-probably because lots was happening and he thought I called to chat with Candace.

“Come on, come on,” I said into my phone.

“Forget it. Let’s go,” Tom said. “B.J. probably has more than he can handle right now.”

Since Candace had used my van, we took Tom’s Prius. It was a lot peppier than my vehicle, anyway. We made the drive to the farm in less than ten minutes, and the whole time I kept trying to phone Candace. But she was obviously too busy to answer.

The tree-lined road was crowded with police and emergency vehicles for the third time in a week. Tom took my hand when we got out of the car and led me to where Morris was standing.

“That’s far enough,” he said. Seemed his job was to make sure no one got past him.

But when we explained why we had come, that we had important information, he radioed Candace. Soon I saw her running down the driveway toward us.

I could read a hint of panic in her eyes. “Hoffman’s got them, both Evan and Kara. We’re waiting on a county SWAT unit.”

“Oh my God. They’re hostages?” I said.

“Yup. Saw a rifle of some kind. But we don’t know what Hoffman wants until we make contact. And right now that’s dangerous without major backup. We need help on this one.”

“He’s not working alone,” I said. “Tom, can you explain what you learned from the microchip?”

I wouldn’t have made sense if I tried to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance right now. My heart was hammering. John’s daughter was in that house with a cruel, desperate man, and I suddenly realized I felt as responsible for her as John once did. And just as worried as her biological mother would have been if she were standing in my shoes this minute. And where was Douglas Lieber? Was he in that house, too?

“I didn’t see that coming,” Candace was saying in response to Tom’s explanation. “Had my sights set on Hoffman as the only bad guy.”

Tom went on to tell Candace about Lieber getting a phone call and taking off.

“C-could Lieber be in there, too?” I said. My voice was tremulous.

“We won’t know until SWAT gets here,” she said. “But Deputy Dufner only saw three people in the house when he used his binoculars. Once Hoffman figured out we were here, he started staying low and away from the windows.”

I gripped Candace’s upper arm. “Please help her.”

Candace nodded solemnly. “I will. Promise. You and Tom wait in your car. And make sure you make room for SWAT to roll in.”

We both nodded, and Tom put his arm around me as we headed back to his car. But then I saw what was probably Evan’s rental as well as Kara’s car parked not far from the driveway. “Her gun,” I said. “Maybe she has it with her.”

“Ah, the gun. I warned her about that, too,” Tom said. “If she is armed, we need to tell Candace and the rest of the officers. She told me she knows how to shoot, but I’m guessing that means she’s had occasional target practice.”

“Let’s have a look in her car if Morris gives the okay.”

Morris said he was waiting for SWAT to brief them and couldn’t leave his position, that they were minutes away. But we could look in Kara’s car.

I wasn’t sure whether I was happy or upset to see that gun sitting in her glove compartment. Tom took it and checked the chamber.

“Not even loaded,” he said. “Wouldn’t have done her any good. We’ll just keep this safe.” He carried the gun flat against his thigh as we returned to the Prius. “Don’t want anyone going nuts if they see me with a gun. Those SWAT guys are pretty intense.”

He set it on my lap when we climbed back in the car. I held up my hands, not wanting to touch the thing.

“It’s not loaded. You need to get over your fear of weapons. I can teach you how to shoot when this whole thing is over. For now, just hold it. Get used to it.”

My heart wouldn’t quit pounding, especially now that I had a gun in my lap. Those two in that house had to get out alive. They had to.

“Come on, Jillian. Just touch the gun,” Tom said.

It felt heavy on my lap, heavier than it looked. I put a hand on top of it. No big deal, I thought. Just a hunk of metal.

A few seconds later the SWAT truck rumbled by us. It came to an abrupt stop right in front of Morris.

“Thank God,” I whispered.

But then something caught my eye in the woods beyond the ditch we’d parked next to. A white cat was trying to climb a tree, its hair standing on end with fear. But it couldn’t seem to do what all cats are good at-climb that tree.

“I have to help that cat.” I opened the door and headed for the woods. The ditch was deeper than I thought, and I nearly tripped but managed to keep my footing.

Why hadn’t I realized that some of the cats that had been released probably came back here? This was where they’d been fed, after all. We weren’t close to the house, so it wasn’t like trying to help a cat in trouble was dangerous.

“Jillian,” called Tom. “Come back.”

I turned and saw that he was following me, and following lots faster than he should have been. He’d scare the cat before I could rescue it. The cat fell down after yet another attempt to climb the tree. What was wrong with it? Weak from hunger, too?

Then something happened behind me; I heard Tom swear-very loudly. I spun and saw him lying in the ditch. I looked back at the cat and figured Tom needed my help more than the frightened white fur ball did.

But when I started back toward where he was groaning in pain, an arm reached around me from behind.

Not again.