“You should have checked the wreckage more carefully,” I said. “Put the gun on the desk, Grant.”

“You think you’ve won?” Vanessa asked, a slow, cruel smile spreading across her lips. “You think some federal agents are going to save you?”

“The house is surrounded,” I said. “The black sedan in the driveway is our tactical team. There is nowhere for you to go.”

Outside, the sudden blare of a siren echoed through the trees, followed by the sweep of red and blue lights across the ceiling.

“She’s bluffing,” Vanessa whispered to Grant. “She doesn’t have the authorization to shoot you in cold blood.”

“Try me,” I said, taking a half-step forward.

Grant looked at the window, then at the door, his panic reaching a fever pitch.

“The girl,” Grant muttered. “We still have the girl.”

“She isn’t in her room,” Vanessa said, her voice dropping. “I checked. The nursery is empty.”

“Where is she, Evelyn?” Grant demanded, his voice shaking. “Where did you hide her?”

“She is safe from you,” I said. “She is in a secure location where you will never touch her again.”