Double Vision Read Online Free Page A

little girl.
    â€œAnd what happened after you hid behind the meat bin?”
    She folded her lips, appearing deep in thought. “I talked to the man on the nine-one-one call. I told him the gunshots had stopped. I crawled out to see if the shooter guy was gone. To check on G-Ma.”
    The kid’s composure made her sound about thirty. Totally calm. Poised even.
    â€œWas he gone?” the man in plainclothes across from Molly asked.
    Who
is
this guy?
    â€œExcuse me,” Jenna said, inserting herself into the conversation. “Could I have a word?”
    As he turned to look at her, Jenna realized that not only was the guy about her dad’s age, but about his height, too.
    He glanced back at Molly. “Back in a jiff,” he said, winking. He stood and straightened the tan jacket over his black mock turtleneck. When they were a few steps away from the child, he cleared his throat. “May I ask—”
    â€œDr. Jenna Ramey, BAU,” Jenna said.
    â€œAh. Dr. Ramey. It’s a pleasure,” he said. “Gabriel Dodd.”
    Jenna flinched. Too bad she and Saleda hadn’t stuck together. No need for Saleda to waste time looking for him anymore, but no way Jenna was about to leave him with this kid without her for another minute. He’d already broken protocol by skipping the team briefing. How did she know he wouldn’t compromise a child witness, too?
    â€œS.A. Dodd. Nice to know you. And who’s your friend?”
    Dodd smiled a warm, grandfatherly smile, and a smattering of contours like dents of wood grain branched from his eyes. “You know who she is, or you wouldn’t have been so keen on finding her. Remember, Doc, we’re on the same team.”
    All I know is she’s the kid Yancy talked to on the phone.
    â€œKid made a nine-one-one call is my only lead, actually,” Jenna said. “What do
you
know about her?”
    He shook his head. “Well,
now
I know that her grandmother was actually one of the victims, one Rita Keegan, and for a kid so young who just lost a grandparent in front of her eyes, she’s calm and composed. Not as surprising to me as it might be to some, I guess. I’ve found some kids deal with death better than most adults just because they aren’t all taught to fear it. But at first I only came over because she
is
a kid, and kids
are
different. Kids are honest, notice things some people don’t. She has a unique point of view.”
    Is that why Yancy thought I should find this kid? Surely there’s more to it than that.
    â€œRight. Anything good so far?”
    Dodd shrugged. “Haven’t had time to ask much. Join me if you like.”
    With that, he turned back to his interview, squatted next to Molly.
    If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
    Jenna sat down cross-legged across from Molly, next to S.A. Dodd.
    â€œDid you notice anything about how the man with the gun looked, Molly?” Jenna asked. It would be nice to be able to ask clarifying questions like whether he was tall or short or fat, but unfortunately, those were considered leading questions. With a child, it was the kind of thing that would get anything Molly said thrown out of court in a heartbeat, if they ever found the guy.
    The dark-haired little girl nodded. “Yes. He had on a mask. But do you need to know more about what he looked like when I saw him or more about what he was doing before that?”
    Ominous.
“Is there something you want to tell us about what you noticed?”
    Now Molly looked at the ceiling like she was trying to figure out a really hard math problem. “I know how many steps he took from when I started to count. Eight, like on the fortune-teller ball my friend Jana has. He tapped, too.”
    â€œTapped?” Dodd echoed.
    She bobbed her head. “Yes. He tapped his gun with his hand.”
    Jenna squinted, searched the girl’s eyes. This kid was sharp. Observant. No wonder Yancy