Tom felt the color drain from his face,”So it is true?”He asked hoarsely,”Sloan’s dead?”

Ed stood,”You can drop the good guy act,Daniels. You may have fooled Sloan but I see things real clearly now.”

Tom glared at him,”You’re also babbling. I swear to you Sloan was alive when I left her.”

Ed took a step back from the desk folding his arms across his chest,”Give me one good reason why I should believe you?”

Tom leaned his hands on the desk surface,”Beause you know I would never hurt her.”

Ed shook his head as he walked over to the left wall of his office,”I don’t know anything any more. All I know is that you were the last person I saw with Sloan. Next morning there’s a large pool of blood on her living room carpet.”

Tom swallowed hard,”How was she killed?”He asked softly.

Ed leaned back against the wall,”We don’t know. Her bod-,”Tate broke off the sentance as he felt his voice start to tremble,”The cops haven’t found her body yet.”

A small flame of hope raced up Tom’s spine and into his heart as he met Tate’s gaze,”So there’s no confirmation on her death yet?”

Ed glared at him,”You think I want to believe that she’s gone?! You’re an FBI agent,Daniels,look at the facts! Her apartment looked like a small tornado had gone through it,blood was pooling near the sofa and no ransom has been delievered yet!” When Tom didn’t answer right away Tate yanked the phone off the desk picking up the reciever.

Tom glanced up,”Who are you calling?”

Ed didn’t stop dialing,”Peterson,so he can have the cops take you into custody.”

“That’s not a good idea.”Tom replied softly as he yanked the phone line out of the wall.