AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I wish I’d figured it out sooner.”
“I’m the cop. I should have figured it out sooner. I never should have told Scott about Rita. What was I thinking?”
“That you could trust him,” Sam said gently. “You should have been able to, Kit. I’m sorry you—and other cops—lost that. This is not on you. It’s on him.”
The words were kind. And maybe even true. But it didn’t matter.
She clutched the mug tighter. “I feel so helpless, sitting here like this.”
Because she’d been recused from the case the moment Scott had approached Rita in the parking lot behind that coffee shop. Rita’s cell phone records showed several texts from Kit’s number. Spoofed, of course. They only knew what the first text said because Rita had shown it to Harlan.
Hey, kiddo, I have a break this afternoon. Wanna meet me for a latte? We can have some girl time. I’ll wait for you inside the Never-Empty Cafe. Pop knows where it is. Have him drop you off.
The texts that followed must have asked Rita to come to the back parking lot, because the shop’s cameras showed her walking out the rear door of the shop. And then getting into a gray Toyota RAV4.
Sam’s SUV.
Or what had appeared to be Sam’s SUV. Sam had been able to tell them that his RAV4 had a dent in the left rear fender, but otherwise, it was identical. The glass had been too dark to see the driver.
Kit could only guess that Scott had been holding a gun on Rita. Nothing else would have compelled the girl to get into the car.
Sam’s car had been stolen from Joel’s driveway, further making it look like Sam had abducted Rita. Except Sam had been with Laura Letterman all day. Thank God for that.
Joel had given the police his home security video, which showed a tall young man in a hoodie stealing Sam’s RAV4 that afternoon. Connor believed that Dr.Scott had recruited another street kid, just like Daryl Chesney. Which made sense.
Connor had put a trace on Sam’s GPS, but so far, they hadn’t found a hit. The SUV had probably ended up in a chop shop, but Joel had assured them that Siggy was safe, sleeping in his crate. That, at least, had eased Sam’s mind a little bit.
A cold nose pressed against Kit’s arm and she was suddenly so glad that she’d left Snickerdoodle here, because all she wanted to do was bury her face in the dog’s curly coat and cry. Instead, she patted the sofa, sinking her fingers into Snick’s curls when she jumped into her lap.
“What can you do?” Sam asked.
She glared at him. “Nothing, apparently.”
He held up his hands. “I’m not being cruel or sarcastic. I’m being serious. If you were on this case, what would you be doing right now?”
“Searching Scott’s house.”
“Your new partner is doing that. Scott’s not there.”
He’s not my new partner. Baz is coming back. But that wasn’t what she should focus on. Connor was at Dr.Scott’s house with Navarro and half of the homicide squad. Connor had been good about texting her what information he could.
He was pretty good for a temporary partner.
But that wasn’t what Sam had asked. Focus, Kit. Rita’s life depends on it.
If she’s still alive.
“I’d be working with Baz, pulling together what we know. Trying to figure out where else Scott would take her.”
“Can you call Baz?”
She wanted to say yes. She wanted that so much. Baz had been her rock for sixteen years, her partner for four. But she couldn’t.
She shook her head. “He has to stay calm. He had a damn heart attack, Sam.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her cell phone buzzed with a FaceTime call, and she blinked at the screen. “It’s Baz.”
But Sam didn’t look surprised, and she wondered what he’d done.
