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“I put cameras on the docks after we realized the Aces were fucking with things. They’ll tell us which direction to start looking, and we can call in some help from the SPD if we need to. They owe us a few favors.”
“Let’s avoid that if possible. I don’t want to rely on anyone outside of our network.” After everything, I didn’t trust that Cash wasn’t burrowed deeper into the city than I expected.
Just as he moved for the door, Grey’s phone rang. A quick glance had him slowing before stopping altogether.
“Mari.” I looked up, and he held it out to show me the name displayed. Sabine.
Because it’s not suspicious at all that one of our missing CIs calls just as we’re learning about a theft in our system.
“Answer it.”
He set the phone to record the call and answered. “Sabine?”
“I know where the painting is.”
What did it say that Cash wasn’t even trying to hide the trap this time?
“You’re gone for weeks, and you come back talking about a painting. Are you okay?”
“Don’t play with me, Greyson. I don’t have the time. I know you’re missing Troy Kincaid’s painting.”
“What does it look like?” Grey asked, pulling up his text thread with Troy. I’d already memorized the painting, but a refresher never hurt.
“Don’t know what kind of painting it is, but it’s huge black-and-white shapes with splashes and lines of blue.” Sabine paused to laugh under her breath. “Honestly, it looks like a toddler painted it.”
Bingo. I held my hand out for the phone, and Grey set it gently in my palm.
“Sabine, it’s Mari. Where are you?”
“Hey, boss.” Her voice shook and had none of the comfortable tone she normally spoke to me with. She was scared shitless. “I’m around, just keeping a low profile.”
I’m sure she is. “Are you okay? Whatever’s going on, I can get you out. Britt?—”
“No, no. I’m fine,” she said quickly, cutting me off. “Like I said, just staying off-grid for a bit right now.”
“I could understand that for a week or so, but your s?—”
“I just went out of town for a while. There was something I had to do,” she said seriously.
Without Brittany? I didn’t think so. Dominic grabbed a piece of paper and wrote what we were all thinking, She doesn’t want to mention the kid. Which meant Cash was close by.
Not wanting her to hang up before we got any more information, I kept my mouth shut. Sabine took that for disbelief, which was half true anyway.
“Seriously, Mari, I’m okay,” she promised.
“If you’re sure.” We all knew I didn’t believe her, but her relieved breath meant lying was the right thing to do.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Look, my intel on the painting is a short turnaround, but I can help you get it tonight. Word on the street is Kincaid doesn’t know it’s missing.”
“Your intel always was the best.” It was why losing her had hurt so much. We could’ve had Cash in hand weeks ago if our network hadn’t been smashed to bits first. On his part, it was smart. On ours, it was a major inconvenience. “Where and when?”
“I’ll meet you by the old ferry platform tonight at ten. It’s not far from there.”
Before we could say anything else, she hung up. The entire conversation rubbed me the wrong way, but I hadn’t heard any pain in her voice, aside from avoiding talking about her sister. There was no rasp or rattle to her breathing either. I had to hope that she was alive and well, even if she was under duress.
“When do you want to leave?” Grey asked.
“Within the hour.” There was no point in delaying. I wasn’t going to wait all day for Cash to set us up again. If we caught him by surprise, we had a better chance of getting in and out without casualties.
