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“I can get it for you, if you tell me where to find it,” Trent offered.
“That would be nice of you. My purse is on the hook in the kitchen. It’s the blue one.”
“Be back in a sec.” Trent left, and Amanda’s phone started ringing.
Malone’s name was on the screen. “I need to get this.”
May bobbed her head, her eyes glazed over.
Amanda patted May’s hand as she slipped out of the booth and answered her phone.
She stepped outside. The cool air nipped at her nose. She rounded the building to shelter herself from the wind.
“The cell phone in the lot did belong to Graves,” Malone said, getting right to the point. “Obviously making tracking it pointless. Her call history has been requested, and I’ve asked that be rushed along.”
“And the tracker on her car?” Amanda could barely breathe as she asked this question. She just wanted the nightmare to be over for Katherine. Being able to provide closure for the Bernard family by apprehending their daughter’s killer would also be a bonus.
“Nowhere yet, but you’ll know the second I do. I’ve got the entire department on this. Graves is one of our own, far as I’m concerned.”
“Agreed.” Amanda hadn’t taken much to Katherine when she’d first arrived at the PWCPD but had come to like and respect her. She informed Malone they were with May and would be heading to Katherine’s house soon.
“I want you to take a uniform as backup. Just in case.”
“All right. Speaking of uniforms, I think we should get officers to sit on May, to make sure she’s safe, and just in case it’s the shooter’s motive in all this, get a tap on her cell phone and home line should there be a ransom demand.” She hadn’t even had a chance to talk with Trent about this theory.
“You think all this was for money?”
Amanda peeked around the corner to all the activity in the diner’s parking lot. It showed no signs of slowing down. “Business is good. It’s better we’re prepared than not. From just looking at the diner, the people who took Katherine might believe May can pay up.”
“I’ll get an officer to escort May home and get the rest taken care of too.”
“Thank you.” The call ended with the promise to keep each other apprised of any new findings. Amanda tightened her grip on her phone, a realization sinking in. If Katherine kept mostly to herself because she feared she’d put people in danger, that meant May might not be safe.
Amanda returned to the diner, and Trent was holding May’s purse out to her, the strap hooked over one of his fingers.
“I never go into a lady’s purse, if it can be helped,” he said.
May glanced at Amanda and smiled. Back to Trent, she said, “Aren’t you something special?”
A touch of color splashed Trent’s cheeks, and he handed off her purse. May rummaged through it and came out with a key ring. She worked one off the loop and gave it to Trent. “This is for her front door. You’ll also need to disarm her security system. The passcode is Ninja.”
Amanda was curious of the reason behind “Ninja.” Was it a pet name? But she let the thought go as there were more pressing matters. She sat down again. “I haven’t spoken with Trent about this yet, but one possibility is Katherine’s abductor may be interested in money.”
“You mean like a ransom?”
“Exactly like that.” Amanda sensed Trent’s inquiring gaze on her, but she’d explain herself in the car and why she’d gone ahead of him in this regard. “An officer is on their way to escort you home and stay with you.”
“Do you think I’m in danger?”
“I never said that, but it’s better to err on the side of caution. Other officers will be coming to your house to set up a tap on your phone line, and they will stand by in case a ransom demand does come in.”
“I have money, but I’m not what you’d call rolling in it.”
Amanda didn’t want to point out the obvious success of the diner as that might make May feel worse somehow. “We’re just being proactive. It might not happen. Trent and I need to leave now, but is there anyone you would like me to call for you? Hannah or a friend who could come be with you?”
“Hannah’s in Mexico. My girl never takes a holiday and the one time she does, something like this happens. I’ll let her know what’s happened, but I’ll call Dee to come over.”
If Amanda was Hannah, she’d want to know about her cousin. She’d likely catch an immediate flight home to be with her mother too. But at least May wasn’t without friends in town. “That’s a good idea.” Deena Roberts was May’s closest and longest friend and fellow member of her book club. Amanda gave May a hug and offered words of encouragement.
