“How can you locate a phone that’s been turned off or has no reception?”
“All phones have a silicon chip, which is made from quartz crystals. Bits of silver and gold are also used in the phones. There’s a charge to them, a frequency that’s always there. These are elements from nature, so they’re never truly ‘off.’” Milo smirked. “With the right codes, any phone can be activated long enough for its location to be traced.”
“Are you serious?” My eyes flicked to Camila, Harry, and Emilio, who shrugged. I couldn’t believe this. “You help me get her back, and you’ll have a job, kid.”
He looked up at his grandmother and grinned. “Grandma, I could pay for all your medical expenses.”
“No, you save it for your future.” Tears filled Camila’s eyes.
I didn’t know how old he was, but I’d create a position for him. With all the advanced technology emerging every day, my corporation could use someone like him to protect my assets and those I love.
“It’s going to take me some time to work on the right codes.”
My stomach growled, but I dismissed it.
“You need energy to keep going.” Harry pointed at my head. “The brain needs food too.”
“I’ll order a pizza,” Milo said. “There’s a place down the street that’s open until two in the morning. The college students love going there.”
Harry was right. I had to take care of myself so I could find Eva. Though she’d been gone for hours, it seemed a lot longer. The seconds stretched on and on, with worry and fear making them seem even longer.
“Thank you.” I reached into my wallet, offering Emilio my credit card.
He snorted. “I can feed you.”
“Do I need to call the police to report her missing?” Harry asked me.
“No, Godfrey sent the video of the kidnapping to Detective McNally. He should call me soon.”
“Okay.” Harry nodded. “Let me know if he needs to talk to me.”
“I will.”
As though Detective McNally sensed someone talking about him, my phone rang with his name.
I walked over to the living room, picking up the phone. “Hi, George.” I hadn’t addressed him by his personal name in a long time. “Do you have any new leads?”
“Not yet. Do you know if she has any enemies? Did anyone make threats against her?”
“I think it’s Hawthorne,” I said.
Detective McNally knew about my past with the Black Rose Killer.
“You think he’s alive?”
“I know he is.”
“Fuck, Kain,” he huffed. “When were you gonna tell me this?”
Despite knowing the truth, I didn’t want to drag Harry or Emilio into this mess. What if Detective McNally wanted to question them for their knowledge? He was a detective, and there were rules he needed to follow no matter how friendly he was to me.
But I knew sometimes regulations hindered rather than helped.
“It’s a gut feeling, George. You need proof, but I don’t have that. The recent murders have his MO all over them. Yes, somedetails are different, but I think he’s the mastermind behind everything. He’s got a network of people committing crimes for him.”
Several scenarios of what Eva could experience surfaced in my mind. What if they forced her to extract or package organs? I knew she was still struggling with that phobia. Fear coiled in my stomach, which soon twisted into vengeance. I thought I’d shoved that down for later when I had time for myself. But the anger and the desire to hurt those men who put their hands on her rushed through me like magma, hot and deadly.
Eva was innocent. She had nothing to do with Hawthorne. Still, I had failed to protect her. Guilt gnawed at me. What kind of man was I if I couldn’t protect the woman I loved?
