“Correct. We take the next path that leads us toward the mall. I’ll tell you the next direction after that.”
“You lead. I’ll follow. But didn’t you tell me you weren’t at all familiar with London?”
“I’m not. I told you the truth. But I learn what I have to learn. I had a twenty-four-hour stopover here when Lynch and I were on our way to Spain last year. Lynch had to attend to one of his usual emergency contacts and he took the opportunity to show me a few things that might come in handy for me here in London. He said that you can never tell when you might need a safe and discreet place to hang your hat.” She grimaced. “He decided to share his home away from home with me while we were here since he had to attend to business for the Justice Department anyway.”
Jessie chuckled. “First he decided to share his wizardry with cards, and then he gave you a safe house to keep you secure while you enjoy your games of chance? You can’t say Lynch doesn’t have unusual tastes in gifts.”
“He gives what his own life experience tells him has themost value,” Kendra said soberly. “And I’ve found him to be right most of the time. I admit I had my doubts about my need for a safe house in London, but here we are.”
“What do you expect to find?” Jessie asked quietly. “I doubt if Lynch is hiding out there. If he’s here in London, he’ll be out scouring the city looking for you by now. If he sent a message to Olivia that he knew might bring you to him, he wouldn’t just wait for you to show up.” She paused. “Or are you hoping you’ll get lucky and he’ll actually be there?”
“Of course I am.” Kendra’s lips twisted. “But he’s smart, and he wouldn’t be that simplistic. He’d wait and find another way to make contact. Still, I hope he’s left me some clue to follow.” She shook her head. “But who the hell knows. Things are starting to get crazy and we just got here yesterday. We’ll just have to see what we find and then run with it.” She was leading Jessie down the hill toward an enclosure that disappeared into a brick wall adjoining one of the mall warehouses. “We’re almost there. This warehouse connects to a two-story furniture shop right around the corner. It’s not very big but it has a couple of bedrooms and a decent kitchen. There are two street exits if necessary.” She pressed the lock combination and swung open the door. “Come in and help me look around.” She lit the flashlight on her phone. “No lights except the ones on your phone. I’m fairly sure this place is safe, but I don’t want to take any chances. We’ll do a quick look around and then take off again.”
Jessie was playing the beam of light of her phone around the flat. “Not a bad place,” she said. “More cozy than grand. It doesn’t compare to Lynch’s safe house in San Diego. Tell him the next time you see him that I’m not impressed.”
“He’ll be devastated,” Kendra said caustically. She movedtoward the desk against the wall and started to go through the drawers. Nothing of interest. A few pens . . . She checked the next drawer and found the same nondescript contents. No documents or cards . . .
“I found something!” Jessie called from the bathroom across the flat. “It’s kind of interesting.” She came out of the bathroom carrying a hairbrush to Kendra. “Provided you know a dark-haired woman named Stevie.” She paused as she played the beam of her flashlight over the brush’s surface to reveal several long silky black hairs caught in the teeth. “Or if you’re aware how well Lynch knows her.” She added hesitantly, “It seems that you weren’t the only woman Lynch brought here.”
Kendra stared in shock at the teakwood hairbrush. “No, I don’t know anything about that brush or the woman who used it. Lynch never mentioned her or any other woman he brought here.” She reached out and tentatively touched the brush. “How do you know her name is Stevie?”
Jessie flipped the brush over to reveal the gold-embossedSTEVIEthat was exquisitely wrought at the upper corner. “It’s beautiful workmanship. Someone took a lot of time and care to please her with this. It’s odd that Lynch wouldn’t mention it to you.”
Kendra drew a deep breath. Jessie was trying to be very tactful, but she could sense a thread of indignation in her tone. She was clearly afraid Kendra would be hurt. Oh, yes, the pain was definitely there, but she had no right to expect anything of Lynch. Their relationship was deep, but it was her choice not to let it interfere with their separate careers—and that would certainly include his desire to have another woman in his life if he chose. There was no reason for her to feel this sense of betrayal.
Except that she did.
“Kendra?”
She shook her head at Jessie. “It’s not odd at all. Lynch has a right to see whomever he wishes. The only thing that makes me uneasy is that we have to be sure whoever he brought here has nothing to do with his disappearance. There was a reason why he contacted me, and I have to assume it still exists. And for all we know, this woman may also have something to do with it.” She turned and headed for the bathroom. “We’ll take the bathroom apart and see if we can find anything more and then examine the other rooms. Okay?”
Jessie made a face. “No. I’m not feeling particularly generous at the moment. I want to hit someone. But you’ve already made your wishes known, so I’ll go along with whatever you say. I just hope we don’t have any more surprises.”
“No, this one was enough to contend with,” Kendra said ruefully. “Let’s get the search done and get out of here. Then I’ll call Herbert and have him take us to that little hotel in the country he was talking about while I contact the only other person who might be able to give me information about Lynch.” She was starting to go through the desk drawers again. “But I’ll also have to get in touch with Metcalf again and see if he can suggest anyone here to help me.”
“Why do you need Metcalf?”
“Because Griffin trusts him, and if I ask him to put me in touch with that Justice agent who was handling Lynch, he’ll probably do it. If only to put him in a position where he can find out any information I might have. I need all the help I can get. It seems as if we’re running into one dead end after another.”
“That’s true enough. So it’s Metcalf again?” Jessie wasalready tearing through the closets, examining every item. “I suppose it’s good that at least you have someone you can count on.”
“I can count on Lynch,” Kendra said quickly. “No one I’d trust more. You just don’t understand our relationship.”
“I only hope you do,” Jessie said. “I’m just an old-fashioned girl who believes in the simple things like trust and the ability to know that tomorrow isn’t too difficult to imagine in a relationship.”
“Yet I don’t see you rushing out to indulge that idealism. That’s never been your lifestyle, Jessie,” Kendra said. “So don’t preach to me.”
“I won’t.” Jessie shook her head. “You’re right. Do as I say, not as I do.” She added, “I think I was feeling a little defensive of you.” She gazed down at the brush she still held in her hand. “But we’ll take this with us anyway. I want to give it to Lynch when I see him.” She raised her brows. “If you don’t mind?”
“You do know it’s none of your business?”
She nodded. “I admit I’m pissed off with him. I actually like Lynch. But you’re my friend, so it kind of feels like my business.”
Kendra hesitated and then shrugged. “Lynch can take care of himself. Do whatever you like. But I’ve told you how I feel. Don’t expect me to support your attitude.”
“Deal.” Jessie tucked the brush into her handbag and returned to searching the closet. “And maybe by the time we run into him, I won’t feel so irritated with him . . .”
Kendra realized that wasn’t likely. Jessie was not only opinionated but very loyal where her friends were concerned. But why was Kendra bothered by the thought? As she’d told Jessie, Lynch was able to handle his own affairs; her only duty was tokeep him safe, as an old friend should. It shouldn’t matter who this Stevie was or what she was to Lynch. She just had to make certain that there was no other clue here that might lead her to Lynch, and then touch base with that Justice agent.
