“You’re both impossible,” Catherine muttered, but she was smiling.
Garrett destroyed his phone after he called Kara Quinn. He liked her. She was direct. She didn’t break eye contact. She was pretty.
She wasn’t Becca. But Becca would have grown into a pretty, confident woman, just like Kara.
She didn’t have the opportunity to do so because Audrey had killed her.
Garrett no longer doubted that Audrey wasn’t even her name. He didn’t doubt that she killed Becca. When he realized she had lied to him for nearly eight years about something as simple as hername, he knew she could have lied to him about anything.
He’d always known she had money, but thought it was from her honey traps. He had no idea she was a trust fund baby, given everything on a silver platter. She’d never told him. She’d told himnothingabout herself, or she’d lied.
She had lied about everything.
They’d had fun, a good seven years, but through it all, she had kept secrets that could have made a difference in their lives.
If she could lie to him so easily and for so long, there was no way she respected him. She had never intended to protect him when things got too hot. Which meant she’d never planned to bring him along, give him a new identity, create a new life.
Not that he would have gone with her. Not after learning she had killed Becca.
His anger was a slow-burning ember. Audrey was fanning the flames with each lie he uncovered.
She was playing a very dangerous game.
41
Two hours later, Kara and the team were at the staging area near Clara’s family property on Kiawah Island, along with Detective Fuentes and local law enforcement. Dawn was just starting to creep over the ocean, promising a beautiful morning, though the humidity was quickly rising.
Catherine and Bianca Fuentes were talking to the people in charge outside the tactical van, and Michael stood with Matt and Kara. Bianca had informed them before they left Florida that Garrett had slipped his tail. It made Kara angry—she’d warned them to be on high alert—but either Garrett was that good, or the cops Bianca had assigned were that bad.
“You both promise that you’ll take direction from me,” Michael said. “Neither of you should be here—you’re tired, injured, dehydrated.”
“Anything you say, Michael,” Kara said.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Matt asked him.
Michael cracked a smile. “Sure am, boss.”
Catherine returned. “The officers all have a photo of Garrett Reid, so if he shows up he’ll be arrested.”
“What’s the status of the Coast Guard?” Michael asked.
“Standing by,” Catherine said. “If she manages to escape by boat, they will take the lead. The property has a dock and boathouse near where the Kiawah River merges with the Atlantic. They are stationed offshore, out of sight of the property but close enough to apprehend her in minutes.
“The local police confirmed through digital surveillance,” Catherine continued, “that a white van using a code at the guard gate assigned to the property drove onto the island at 8:30 p.m. last night and has not left.”
“She could have left by another vehicle,” Matt said.
“They have a dedicated team reviewing all security feeds looking for any lone female driver who left the island. However, they did a quick assessment of the property and have good reason to believe that someone is in the house. They can’t approach because of the security system. The property is owned by a trust and they reached out to the trustee to get the security codes, but we also have to take the risk that someone who manages the property will contact the house itself, which could alert Dolan to our presence. Still, getting the codes will make it much easier for everyone so we can approach without Clara being forewarned.”
“Do we know if there is anyone else in the house? A potential hostage?” Michael asked.
“Negative,” Catherine said. “The house is not listed on any short-term rental sites, and the sheriff knows the family who owns it. The Wilmingtons—Clara Dolan’s maternal grandparents. Everyone in their extended family has access to the property, including Clara, who is on the list maintained by the homeowners association. While the gate logs every code, there are other ways to access the property, so there’s no guarantee that someone else isn’t there.”
“So she could have a hostage,” Matt guessed. “She could have even picked up a stranger in the van.”
“Yes. The sheriff sent a deputy to talk to the closest neighbor, who lives on the island full-time. That neighbor will have more information about the comings and goings. We’re going to wait for answers before we proceed. And, hopefully, have information about the security system, so we can bypass it.”
More waiting, Kara thought. She normally didn’t mind waiting, but she was antsy. Clara Dolan had slipped through their net more than once. Kara couldn’t help but think she had a plan that would not only get more people killed, but would also allow her to escape. And if she escaped, it would take that much longer to track her down because of her financial resources.
