Page 90 of Tough Justice

Tori’s charm bracelet.

He picked it up, letting the delicate piece of jewelry dangle from his fingers. She had been there. He shielded his eyes from the overhead lighting then turned slowly in a three-sixty, searching the entire parking lot and its surroundings.

His phone buzzed with an email from Sammie. Attached were most of the lookups he’d asked for. Deck opened the first file, confirming his suspicion. Damon Sanchez spent two years and three months in FCI Sheridan. No arrests since getting released fifteen months ago.

Next, he opened up the file on Shibowsky. Negative criminal history. Two Ferraris registered in his name, one blue, one black, as he’d indicated. Shibowsky lived in a pricey section of Denver, and sure enough, one of his neighbors was Charles Batista, father to nineteen-year-old Leslie.

Dexter and Landry’s records were also clean. Landry’s brother, however, had a number of drug arrests a few years back but nothing recent. Deck still planned on interviewing Dexter and Landry. That left Barnett.

He opened up the next few files. Barnett had no criminal history, not even a parking ticket. Barnett lived in Lakewood, not far from the hospital and on a direct route to Tori’s house in Morrison. He scrolled to the DMV lookup Sammie had run. The doctor had one vehicle registered in his name. A blue Nissan. Just like the one parked beside what he suspected was Tori’s vacated space.

Deck tried all the doors of the Nissan, not really expecting them to be open. Again, he let Thor sniff Tori’s sweater then led him around the car. His dog didn’t hit on the Nissan. He shined his flashlight through all the windows, searching for something that might tell him where Tori was. The interior was empty.

Two SUVs rolled into the lot and parked. Brett and Evan joined him by the trunk of the Nissan.

“What do you need?” Brett asked without preamble. His friends knew him well enough to understand that he didn’t send out emergency texts near midnight without a good reason.

“Tori’s missing.” Thinking it had been one thing. Saying it out loud sent a shot of fear through his chest. “And oh yeah, someone who works at North Metro may be the Big D.”

“You’re kidding,” Evan said in a disgusted voice.

“I wish I was. Stand by.” He cued up Sammie’s number, tapping his foot as he waited for her to pick up.

“Deck,” Sammie answered. “I’m still working on the rest of Barnett’s history. I should have it in—”

“I need you to put out two BOLOs,” he interrupted. “One on Victoria Sampson and one on the red Subaru registered in her name.”

“You got it.” Deck heard Sammie’s fingers flying across her keyboard. “You need any backup?”

“Not yet.” He looked at Brett and Evan. For now, he had all the backup he needed. “One more thing. Get me a phone number for Craig Sampson in Westminster. I’ll wait.”

Seconds ticked by, and Deck could feel his pulse kicking up. If this was a kidnapping, something he couldn’t confirm, every minute was critical. Sensing his agitation, Thor leaned his body against Deck’s leg and whined.

“Here you go.”

As Sammie recited the number, Deck entered it directly into his phone, creating a contact. “Thanks, Sammie.” He tapped the number. “Craig,” he said when the man picked up. “This is Adam Decker, Tori’s friend. I—”

“I remember you. How could I forget?” Craig’s voice held a grim note of humor. “What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for Tori. Is she there?” He held his breath, hoping he was wrong about this and praying for a miracle.

“No. She was here but left around three thirty. Should I be worried?”

Yes. “Is there any chance she’s at her sister’s?”

“I doubt it. She was going straight to work. I don’t think she’d go to Margo’s this late at night.”

“Can you call her right now and find out? It’s important.”

A beat of silence then, “Hold on.”

Deck clamped his teeth. Every second he waited was torture.

Craig came back on the line. “She’s not there. What’s going on?”

What to tell him when he wasn’t even 100 percent certain? The truth. “She left the hospital mid-shift and no one’s seen her. Could be nothing.” Or she could be in deep trouble, as he suspected she was. “I’ve put out alerts with the police just to be sure. If I hear anything, I’ll call you. Do the same and call me back at this number. If she contacts you or Margo, tell her to reach out to me immediately. I don’t care what time it is.”

“I will,” Craig said in a concerned voice.