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“Yeah, but that’s going to take a lot more effort. They’re not going to fill us in like Darrel did. It could take ages.”
“It’s strange that they aren’t being brought here, isn’t it?” I said slowly. “It seems like an ongoing operation with cars getting stolen regularly—wouldn’t it make the most sense for them to set up an arrangement with the biggest chop shop in the area? Most of the smaller places wouldn’t be able to hold many vehicles or parts at a time.”
Slade popped one of the cinnamon candies he was hooked on into his mouth and clicked it against his teeth. “Maybe they aren’t stealing anything except those cars on campus. A small chop shop could handle two a month. Or maybe they aren’t all connected after all. Madelyn’s could have been separate. We didn’t ask him about the other three from before.”
That was true. I’d automatically assumed that if Darrel hadn’t handled Madelyn’s car, he hadn’t gotten any of them, but I shouldn’t have.
If her Malibu had been specially targeted for reasons that had nothing to do with a general thieving operation, then this could be far bigger than just a stolen car. A quiver of anticipation rippled through the air between us.
“This is all just speculation,” Logan said in his laying-down-the-law tone, starting the engine. “We follow the trail and see where it leads us. The one good thing about the smaller businesses is that they’d probably need longer to get around to breaking down a car. That gives us more time to find it before it’s in pieces. First thing tomorrow, we’ll start working through the suspects.”
I rubbed my hands together, unable to ignore a deeper thrill that shot through me, both uneasy and eager.
Most of our jobs were minor puzzles, fairly easy to connect the dots. This was shaping up to be a real challenge. I couldn’t wait to dive in… but I also had no idea what dark paths the case might lead us down.
