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Her relief turned to instant fear for Hale’s safety as Charlie scrolled to her most recent call, then began composing a message on her keyboard. He looked up when he was finished. “You texted him that you’re at Bankruptcy Bluff. You want him. Let’s bring him here!”

Hale was pacing the kitchen floor, with Victoria standing by, looking unhappy. “You told Savvy that you found a gun in Kristina’s dress bag, and she said she would be right over,” he reiterated.

“I’ve told you and told you. Yes. That’s what happened.”

“You didn’t call me. You called Savannah.”

“I’m sorry! It scared me.”

Hale didn’t completely believe her, but he didn’t have time to dig deeper into Victoria’s strange choices. When Savannah had called him earlier, he’d been certain she was in her car. He hadn’t known where she was headed, but now knew she was supposed to come here. What happened to her? God, he wished he’d talked to her when she’d called. She was probably going to tell him about the gun. Since then, he’d phoned her cell over and over again, but she hadn’t answered even once.

His fear was rising with each passing minute. Was this Charlie’s work? He decided he would call the TCSD. If the reason she hadn’t phoned back was something easily explained, like maybe there was some problem with her phone, so be it.

He was reaching for the phone he was recharging on the kitchen counter when it blooped, alerting him that he had a text. He snatched it up and saw in relief that the text was from Savannah.

At the bluff. Hurry.

Immediately he texted back: Where’s Charlie? Did u see him?

Followed him here.

“Goddamnit,” Hale muttered, half out of relief, half out of fear.

Quickly, he texted back: Wait for me. Don’t do anything.

“Jesus.” He stuffed the phone in his pocket and ran for the door.

“What did she say?” Victoria asked, staring after him with wide, scared eyes.

“She’s okay. I know where she is. Just stay with Declan. I’ll be back soon.”

Charlie waved the cell phone at Savannah and chuckled. “Lover boy’s coming to save his lady fair. How does it feel to steal your sister’s husband? That your thing?”

Savannah quaked all over. The small smile that curved Charlie’s hard lips was evil in its intent.

Hale, please don’t come. Call Lang. Don’t come on your own.

Hale backed the TrailBlazer out of the garage, his brain churning. Something wrong there. Why had she decided to go to Bancroft Bluff instead of the house? Some new clue that had turned her back to the scene of the Donatellas’ murders?

He’d gone straight back rather than run into Victoria’s Toyota, which was parked in the turnaround. Now he stood on the brakes, thinking. He threw the car into park, and jumped out, running forward to the stretch of concrete driveway near the garage, seeing something on the ground.

Blood. A spray of it.

Whose? Savannah’s?

Hale jumped back in his SUV. Deception Bay and Bancroft Bluff were twenty minutes away without traffic.

He grabbed his phone and put in a call to the TCSD. “This is Hale St. Cloud,” he bit out when a female operator answered for the station. “I need to speak to Langdon Stone or Detective Clausen.” He couldn’t remember Clausen’s first name.

“If this is an emergency, call nine-one-one,” the voice responded.

“I need to speak to one of the detectives,” he said, wondering if maybe he should call 9-1-1.

But a few moments later a male voice said, “Mr. St. Cloud, this is Detective Clausen. How can I help you?”

“Just got a text from Savannah. She asked me to come to Bancroft Bluff. I’m on my way, but as I left my house, I saw some blood on the concrete driveway. Savannah was supposed to be at my house, but she didn’t show. . . .”

“You think something happened to her?” Clausen asked quickly.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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