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15
Grant stood by his truck while waiting on Tati, who was using the ladies’ room at a rest stop just north of Fayetteville.
It was late and pitch-dark, except for the lights illuminating the parking lot. Thankfully, the weather was cooperating, but he was tired from making the same drive he’d made within the same week. To and from.
His phone began to ring, he answered with, “Chief Mason.”
“Jesus, you don’t have me saved on your phone?”
Lucas.
“I didn’t check who was calling. Assumed it was my deputy asking where to find a file on the shared drive, or if he should press charges against Wyatt Olsen.” A particular teenage pain in the ass with an artistic penchant for bringing together spray paint and public property.
Lucas replied, “The kid’s a menace. And gifted. I called to let you know I have the diary, but the thumb drive isn’t taped to the back. Looks like it was at one time, but it’s been removed.”
Grant stared at a frazzled mother who was trying to reason with a bawling three-year-old who wouldn’t relinquish his hold on a popsicle, most of which was on his shirt rather than making it into his mouth.
They both looked exhausted from what must’ve been a long trip considering the late hour.
He turned his back to the ruckus, thinking as he shoved his hand under his armpit. “Why would Marshall remove it from the diary?”
Lucas responded, “Assuming it was Marshall, maybe he knew the hiding place had been compromised?”
The three-year-old was now playing dodge ball, him the ball, running from the bone-weary mother and into a grassy area where Grant had seen a Great Dane take a monster shit when they pulled into the parking space.
Lucas asked, “Was Tati able to come up with someone in law enforcement who isn’t on the Shepherd tit?”
“She was hoping we’d find the thumb drive and she wouldn’t have to. Apparently, she rubbed a lot of her colleagues the wrong way while at the Bureau and has even more skepticism with the local PD.”
Grant watched as Tati emerged from the restrooms and his blood began to run hot. The woman was insatiable. For food and sex. He was happy to keep her heavily supplied in the former to ensure he accommodated the latter.
He was a gentleman like that.
“You’re still coming?” Lucas asked.
“On my way. Just made it past Fayetteville.”
“Call when you get here.”
He pressed End.
“Hey.” She made her way to the passenger door. “Ready?”
Grant hopped in the driver’s seat and threw his phone on the dash. “Just talked to Lucas. The thumb drive’s not in the diary. Says it’s been removed.”
“What do you mean, removed?”
“It looked to have been taped to the back, but the tape has been compromised, whatever was behind it, removed.”
“Did he think to pull back the tape? See if there was, I dunno, something behind it? A clue maybe?”
Grant handed his phone to her. “Call him and ask.”
A few minutes later, she had Lucas on the phone, asking him to check the diary for any hidden clues. A moment later, she got off the phone and turned to the passenger window.
“Nothing.”
They drove down the highway in silence.
