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The abrupt stop concerned her. “What? What is it?” Her friend fixated on the phone screen. “Mila?”
“He wants to meet,” she said. “He wants to meet today. Now.”
“Who?”
“Bryan,” Mila said, turning the phone around. “We have to go.”
Yes, they did, but when Mila grabbed her hand to pull her down the street, she held back.
“Maybe we should tell the cops… even unofficially. If they want to talk to him—”
“They talked to him before. That means they must know how to get in touch with him if they have to. They don’t need to talk to him, we do. We can’t waste this chance.”
They merged into the crowd crossing at the green. “Let me call Jagg…”
She couldn’t remember his number being in her phone, but the shop had to be in the book. Ford was an option too. Though too many new faces might spook her friend, never mind the guy who could be wrapped up in the plot.
“We don’t have time. He’s there now.”
“Where?”
“A coffee place Steph loved. That’s a good sign, right? A sign he’s still thinking of her.”
Or that he got some sick kick out of putting his victim’s friends through the pain of enduring constant reminders of their lost loved one.
“Mila, we have to be careful,” she said, tugging her friend to a stop. “Let’s think about this. Just for a second.”
“He’s there,” Mila said with a predictable impatience. “We have to go. We have to get there before he leaves.”
“If he wants to talk to us, he’ll wait. How far away is this place?”
“Less than two blocks. Five minutes and we’ll—”
“How did he know we were here? That you were so close?” Glancing around, suddenly, nothing felt safe. “Does anyone know where you are? Your family? Friends?”
Mila exhaled annoyance. “We have played this your way so far. Have I complained? Have I argued with you? I trusted you.”
“I know and I appreciate that—”
“I want you to be there with me because you know about this stuff. You have a knack for it, I guess, for putting people at ease. This is important. Steph is important.”
“Yes, she is, but she wouldn’t want you hurt.”
“We don’t know if Bryan is involved in what happened to her. Maybe he’s just a guy. A heartbroken guy. We won’t know unless we go there, unless we talk to him.”
“Okay, we just have to be careful.”
“Careful. Right,” Mila said, guiding her over to the crosswalk. “But we have to be quick.”
Did they? A heartbroken guy wouldn’t decide to meet and then back out less than twenty minutes later.
Her awareness stayed keen as they walked the next block. When her phone rang, she slowed.
“Wait a second,” she said, stopping when she read her boss’s name. “I have to take this.”
“It’s right there,” Mila said, pointing across to the midpoint of the opposite sidewalk. “We can just…”
She answered. “Steeple?”
