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“Yeah? What rituals?”
“You know, like putting hairs over the door handles, and the drawer and closet handles. That’s how she knew you’d been through her underwear drawer, dude!”
“But I wasn’t,” I said. “Not ever. Didn’t touch them. No reason to lie.”
Joanna was silent for a moment, struck by that. “Um…so who did, then?”
“Good question. Put Shelby back on,” I directed.
“Yo, boss. Shelby here.”
“Go back to Kat’s house. Go into her closet and open the soles of her shoes. Look for trackers.” I waited while Shelby jogged across the street and into Kat’s place, breathing heavily into the phone. After a couple of minutes, I heard a hiss of dismay.
“Fuck me,” he said. “Both pairs, the boots and the running shoes. They must have gotten her address and dusted her place that first day. Bastards are efficient, I’ll give ‘em that.”
“Is Joanna still there with you?”
“Yeah, actually.” Shelby sounded aggrieved. “She followed me back into the house, even though I did not invite her to.”
“Put me on speaker with her,” I said.
“Done, boss.”
“Joanna, did you see what he found?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Joanna’s voice was small. “Jeez. So…this is like, the real deal?”
“Oh, yes,” I said forcefully. “My enemies, those guys who attacked us three days ago, have a tracker planted on Kat. She has no idea, and she’s all alone. So, if you know anything about where she might have gone, please tell us.”
“I wish I did know!” Joanna sniffed loudly. “I took her to the bus station, is all. She wouldn’t tell me where she was going. I don’t think she knew herself.”
Shit. “Go home,” I said. “Don’t get near Kat’s place until we’ve cleaned up this mess. You don’t want those bastards to take notice of you, understand? Kat wouldn’t want that either. Shelby, go to the bus station with Trey, see what you can find.”
“On it, boss.”
I called Mick, who picked up on the first ring. “Yeah?”
I explained the situation, and Mick whistled under his breath. “Fuck,” he murmured. “Ethan, I’m sorry. But you really can’t protect someone who doesn’t want to be protected. Maybe you should just let her—”
“Do you want to help me, or do you want to go job hunting?”
“Chill,” Mick soothed. “I’ll help. Did you give her that smartphone you took this morning?”
“Why?” I sat up straighter, electrified. “Is there a tracker in it?”
“Of course, there’s a fucking tracker in it. Who do you think you’re dealing with? I’m old school, man. Spy first, apologize later.”
“It’s in her purse. I forgot to tell her about it. Can you locate her with it?”
“Sure. Sending the data now. Watch it on your phone, or put it up on the car’s screen. Where are Shelby and Trey?”
“I sent them to the bus station,” I said.
“Where are you right now?”
“Heading east on 90, from Bellevue,” I told him.
“Looks like she’s moving south on I-5 toward Tacoma,” Mick said.
