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“No,” Swede responded. “They dusted the car for prints. Nothing definitive has been reported about his killer. No matches yet on any fingerprints other than the victim’s.”
“Whoever shot him through the windshield wouldn’t have left fingerprints,” Dev said. “And, unless Ms. O’Neil has been arrested at some point in her life, her prints won’t show up on any database.”
Kiana frowned. “If she was taken from the vehicle, whoever took her might have left their prints on the door handle.”
“In which case,” Swede continued, “they might not have had fingerprints stored in the databases.”
Dev tapped a finger on the table. “Or they wore gloves.”
“That’s assuming Ms. O’Neil was taken from the vehicle,” Swede said. “What if she got out on her own?”
Kiana shook her head from side to side. “Or maybe she never was in the vehicle. If she continued treating the escort service as we promised each other we would, she never would’ve gotten into the car with the stranger. She’d have met him either in the lobby of the event or out front, in a well-lit area.”
Dev shook his head. “Any security camera footage from nearby businesses?”
“There was only one camera at the back of the hotel,” Swede said.
Dev held his breath, waiting for Swede to fill him in on what he’d found.
“Non-operational,” Swede stated. “The folks performing the investigation have yet to find a match on the fingerprints database.”
Kiana shook her head, glancing around the dining room as if looking for answers and finding none. “Why kill the client? If someone wanted Meredith, why bother killing the man?”
Dev’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps the killer showed up at the event in his place, claiming to be Hugh Thompson.”
“Sweet Jesus,” Kiana whispered. “She wouldn’t have known it wasn’t him. If the guy who took his place showed up at the event, claiming he was Hugh, Meredith would only have had a photo provided by the service. Those photos aren’t always the best quality. If the guy who showed up looked even slightly like the photo, claiming he was Hugh, she probably would’ve accepted it as true.”
“If she went with the imposter Hugh, who is still looking for her?” Dev asked.
“Which leads me to believe she might have figured out he wasn’t her client, and she got away before he could kidnap her.” Swede tipped his head to the side. “But why not go directly to the police and let them know she was kidnapped or being stalked?”
Kiana sat back in her seat. “At this point, we don’t know anything other than the man she was supposed to meet is dead. We don’t know if Meredith was taken or if she left on her own.” She sighed. “We need more information.”
Dev glanced at his watch. “The bar should be opening in the next ten minutes. Let’s find Meredith’s boyfriend. Maybe he has a clue as to her whereabouts.”
“I’ll keep searching the internet for any data about the client and the escort service,” Swede said.
“What about the modeling agency?” Dev asked.
“I looked, but there’s not a lot on the agency or her agent,” he said. “I’ll keep digging.”
As soon as Dev ended the call, his cell phone chirped.
He glanced at the screen, and a smile curled the corners of his lips. He answered, “Hey, asshole. Let me guess, you’re bored and want in on the action.”
George Ingram chuckled. “I have to admit, I’m ready for my first assignment as a Brotherhood Protector. What’s this I hear about you being on Oahu with your first assignment? Why didn’t they give it to one of the guys already here?”
“Because you’re a bunch of dirtbags, and only the best could handle this.” Dev winked across at a frowning Kiana. “Seriously, my client was on Maui when I got the assignment.”
Again, George chuckled. “I know. Hawk gave us the heads-up to be ready in case you needed backup.”
“Thanks.” Dev’s chest swelled. He knew he could count on his team for support. The guys he’d come to Hawaii with had worked together and knew each other. Dev had served with some of them on active duty. He’d come to know the others while working as contracted security in Afghanistan. Mercenaries, as Kiana had called them. They’d all come from special operations backgrounds. They knew the importance of trusting your team to have your six.
It was also nice knowing Hawk was a step ahead, alerting the team members who’d landed on Oahu for their island familiarization time.
Dev could count on George, a former Marine Force Recon. He was a complete badass who’d charge into an enemy-held position without fear, shooting from both hips. Rex Johnson and Logan Atkins, both former Delta Force, were no less impressive. They’d come to the party in a heartbeat if he got into a tight place, which could happen based on the attacks on Hugh, Tish and Cliff.
“Let us know if we can be of any assistance in your search for the missing woman,” George said.
