“Anything?” I asked.
“Nothing obvious. You?”
I ran my hands along the seat rails, then moved to check the door panels. “Not yet.”
Once I finished with the panels, I pulled the trunk release, got out of the car, and walked to the trunk.
Thomas joined me. “Nothing inside cabin.”
“Maybe we’ll find something in here,” I said as I began to check the sides of the trunk.
I slid my hands along the edges of the trunk, feeling for any hidden compartments or loose panels. The carpet was slightly raised in one corner.
“Jason,” Thomas said quietly, his voice edged with warning. He tilted his head toward the front of the yard.
I paused, listening.
Rocky’s voice drifted across the lot. “Like I said, it’s still back there. I got a business to run, man.”
Then came another voice—low, controlled, unmistakable.
Kane.
“I’ve got it from here,” Kane cut in, calm but clipped. “Appreciate it, Rocky. Go on.”
A beat of silence.
“Yeah, all right.” Rocky’s footsteps crunched away.
Thomas met my eyes. We were thinking the same thing. The timing of Kane showing up was interesting.
I yanked the carpet aside, revealing a shallow compartment tucked beneath the liner. My fingers closed around a phone. I held the power button. Nothing.
Thomas stepped closer, his footsteps crunching on scattered glass and metal shavings. “Dead?”
“Yeah.” I tried again, but the screen stayed black.
Footsteps approached, slow and steady. Kane.
I straightened, sticking the phone in my pant pocket, and turned just as he rounded the corner.
His gaze landed on the open trunk, then back to me. “Didn’t expect to see you two here.”
“Could say the same,” I replied. “Seems like we had the same idea.”
Kane’s eyes flicked toward the trunk. “You find anything?”
“Nope,” Thomas said.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Kane’s jaw flexed.
“Maybe not, but we were curious about the car.”
He looked past us, like weighing whether it was worth the argument. Then back at me. “Look, I told you I was working on some things and that I’d get back to you when I knew more. Stay away from this, Jason.”
“Why? Because we might find something before you do?”
“No, because you could get Colter looking in this direction and cause me problems.”
