He shook his head. “Only an open door.”
“Should we call the police?”
“It can’t hurt.”
She made the call and gave the address, explaining the open door and missed appointment. The dispatcher promised to send someone out.
When Andi ended the call, she observed the space again and frowned. “I know this sounds unlikely, but I think this is all connected.”
Duke turned to her. “What do you mean?”
She met his gaze, something troubled and resolute in her eyes. “What if Kate was taken also? Not at random. What if she was targeted because of me—because ofus?”
Duke didn’t dismiss the idea. He didn’t reassure Andi with empty words.
Instead, he chose honesty—because Andi very well could be onto something. “Unfortunately, you might be correct.”
CHAPTER
FORTY-ONE
I likedLA in the morning.
It was bright and loud and too busy for anyone to notice a man standing still with a paper cup of coffee warming his hands.
Sunglasses hid my eyes. The city reflected itself back at me in glass and chrome, and no one looked twice.
I’d gotten a head start yesterday.
Planning mattered.
Members of the Arctic Circle Murder Club were always so reactive—always chasing what had already happened.
I preferred being where the story bent forward, not backward.
For a moment, I thought of Gina.
She was probably still okay.
The cabin would hold her in one place.
After all, coffins didn’t have to be underground to do their job.
This whole thing had started much simpler. Grab the chosen victim, play with their minds for a while, then let them go.
But it had turned into so much more. I’d found myself enjoying the process entirely more than I ever anticipated.
I took a slow sip of coffee and turned, blending into the foot traffic without effort.
Kate had been easier than I thought.
She’d believed she was in control right up until the moment she wasn’t—right up until the rules shifted and she realized she’d been playing long before she knew there was a game.
I hadn’t rushed her abduction. I never rushed it. I let her think. Let her doubt herself. Let her argue internally about whether her fear was justified.
Seeing the fear was always my favorite part.
Now, Kate was tucked away. Safe enough. Confused enough.
