“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Jersey.”
“Why there?”
“I like going there to shoot, and Chris said he wanted to practice and breathe air.”
“He wanted to go shooting withyou?”
“I shoot well.”
“What’s the name of the place?”
“Tenafly Rifle and Pistol Club.”
He said the name a littletoofast, as if he had rehearsed it. “What happened then?”
“We parked in the parking lot behind the place. Before we got inside, someone hit me in the back of the head. I fell and noticed he was wearing a mask. Before I could get to my gun, he kicked my face, and I passed out. When I woke up, Chris was gone. They must have hit my car with theirs when they drove off because there was damage.”
“They?”
“Before I passed out, I noticed another person wearing a mask who stood close by. He was shorter than the first guy and fat.”
That description fit the two brothers, but Dimahadseen their photos.
“Did anyone else see what happened?”
Dima shook his head. “There was no one else there.”
Yet, somehow, two people had managed to sneak into the parking lot, overpower Dima, and then snatch Chris.
Jay’s vision filled with red, his heart thumping.Think, don’t act.He could have easily taken down Dima and beaten the truth out of him, but if he failed or was stopped by Oscar, he’d lose his only link to Chris’s whereabouts. For now, he needed Dima in one piece.
He cleared his throat, composed on the surface. “Do we know anything else that might help us find Chris?”
“Mickey knows the address of the Mitchells’ house,” Oscar said. “It seems that the two brothers still live there. You should ask him for the address, then drive over there to check.” He narrowed his eyes in anger. “Those rotten animals. You should have seen what they did to my car! And to Dima, of course. I have other cars, obviously, but it’s the principle!”
Oh, Jay was going to look at that car all right. If there was one thing he knew, it was busted cars. He also had no doubt that searching the Mitchells’ house would be pointless. The brothers would never do something soobvious, not when they were working on their alibi in sunny Florida.
“What about the tracking app on Chris’s phone?” Oscar asked.
“It shows he’s in Pennsylvania, but I don’t buy it. First thing they’d do would be to get rid of his phone. If it’s still working, they’re using it to confuse us. I’ll keep an eye on it, though.”
“Okay. Dima, go rest in one of the rooms. You’ve earned a few days off.”
“Thank you.” Without looking at Jay, Dima got up and limped outside.
“He’s fucking lying,”Jay hissed the moment he was alone with Oscar.
“I’m aware of that possibility, yes.” He got up and walked to the minibar, his purple suit giving Jay a headache. “What can I get you?”
“The man you promised to help me protect.” It took all he had not to shout.
Oscar huffed. “Don’t make me feel even worse than I already do. We’re on the same side.”
“Are we?”
