“Home.”
“That’ll work. Drive toward your house. I’ll call you if something changes. If I don’t call before you get home, it’s safe to go home.”
“Okay, I guess I’ll talk to you, or I won’t,” she said.
“You’ll talk to me,” I said and leaned down to kiss her.
“Be careful,” she said softly.
“I will,” I promised.
I’d been driving for two minutes when Irene called. “He left right after you and Presley did. I just watched him turn left out of the parking lot.”
“Thanks, Irene.” Left. Presley turned left.
I made sure traffic was clear before I whipped my truck around and hauled ass in the opposite direction. Then I called Phoenix.
“You keep driving toward Presley’s house,” he said. “Let me know when you catch up to Presley or Coleman.”
“I should be close. We left at the same time.”
“I want you to stay with the cop. Flint and Falcon are headed your way. We’re gonna follow this fucker and see what he’s up to.”
“Fuck,” I muttered when a familiar car came into view. “Might not need Flint and Falcon, Prez. Looks like Walter and Buck are following Detective Dickhead.”
“Of coursethey are,” Phoenix said. “Is Detective Dickhead following Presley?”
“I can’t see her yet, but this is the way to her house.”
“Okay, keep following Walter and Buck. Turn off when Flint meets up with you. He can follow for a little while and swap out with Falcon, and so on. I’ll have Walter and Buck follow Presley home.”
“Sounds good, Prez. One question. What do you want me to do after Flint gets here and I turn off?”
“Hang back for a few and then keep heading toward Presley’s house. We’ll have to play it by ear.”
When Flint pulled up behind me a few minutes later, I turned into a gas station and waited what felt like much longer than five minutes.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when Phoenix’s voice suddenly filled my ears. I’d forgotten he was still on the line. “Presley turned into her neighborhood. Detective Dickhead didn’t follow her, but Walter and Buck did. They’re going to keep her company until we know where Coleman is going.”
“Thanks, Prez. I’m getting back on the road now.”
I was approaching Presley’s neighborhood when Phoenix spoke again. “He turned into the high school.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Flint and Falcon are watching from The Fruit Stand across the street.”
I couldn’t get to the school fast enough. Ariel was there. My mother was there.
Mom.
“Prez, I’ll call you back,” I said and ended the call before he could respond, so I could call my mother.
“Is there something going on at the school today? Like a special speaker or some other reason for a detective to be there?” I asked as soon as she answered.
“Not that I’m aware of, but I don’t know what every teacher has planned each day,” she said. “Is something wrong?”
“I’m not sure. A detective has been bothering a friend and her daughter. He showed up at the diner where my friend was having lunch, left when she did, and now he’s at the school her daughter attends. It’s concerning.”
