“Martinez.”
“It’s Brennen,” I said. “I need a favor.”
There was a pause, then a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned. Thought you fell off the face of the earth.”
“Nearly did,” I admitted. “Listen, I need information on someone. A private investigator named Alex Kozlov. Probably Russian connections.”
“This official business?” Martinez asked, caution creeping into his tone.
“Personal,” I said. “But important.”
Another pause. “Give me twenty-four hours. AndJake? You owe me a drink for this.”
“Make it a bottle,” I promised, then hung up.
Ella was watching me, questions in her eyes. “Who was that?”
“Old contact from my Army days,” I explained. “He works in intelligence now. If anyone can find out who Kozlov really is, it’s him.”
She nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Thank you.”
I turned to Caleb. “We need to check the security cameras, make sure no one’s been scouting the property.”
“Already on it,” he said, holding up his phone where the security feed was playing. “Nothing so far, but I’ll keep monitoring.”
I looked at Ella, trying to keep my expression calmer than I felt. “You should call the vet, see if we can bring Scout home early. I’d feel better with him here.”
She nodded and reached for her phone again. While she made the call, I walked to the window, scanning the tree line that bordered her property. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the snow, perfect cover for anyone watching the house.
“Dr. Miller says we can pick him up at five,” Ella reported, joining me at the window. “He’s still weak, but she thinks he’ll recover faster at home.”
I checked my watch. Almost three now. “I’ll go get him.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said firmly.
I started to argue, but stopped myself. The determination in her eyes told me it would be pointless. “Alright, but Nora stays here with Caleb.”
Ella bit her lip. “I don’t want to leave her.”
“I’ll keep her safe,” Caleb promised, his voice gentler than I’d heard it in years. “Scout needs you, and Jake shouldn’t go alone.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Nora,” she called. “Can you come here for a minute?”
The little girl appeared in the doorway, clutching her stuffed fox. “Is Scout coming home?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” Ella said, kneeling to her level. “Mom and Jake are going to get him from the doctor. You’re going to stay here with Caleb, okay?”
Nora looked up at my brother, assessing him with a child’s brutal honesty. “Do you know how to play Go Fish?”
A smile tugged at Caleb’s mouth. “As a matter of fact, I’m the Go Fish champion of Alberta.”
She narrowed her eyes, clearly skeptical. “We’ll see.”
Despite everything, I felt a laugh bubble up in my chest. This kid was something else.
Twenty minutes later, Ella and I were in mytruck, headed toward town. The silence between us was heavy with all the things we weren’t saying.
“Your brother seems good with kids,” she said finally.
