One of Colt’s dark blonde eyebrows went up. “Tabby?”
“Tabitha Love. She does forensic computer investigation for The Max. Tab can find out just about anything.”
“Let’s hope she can come up with something on Spearman,” he said darkly.
Lissa used the time to fill Colt in on the background check she had done, including Ray’s criminal record. It was ten minutes later when her cell phone rang.
Tabby. She put the phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table, and they all clustered around.
“The call made to Julie’s cell pinged off a tower twenty-five miles out of Dallas on I-35E, a little south of Red Oak.”
“Wait,” Lissa said. “He was already on his way out of town when Julie went to pick up Timmy?”
“I don’t understand,” Julie said. “Why would he be calling from Red Oak?”
“Another call was made farther south,” Tabby said, “on the interstate near Forreston, also to Julie’s cell, but it wasn’t picked up.”
Julie grabbed her phone, saw a missed call from Timmy’s number, but the call must have ended before there was time for it to ring.
She held the phone against her heart. “Timmy must have tried to call me but Ray stopped him.”
“No calls after that,” Tabby said. “The phone was disabled, either turned off or the battery removed.”
Lissa flashed a glance at Julie, whose face was pale, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“What about Spearman?” Colt asked. “Come up with anything on him?”
“Tabby, that’s Colt Wheeler,” Lissa said. “Colt’s former Army Special Forces. He’s a friend. Timmy’s mom, Julie, is also here.”
“Good to meet you both. I’ll be focusing on Spearman, Colt. I’ll also keep an eye on Timmy’s phone.”
“Appreciate it.” Colt’s deep voice rumbled across the living room.
“Thank you, Tabby.” Julie fought to collect herself as the call came to a close.
When Lissa looked over at Colt, he was working his cell, bringing up Google Maps.
“I’m not familiar with the area,” he said. “What’s in Red Oak?”
“Nothing,” Julie said.
“How about Forreston?”
“Not much out there until you get to Waco,” Lissa said.
“Just a lot of open country,” Julie added. “Ray could be anywhere.”
“We need more intel,” Colt said. “Ray’s traveling south on I-35. He’s got a destination in mind. We just need to figure out what it is.”
“He was raised in Houston,” Lissa said. “Maybe he’s headed home.”
Colt looked down at the map on his phone. “Doesn’t look like the fastest route. Maybe he’s taking a detour. Any chance he could be taking Timmy to meet his parents, a high school friend, something like that?”
Julie shook her head. “I don’t think so. His father and mother divorced while we were together. His dad remarried a girl twenty years younger. Ray was furious. I’m not even sure Paul Spearman still lives in Houston.”
“What about his mom?” Colt asked.
“Last time Ray mentioned his mother, she and the man she remarried were living in Florida.”
