Pulling up my phone, I do a quick search and find out there are devices to detect car trackers, and they sell one at the local big box store that’s open all night.
It’s going to slow my leaving town, but I have to take the risk. I can’t have Snake catching up to me.
Walking into the store with a sleepy Tucker, I go to the automotive department and scan the aisles.
“Can I help you, ma’am?” an employee asks. He’s an older man, probably in his sixties. I’m assuming he’s in this department because he knows about cars.
“My phone said you guys carry car tracker detectors.”
“They’re over here.” He leads me to the next aisle and hands one to me. “They’re twenty-eight dollars.”
“Thanks.”
He studies me. “Are you afraid somebody is tracking you, ma’am?”
I smile. “Maybe. A girl can’t be too careful, right?”
His eyes drop to Tucker at my side.
“Name’s John Williams. I’m a retired cop. I just work here to make ends meet. Maybe I can give you some advice. Are you worried about a boyfriend or ex?”
“Something like that.”
“If you think he may have put a tracker on your car, you might want to get one of these, too. Come with me.”
He leads me to the electronics department and to a display of prepaid smartphones. “Here. This one’s only forty bucks. You reload it and you shut off your cell phone.”
“You think he’s tracking my phone?”
“There are a lot of ways to do it. Mind if I look?”
I hesitate, but in the end, I unlock it and pass it to him.
“First, let’s see if you’ve shared your location with someone.”
“I haven’t,” I say. “I’d never do that.”
“Not even your mom or someone you trust?”
I shake my head.
He pulls up a screen and turns it toward me. “Looks like you’re sharing it with this guy.”
“What?” I frown, shocked. It shows Snake’s text icon and says Robert Carlyle. I didn’t even know that was his real name.
“You know this guy?”
I nod. “He’s the one I’m worried about.”
“Well, he got access to your phone and gave himself location-sharing permission. It only takes a minute alone with your phone. You leave it on a table, still signed in, and walk into thekitchen, and he grabs it before it locks itself… It can happen as quick as that. I’m assuming you want to stop it?”
“Yes. Please.”
“You just touch his contact, scan down and tapstop sharing my location. There. Done.”
“Thank you, John.”
“I’d keep a tighter watch on your phone. Maybe you don’t need the prepaid phone if that’s all he’s done. But if you ever feel like he’s still able to find you, I’d dump your phone and check there aren’t any location tags in your purse or something else you carry. Look, if this guy is dangerous, I’d advise going to the police.”
