"Meet me at the monkey bars at sunset. This is your last chance, Nova. I’m trying to give you a lifeline. Take it." He ended the call.
She looked at me with conflicted eyes. "What if he's genuinely trying to help me?”
"He genuinely tried to kill me, and he and Mason successfully killed Ethan,” I said. “I don't care if he had a change of heart. Right now, he's my only link to Chad and your only hope of staying out of jail.”
46
We drove to Echo Beach in the white van that we had commandeered from the department. JD and I wore disguises. I put on a silly dark wig, wore a baseball cap, and sunglasses. Jack pulled his long hair back into a slick ponytail and tucked his hair underneath his cap. With sunglasses on, he wasn’t instantly recognizable. I hoped the subterfuge would last long enough.
Echo Beach officially closed at sunset, but in practice, most people didn't clear out until dark. The park rangers weren't terribly strict about the curfew, and there wasn't always a ranger on site.
A candy cane gate kept people out after hours, but it was easy to push the lever arm up and gain entry. The beach had turned into a popular spot for teenagers and college kids to party after hours. It wasn't unusual to find a bonfire on the beach, raging into the wee hours of the morning. Especially this time of year.
Nestled in a secluded enclave surrounded by Australian Pines was a workout area with pull-up bars, a jungle gym, a sit-up bench, hanging rings, and other calisthenic equipment.
I told Nova, “We're going to be close by, and we're going to pounce if anything happens.”
"Just do it before he puts a bullet in my head.”
The camera sunglasses at night probably weren't going to cut it. We put a few additional wireless button cameras on her shirt and a baseball cap that we had given her. They blended in with the buttons on her blouse and the decorations on her hat. At dusk, you’d probably never see them, even if you were looking.
JD and I hopped out of the van and made our way across the parking lot and down the trail that led to the beach. We crossed paths with several beachgoers on their way out.
Erickson and Faulkner sat in the parking lot in an unmarked car.
The teal waves crashed against the shore, and the sky was various shades of pink and purple, fading into gray.
I kept my head on a swivel for Shane, but didn't see him anywhere.
We passed the calisthenics area and marched down to the beach. There were still plenty of spring breakers wrapping up for the day. Mostly families with kids, packing up their gear. During the day, this wasn’t a party beach like Taffy Beach. About 10 or 11 o'clock at night is when this place got happening. From dusk until the late evening, it was pretty secluded.
With wireless in-ears, JD and I kept in touch through encrypted comms. From the beach, I weaved my way through the Australian Pines to the calisthenics area, and hid in theunderbrush. Jack moved back up the trail and sat on a bench with a bottle in a brown paper bag and pretended to look drunk. He had plenty of practice.
Nova made her way down the trail to the workout area. She stepped into the secluded enclave with cautious eyes. She wore standard ear pods connected to an encrypted comms app on her phone. Nobody would think twice about a cute girl wearing wireless earbuds.
“I’m here,” she muttered.
“I see you,” I replied.
“Just don’t let this thing go sideways.”
“We’re right here.”
Nova glanced around and fidgeted with nervous energy.
Fifteen minutes went by, and still no sign of Shane. Maybe he’d decided against the meetup. Maybe he’d spotted us and aborted.
The lavender sky faded, and the world lost its color. The park cleared. The nearly full moon hung low in the sky. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore drifted through the trees.
“How long should I stay here?” Nova asked.
“Just give it a few more minutes.”
She paced around and clicked her phone light on.
A few minutes later, Erickson’s voice crackled in my ear. “We have a visual on the suspect. He parked on the street and stepped out of a gray Mustang. He’s heading your way.”
“Copy.”
