Vivi entered with a tray—three cups of coffee, sandwiches, and a concerned expression.
“How are you feeling?” she asked Claire.
“Better. Thank you.”
She set down the tray, handed Claire a coffee loaded with cream and sugar. “Drink. You need the calories, and the sugar will help stabilize you.”
Claire sipped. It was too sweet, but warm. Grounding. “Wolf was just explaining his plan to trap the Countdown Killer, using my phone to lure him in.”
Vivi glanced at Wolf with a quirked brow. “How?”
Wolf shrugged. “If he sends another message, I respond as Claire. I can set up a meeting. Somewhere we control. Somewhere we can take him alive.”
“You want to take him alive?” Claire asked.
Wolf snagged a cup of coffee and smiled. “Dead men can’t tell us if they were at Lily’s murder or if there are more victims we don’t know about. You need closure. You need to bring him to justice.”
Vivi considered this. “It has merit. The Countdown Killer is arrogant. He’s been playing games with you for months. If you offer to meet on his terms, he might take the bait.”
“I hate this plan,” Claire said. “But it might work.”
“We’d need the right trigger,” Vivi said. “Something that would make Claire reaching out believable.”
“The anniversary,” Claire said quietly. “I could say I want to end it on the anniversary. Poetic justice. He’ll eat that up.”
Wolf’s eyes were dark. “Exactly.”
They sat in silence for a moment, drinking and eating while they all stewed over the plan.
A phone buzzed. All three of them froze.
“Is that yours?” Wolf asked her.
Claire pulled out her Bureau-issued phone. Looked at the screen.
Unknown Number.
Her hands shook as she unlocked it and read the text message.
The world fell silent, a roaring in her ears blocking it out.
Bobby couldn’t save her either.
The phone slipped from Claire’s fingers.
Wolf caught it. Read the message. His face went gray. Something terrible flickered behind his eyes.
“Why would he say that?” she asked. “Bobby wasn’t even in town that weekend.”
Wolf said nothing. Just stared at the message as if it had physically wounded him.
Vivi took the phone. Read it. Looked at Wolf with an expression Claire couldn’t read.
“He knows about Lily’s brother,” Vivi said. “That’s not a surprise, but it is interesting that our killer would mention him.”
Claire bolted upright. “Oh god. What if he’s gone after Bobby? What if?—”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Wolf said. “We need to stay focused on you.”
