Mia cut him a look over her shoulder. “Knock it off. Right now, I’m working the case. We’ll do a deep dive into my history with both cases later today and try to find this guy. Plus, I already called in another favor with the Seattle FBI to investigate the phone call and bow. For now, let’s work.”
“Fine,” Kurt muttered. “Why don’t you read me the report? All I know is that Nurse Trienze had yesterday off and was last seen leaving the asylum after work the day before. A couple of agents canvassed her neighborhood last night, but they didn’t get anything.” Kurt shot Todd another glare through the rearview mirror. “I haven’t seen the background report yet.”
Todd pounded on his phone.
Mia looked over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
He shook his head. “Erik hasn’t called me back, and that’s not like him.”
“I told you Erik escorted my friend Luna, um, back to her house,” she said lamely. She’d almost used the wordterritory, which would’ve sounded odd to Kurt. It was getting more and more difficult to separate her two lives.
“I know that,” Todd insisted. “But Erik always answers.”
“I’m sure nothing’s going on,” Mia said. There had definitely been something between Erik and Luna, but Erik wouldn’t jeopardize the pack without at least speaking with Seth. Of course, he might’ve gotten into a bad situation upon entering Copper Pack territory. Somebody should let Seth know. So, she took out her phone and dialed quickly. The phone went to Seth’s voicemail. “Seth isn’t answering, but he might be up at the mines.”
A low growl came from the back seat.
Mia turned and looked at the shifter. He more than filled his half of the back seat, and tension rolled off him. There was concern in his intelligent eyes, and his brow was furrowed.
“We can let you out so you can go check things out if you want,” she offered. Having a trapped wolf shifter in the vehicle wasn’t safe.
Kurt jolted. “It’s thirty miles back to town. That’s crazy.”
Mia shrugged. “I’m sure he could call somebody to pick him up.” In truth, he could shift into wolf form and be at Seth’s house in five minutes, if not less time.
Todd shook his head. “No, I’m on you, Mia.”
“Excuse me?” Kurt asked, looking over his shoulder.
Todd grinned. “As I’ve said, I’m learning how to be a deputy from Mia. Geez.” He rolled his eyes, then cocked his head. “Speaking of which, has anybody else noticed we’re being tailed?”
“Yes.” Kurt’s grip tightened on the wheel.
Mia leaned back and looked in the side-view mirror at the light green compact car behind them. “I can’t see inside.” The meager sun glinted off the windshield.
“It’s Willie,” Kurt said wearily. “The reporter has been on my six for the last couple of days and wants another interview, but I’ve been ignoring him.”
Mia turned and waved out the back window, kind of past Todd’s huge body. “Willie is a pretty good reporter, Kurt. He might exchange information and research with you, and we could use some help right now.”
“No.” Kurt turned down a narrow, paved lane. “How about you catch me up on the background report on Nurse Trienze, like now? Before we interview her coworkers.” His sarcasm was thick and fairly annoying.
Fine. Mia would contact the reporter later. She flipped open the file folder to see a printed picture of a smiling young woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties. She had black hair, pretty brown eyes, and a button nose. “Bobbi Trienze worked at Lost Asylum for three years,” she read to Kurt. “Before that, she worked at a smaller hospital in Portland, and beforethat, it looks like Los Angeles near the med school.”
“So, she was making her way up the coast,” Kurt murmured, his grip loose on the steering wheel.
“Apparently.” Mia flipped the top page. “She got divorced three years ago. Ex-husband’s name is Matt Trienze, and it looks like he moved to LA and is already remarried.”
“Even so, we’ll have someone go talk to him,” Kurt said.
Mia nodded. “Definitely. Bobbi grew up in Burbank. It doesn’t say why she moved up to Lost Lake.”
“Where was her residence?” Todd asked, leaning toward her over the seat.
She flipped another page. “She was renting an apartment outside of Seattle which is a bit of a drive from the asylum. No roommate. A search warrant was submitted for her apartment but hasn’t been received yet.” She bit her lip. “I’d like to be in on that to see the inside of her home.”
Todd leaned closer, half-tipping over the middle console. “Me, too. I’ve never conducted a search.”
She flipped to the next page. “Wow. An interview of her neighbors revealed that she’d received flowers a few times lately but didn’t know who they were from.”
