Grimm looks to me and I nod. There are things Royce can check out to confirm her story, but I know in my gut she’s telling the truth. She made a mistake and it got ugly, but she tried her best to rectify it and when she couldn’t, she moved on.
“Is there anyone you can think of that might want to hurt Kat? Anything you’ve heard?”
“I mostly try to stay out of it. I will say I thought it was odd when the sister of her friend reached out to do the illustrations on my covers for me not long ago.”
“Hazel Drake’s sister?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. I graciously declined.”
“Are you sure it was her?” Grimm asks, frowning.
“The company name was different, but I recognized the work immediately. Her illustrations are great but her designs are a little too young for my demographic.”
“How long ago was that?” I ask.
“A few months, maybe?” She rolls her eyes. “Not long after that, I had some trouble with the online trolls,”—she gives us a pointed look—“but I am better than the negativity and didn’t engage.” Almost as an afterthought, she adds, “Strange now that I think about it.”
“We appreciate your time,” Grimm says, sincerity in his tone as he holds out his hand for her to shake and I do the same.
“Thank you for coming by.” Dahlia smiles. “I think this is what they talk about when they mention closure. I didn’t realize I needed this. Can you tell Kat I’m sorry? I hate that I wasn’t able to really do that.”
“We will,” I tell her as my phone vibrates in my pocket. Jace. “Hey, we’re leaving now?—”
“Kat’s gone! I was at the kitchen table and I didn’t hear her leave but her car is gone and?—”
“What?!” I roar into the device, my legs carrying me back toward the SUV as Grimm offers an apology to Dahlia.
But he’s right on my heels, both of us slamming into the car before I’m peeling away from the curb.
He lost her.
She’s gone because he fucking lost her.
And I know as sure as I know my name that if anything happens to her, I might never be the same.
“Fucking find her!” I yell before hanging up with Jace. I can hear Grimm barking into the phone as he motions for me to take a right.
We’re going to find her.
She’s going to be all right.
Bringing up her number on the screen on the dash, I hit the call button and listen to it ring once.
Twice.
Three times.
And then she picks up and I can almost breathe again. “Kat—” My heart slows in my chest for only a second before I hear her.
“Tom!” She screams my name, but I can barely hear it over the sound of crunching metal echoing through the speakers.
She’s in trouble and we may already be too late.
30
KAT
Shit.
