Of course!
Why hadn’t he thought of that immediately?
The perfect weapon was close at hand.
It would be easy to pull off too. And unlike the situation with Micah, there would be no blood on his hands.
This go-round, he could accomplish the distasteful deed without having to worry about losing his breakfast.
CRISIS AVERTED.
Brad finished the call with dispatch, swung into a gravel driveway on his right, backed out onto the road, and reversed course.
With the six-year-old found safely asleep beside the family dog in the woods abutting the field beside his house, the situation with Steven once more took top billing.
Natalie answered his call on the first ring, as she had before. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”
“The situation I had to deal with resolved itself. I should be at your place within fifteen minutes. Any sign of Steven?”
“No. All’s quiet here. I haven’t heard him come back yet.”
“Stay put if you do. I’ll be there shortly.”
As soon as he ended that conversation, Brad called Cara’s cell and pressed on the accelerator. She was probably heads-down in the cottage with her research, but it wouldn’t hurt to advise her to lock her doors until he’d had an opportunity to talk to Steven.
Besides, it was a legitimate excuse to hear her voice, even if he’d be swinging back by the property in a mere six hours to pick her up for their much-delayed dinner date.
Brad’s lips bowed as he took a curve at a fast clip, keeping a firm grip on the wheel.
The gourmet restaurant where he’d reserved an intimate table for two would surprise her. The eatery was a hidden gem, out in the middle of nowhere, but it attracted patrons from a huge radius. The tab would set him back a hefty amount, but it would be well worth it to—
Cara’s cell rolled to voicemail.
Huh.
Why wasn’t she answering?
He ended the call without leaving a message.
Five minutes later, he tried her again.
Same result.
A tingle of unease slithered up his spine.
She always kept her phone close at hand. Unless she was taking a shower, she should have noticed the call. But how many people took showers in the middle of the day?
In all likelihood there was a logical explanation for her lack of response. Absent his concerns over Steven, the lapse would only cause the tiniest blip on his worry meter.
But Steven was a big worry—and he was on the premises.
Still, he’d have no reason to bother Cara.
Then again, he’d had no apparent reason to bother Micah, either. And he’d done more than bother the groundskeeper, if the red alerts the DNA results had set off were accurate.
So as soon as he checked in with Natalie at the house, he’d circle around to the cottage and make sure Cara was okay before he shared a cup of tea with the older woman and waited for her cousin to finish his trek around the lake.
THIS WASSURREAL.
