“Sloane said as much, and I trust her, so…” The detective and Sloane shared a look before he turned his light blue gaze Allison’s way. “One of the reasons I insisted this meeting be in person was so we could talk about the fact that Tommy never should have been able to find you. More specifically, the fact that I know this because I’m the one who works behind the scenes with Sloane to help women like you disappear.”
CHAPTER 9
I did not seethat one coming.
“You got her the IDs,” Liam presumed, his gaze locking with the Seattle detective’s.
Knox nodded. “IDs, passports, burner phones, untraceable cars, airfare… Basically whatever they need to start a new life as someone else.”
“Travis is instrumental in helping get these women someplace safe,” Sloane added. “A new city. New state. Sometimes even a different country. Just somewhere their abusive significant others will never, ever find them.”
“Except mine found me.” Allison’s tone held the slightest of bites.
“And that’s exactly why I was hoping to meet with you both.” Knox looked Liam’s way. “I know what you and your team do. What you’re capable of. And if my research is correct, you’re the team’s tech guy, right?”
He dipped his chin to confirm. “You’ve done your homework.”
“As have you, I’m sure.” The other man didn’t sound remotely offended. “My point is our system is foolproof. Or it was until now.”
“You’re saying this is the first time a woman you’ve helped has been found?”
“Yes.”
“And we’ve been doing this a long damn time.” Sloane arched a pointed brow.
“Who else knows about your little off-books operation?”
“No one that we know of.” She didn’t so much as hesitate in her response.
“Records?”
Sloane motioned to the desk that was several feet behind her. “They’re kept in a secured file on my computer at home.”
“So not here?”
“No.”
He eyed the purse hanging from the knob of the cabinet behind her desk. The computer with the files was inside her home. And what did most people use to gain access to their homes?
Keys.
“Who has access to this room?” Liam asked next, a plausible theory quickly beginning to form.
“Me, Travis, Bruce, and Hank.” Sloane then added a belated, “They’re my two main guards.”
Liam remembered something from their earlier conversation with Bruce. “What about the new guy?” He turned to Allison. “What did Bruce say his name was? Stapleton?”
“That would be Jeff.” Sloane confirmed. “He is the new guard, but he doesn’t have a key to my office.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s new.”
Meaning the man has yet to fully earn the woman’s trust.
“Why give Hank and Bruce a key to your office?”
“In a lot of these cases, time is of the essence,” She explained. “There could be something vital in the shelter’s records that aclient or the cops need. If I’m not here when I get the call, one of those two gets me whatever it is. I only live a few blocks from here, but even a few minutes could literally mean the difference between life and death.”
