"I have an idea," Tessa said. "You're not going to like it."
Brian set down his mug. "Why do I already not like where this is going?"
"Because you know me." She took a breath. "I want to set a trap. Use myself as bait."
Silence. Then everyone started talking at once.
"Absolutely not." Brian.
"That's insane." Colby.
"Tessa, think about this." Bree.
"Hold on." Hank's voice cut through the noise. "Let her talk."
The room quieted. Tessa shot Hank a grateful look.
"Carla's whole strategy is control. She picks when to call. She picks when to show up. She picks when to disappear. We've been reacting to her moves for days, and where has it gotten us? She's still out there. Still watching." Tessa leaned forward. "What if we flip it? Give her what she thinks she wants. Me, alone, vulnerable. But it's a setup. Police waiting. Backup ready. She walks in thinking she's got me cornered, and instead she's the one who's trapped."
Brian's jaw was tight. "And if something goes wrong?"
"Then we deal with it. But something's going to go wrong eventually anyway. She's not going to stop. She told me herself; she's waiting for the right moment. So we give her one. On our terms, not hers."
Colby shook his head. "It's risky as hell."
"So is waiting for her to make her move when we're not ready."
Hank was studying her with that quiet, assessing look. "You've thought this through."
"All night."
"What's the setup?"
"I go back to the cottage. Make it look like I'm alone. Brian's truck is gone, lights low. Diaz puts officers in the house next door, an unmarked car down the street. I wear a wire. The second Carla makes a move, they take her down."
"And where am I during all this?" Brian's voice was strained.
"The shop. Close enough to get there fast if something goes sideways. You, Hank, Colby."
"Three blocks away, while you're alone with a woman who wants to hurt you."
"I won't be alone. I'll have police ten feet away and a wire transmitting everything." She held his gaze. "I can do this, Brian. I need to do this."
"We need to run it by Diaz," Sabrina said. "See if she'll even agree to it."
"Then let's call her." Tessa pulled out her phone.
Diaz answered on the second ring. Tessa put her on speaker and laid out the plan.
Diaz was quiet for a long moment. "It's risky."
"I know."
"If we do this, we do it right. Officers in the cottage next door. Unmarked car with a clear line of sight. You wear a wire. The second she makes a threatening move, we move in."
"Done."
"I want Knight close. Not in the cottage, but nearby."
