“We’ll look closer for you. Come on down,” the tech suggests.
When I cut off the flashlight, I detect a faint red haze in the space. It fades, then returns.
“Something is blinking in here,” I state.
“Could be a bomb,” McBride announces, a mix of excitement and concern dressing up his tone.
If it’s a bomb, he’d probably saddle it up and ride it.
“Come on down, agent,” the tech says again, more insistent this time.
My stubborn nature rises to the surface. Instead of dismounting, I step up to the highest rung so I can fit my head inside the opening. Craning from side to side, I find the source of the red light. A small device attached to the inside wall of the compartment.
“Not a bomb,” I announce, calming not only my peers but myself. “But it still might blow this case wide open.”
“Don’t leave us in suspense,” Andrews calls.
I throw a look over my shoulder, finding him standing in the doorway. Smirking, I return my sights to the device and dislodge it from its perch on the wall.
With my prize find held safely in my gloved hand, I ease down the ladder and face the team.
Feeling a tad smug, I tease my peers. “Smile. You’re on Candid Camera.”
“You lucky SOB,” Luke grins at me.
Andrews tosses, “What are the odds this thing recorded the murder or the audio?”
I study the recording device and easily find the SD card slot. “Only one way to find out.”
The tech sidles up to take it from me. “Let’s see what’s on this. We can view it in the van outside.”
Ten minutes later, Luke makes another call to SSA Chase. This time, we’ve got more answers than questions.
Thirty minutes after that, I’m about to come out of my skin due to worries over Lila’s safety. After I finish thinking through my plan for how to approach this, I fire off a text.
Me:
Are you off this afternoon? I’ve got something special in mind that I know you’re gonna love. You game? I promise it’ll be worth it.
TWENTY-FOUR
You naughty rake
LILA
“Areyou gonna tell me where we’re going?”
So far, all he told me was to dress for outdoor activities and wear comfy shoes. That was good enough for me. Now that we’re en route, I’m getting antsy.
Part of me finds it sexy that he put in the effort to surprise me.
And that part would be my vagina.
“You can have a hint,” he teases through a cheeky grin. “Grab the bag on the backseat and look inside.”
Loosening my seatbelt so it doesn’t choke me, I twist at the waist to retrieve the bag. My greedy fingers yank at the drawstring, making short work of untying it. Once I’ve dumped the contents onto my lap, I sort through everything frantically.
Oh my word.
