The sound of tires behind him had Baz turning in time to see Brantley pulling his big black Chevy into the parking lot. He was surprised to see Slade was with him and not Reese, but he figured now wasn’t the time to mention it.
“Anything?” Brantley asked as he approached.
“Just got here. Allison’s inside talkin’ to the clerk.”
Brantley nodded, walking around the fancy Mercedes, peering into the windows but not touching the doors.
“Looks clean. And unlocked,” Brantley stated, dragging a pair of latex gloves out of his pocket. “You get the passenger side.”
After donning his own gloves, Baz opened the front passenger door, peering down into the door, the seat, the floorboard.
The car was immaculate, not a crumb or empty cup. The leather seats looked as though they’d been maintained well, the floor mats the same. No doubt Cedric Hawkins was meticulous about his car.
Squatting down by the door, Baz gently felt beneath the seat, careful to move slowly. Brantley was mirroring his actions on the other side, lifting the floor mat, checking in the door.
The back door opened and Baz heard Slade doing the same search back there.
“I’ll check the trunk,” Brantley said before he stepped back out of view.
Baz leaned over, looked in the crevice between the seat and the center console. He carefully reached down, ran his fingers along the edge. When he felt something, he grabbed it.
“Hey, boss, we’ve got a phone here,” he called out as he eased out of the car, standing tall.
“I thought we traced his phone,” Brantley said when he walked around.
“We did. Secondary, maybe?”
“Why the hell’s this guy got a second phone?”
“Girlfriend? Maybe this is how she reaches out to him?”
“Wife said they have an open marriage. If that’s the case, why does he need to sneak around?”
Good questions. Ones Baz didn’t have an answer to.
“Please tell me you found something.”
Baz and Brantley looked over at the same time, watching as Allison walked toward them. She looked like a woman on a mission. Afailedmission.
She glanced between them, her frustration evident. “The clerk knows nothing. Said their exterior cameras are just for show. Only one that works is inside, aimed at the register, and he doesn’t have access to the feed. Said we’d have to wait for the manager, but she doesn’t like to be interrupted during the day.”
Baz glanced at Brantley, curious to see whether the man would blow a gasket, insisting the manager get her ass to the store ASAP.
His face hardened, his lips pursed. Yep, he was gearing up to—
Brantley’s cell phone rang.
“Walker,” he barked, his eyes narrowed on Allison before turning away quickly as he listened to the caller.
Baz didn’t interrupt, just listened to the one-sided conversation.
“That’s an interesting theory.”Pause.“Have you talked to Charlie?”Pause.“Yeah, you do that.”
When Brantley disconnected, Baz waited patiently for whatever had the man’s temper cooling.
“That was Reese,” Brantley said, looking from Baz to Slade and then to Allison. “Evan and Reese are now workin’ on the theory that the wives conspired to kill their husbands, which means it’s imperative that we find Nancy Wright.”
“Holy shit,” Baz muttered. “How’d they jump to that conclusion?”
