“I’m not sure,” Cal admitted. “He claims Kara’s trying to kill him. He also gave me the name of the person he says that Kara hired. Bryce Keller.”
There was a beat of silence on the other end. “Never heard of him,” Raines said finally.
Cal glanced at Alena, who was still focused on the laptop screen. His phone buzzed with a new text. Isla.No trace. Couldn’t get a lock.
He clenched his jaw. “Damn it,” he muttered.
“What is it?” Raines asked.
“Isla couldn’t trace the call,” Cal let him know. “But I heard something in the background. Metal on concrete, maybe a heavy door or gate slamming shut.”
Raines exhaled. “Could be anywhere. I’ll dig into Keller and see what I find. Keep me updated if your end turns up anything.”
“Will do,” Cal said, then ended the call.
While Alena kept working the run on Keller, Cal opened the recording app and pulled up Dexter’s call. He slid on his headset, then played it back, pausing and replaying the section where the noise came through. The metallic crash echoed again in his ears. He frowned, trying to pin it down. Maybe a heavy industrial door. Maybe some kind of construction equipment.
His gut tightened. Arneson owned a construction company.
He pulled the headset off and looked at Alena. “I think that sound we heard on Dexter’s call might be something you’d hear on a construction site. We need to check Arneson’s company.”
She met his gaze, then gave a sharp nod. “Agreed.” She snapped her laptop shut and tucked it under her arm.
They geared up quickly, checking weapons and comms before heading outside. The heat hit them as soon as they stepped out of the cabin, the air already heavy and sticky with the promise of a brutal day.
Cal slid behind the wheel while Alena climbed in on the passenger side, her laptop balanced on her knees. He punched the company’s address into the GPS. Forty-five minutes out. Too long, but it was the lead they had.
He put the SUV in gear and pulled onto the road, his focus narrowing to the hunt.
The miles ticked by, the SUV humming steadily on the highway. Alena kept her eyes on the laptop screen, scrolling through the file she’d pulled up. “Bryce Keller. Forty-two. Dishonorable discharge from the Army. He’s got a long record after that—assault, weapons charges, a stint for armed robbery.”
Cal tightened his grip on the wheel. “How the hell does a guy like that cross paths with a trust fund heiress like Kara?”
Alena shook her head, still searching. “I don’t see a connection. Different worlds. Nothing’s linking them, at least not on paper.”
“So maybe Dexter’s lying,” Cal said, jaw tight. “Maybe he’s trying to get back at Keller for some reason and decided to paint a target on him.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time he twisted the truth,” Alena muttered.
“Text Noah,” Cal said. “Have him talk to the prison officials. See if there’s any truth to what Dexter said about Kara trying to kill him.”
She was already tapping out the message, her fingers moving fast. Cal kept his eyes on the road, the hot air shimmering on the horizon, his mind grinding through the pieces they didn’t yet have.
Alena had her phone in hand, halfway through typing the message to Noah, when Cal’s phone rang. The screen flashedDispatchagain. His pulse kicked hard. Dexter.
He hit accept. “Cal Granger.”
A woman’s voice came through, breathless and frantic. “Cal? It’s me. Melissa.”
Alena’s head jerked up, eyes wide. Cal leaned forward in his seat, heart hammering. “Melissa, where are you?”
“I don’t have much time,” she said, her words tumbling out fast. The line crackled, her voice breaking with panic. “I’ve escaped, and he’s coming after me. Please, Cal. I need your help right now.”
Chapter Seven
Alena sat frozen, the sound of Melissa’s voice still ringing in her ears.Escaped. The word rattled around her head, but doubt pushed against it.
Lots and lots of doubt.
