“K-9-23, on Hoster,” Cloister said into his radio.“Clear.No sign.”
He reached down to rub Bourneville’s ears as they went outside.She got discouraged when she didn’t find what they were looking for, even if establishing that wasstilla good job.As he headed toward his car, his radio crackled to life with a grumble from Tancredi.
“News crew from KSWB-TV caught me on Underland.I swear they’re following me.”
Cloister snorted at that and then stopped mid-stride.The abrupt pause caught Bon off guard, and she got a few more steps before the tug on her lead made her realize he wasn’t with her.She turned and cocked her head to the side, whining softly in confusion.
He’s been following me.The accusation had seemed reasonable enough at the time, knowing what they knew about Fowler.Now they knew more.Fowler was paranoid and suspicious, but he was also focused entirely on the actions of his imaginary property cabal.The neighbor hadn’t been part of that.
So maybe she’d just seen him out and about, and “recently” put it slap-bang in the middle of the escalation of Fowler’s paranoia.
Cloister broke into a jog, a confused Bon loping next to him, on the way back to the car.He popped the door and scrambled in, grabbing his tablet from the holder to log in.The list of addresses on the screen blurred as he swiped through until he found the one he needed.
Fowler thought all the houses on the list were already compromised.He’d not have taken Miles there for safekeeping, but he might have gone to…BoxSafe Storage and Lockers.One of State of Mind Security’s non-realtor customers, about a mile down the road from the food lot.
Huh.Maybe he could do dogsanddetection after all.
Cloister grabbed his phone and called Javi.The call was immediately transferred to voicemail.Cloister was too impatient to wait through the “leave a message” spiel.He hung up and, one-handed as he scratched under a puzzled Bon’s chin, sent a text instead.
Miles could be at BoxSafe storage off Buckman Valley Road.Before the Retreat.
Going to check it out.
Chapter Twenty-Three
TracyJoelhadsportedthe same buttery-blond bob for as long as Javi had known her.
In Phoenix.In Plenty.Even back in Quantico, based on the old photos in the files Javi had gone back through trying to pinpoint when she might have met Saul.
The hospital had shaved it down.
The uneven tufts of light brown stubble where the bandages didn’t cover were somehow more distracting than the cuts and bruises.From the way Tracy kept reaching up to rub her hand over it, she thought the same.
“I don’t know why I didn’t call,” she told Kincaid.He’d moved into the seat Javi had been in, next to the bed instead of perched on it.“Everything after he hit me with the wrench is gone, but most of the last couple of days are patchy.I remember I heard Eric’s voice.Then I was at someone’s house?It smelled terrible.What happened in between is just smears.The doctors said it might come back, but they don’t know how much or when.”
Javi let the hospital door swing shut behind him as he came back into the room.The water bottle he’d gone to get her dangled from his fingers, drops of water dribbling down the sides.
“Here you go,” he said as he twisted the top off and set the bottle down on the hospital table in front of her.“It must have been a surprise to hear his voice.”
She blinked slowly, not quite in sync, and shook her head.
“I didn’t know,” Joel said evenly, although her voice was tired and scratchy.“I wouldn’t have let you take the fall for it if I’d known.”
Kincaid slapped his hands on his knees.“And that, Tracy, is why you didn’t know,” he said as he stood up.He tugged his sleeve back from his wrist to check the time.“I need to go and call my girls.They worry if I don’t check in.I won’t be long.”
The leather soles of his shoes clicked on the floor as he headed for the door.
Joel watched him go.For a second, she looked like she was going to say something, but she closed her eyes and tilted her head back against the pillows instead.She waited until the door closed before she tilted her face toward Javi.
“You look like shit,” she said, one hand coming up to wave around her nose.
“You’re one to talk,” Javi said.
Joel snorted out a startled laugh and then winced.The various monitors attached to her gave a gentle, alarmed series of beeps and clicks until she settled back again.
“Don’t make me laugh,” she said.“Did…what’s his name, Fowler?…do that?”
Javi reached up to poke his nose gingerly.It didn’t hurt anymore, but he could feel where it would if he pushed.“That was your husband.”
