“News report didn’t say, but the house, which is right around here, was swarming with so many cop cars and media, we couldn’t get down the street if we tried.”
The driver dropped them at the airport. As they made their way toward private aviation, Dakota slipped into a bathroom, pulled on his leather glove and tossed half the broken burner in the trash receptacle. Before exiting, he shoved the glove into his bag.
Law enforcement officers were patrolling the terminal and one of them sauntered over.
“Here we go,” Dakota murmured.
“Hey, fellas, where you headed?” asked the officer.
“Back to D.C.,” Dakota replied.
“What brings you to Portland?”
“I’m a realtor and a land developer,” Dakota said. “We flew up yesterday to scout some land near Bar Harbor.”
“That’s a nice area. Can I see your IDs?”
The men fished out their wallets and handed him their driver’s licenses. If the cop asked to see inside their duffels, it was all over. No developer scouts land in tactical gear. And all three men were armed.
Dakota and Sin exchanged glances.
The officer handed them back their cards. “My cousins are twins,” he said. “You two must’ve had some fun messing with people when you were kids.”
“We were adopted and didn’t meet until college,” Sin said.
“That explains your different last names,” said the officer.
“Why are you guys stopping people?” Stryker asked.
“The Midnight Raper was killed, execution style.” The cop leaned close. “If you ask me, we’re all relieved. But we’ve gotta do our job and find the guy.”
“Good luck,” Dakota said.
“You fellas have a safe flight.”
They didn’t speak until they were jetting above the clouds. “I need a drink,” Stryker said.
Sin retreated to the back and returned with three glasses of bourbon. An hour and forty-five minutes later, they touched down in D.C. They deplaned, said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.
They would never talk about what had transpired. To anyone or to each other.
On the way home, Dakota ditched the second half of the broken burner before checking in with Luther.
“It’s done,” Dakota said.
“In light of everything, you’ll have to lay low for a while.”
“Understood.” He had no interest in completing another assignment anytime soon.
Eager to see Providence, he drove straight home. Sammy was at daycare, Miranda’s car wasn’t out front, but Providence’s was. As he walked through the front door, he couldn’t wait to pull her into his arms. He had missed her…a lot.
He found her staring intently at her laptop.
“Hey,” he said.
No response.
“Miss Rhode Island.”
