“No, Olivia.”Keane said the words with a finality thatforced Garrett out of his haze.“They took Olivia.From what I can tell theyused a stun gun on her.She didn’t scream out my name.I don’t think she hadtime to fight.”
Ruby looked at Garrett, her face a professional mask.“Ineed to know where she was and how the police think they took her out.Thistown still has some traffic cameras, I think.”
“I heard that,” Keane said.“Who’s with you?Put me onspeaker.”
Garrett did as he asked.“Ruby Lockwood is here, and shethinks she knows what’s going on.She doesn’t think it’s Scott.Jessica Fellowsstarted working for Gladen Farms.”
“That’s what Morgan figured out, too.She doesn’t thinkScott is the real guy behind this.She thinks it’s Gladen,” Keane replied.
So they were all on the same page.“How long has she beengone?”
“No more than a couple of minutes, but they could beanywhere.”
He’d never heard that level of panic in his Master’s voicebefore.“Where are you?Ruby wants to cut into the traffic cameras.”
“We’re at the GrabItQuick,” a familiar voice said.“I’mDeputy Morgan.I’ve already called it in, but I warn you our traffic cams don’talways work.The county put them in thinking it would be a great source ofrevenue, and then the governor made it impossible to use them to write tickets,so the county no longer cares about them.”
“But they didn’t shut them off?”Ruby asked.
Garrett was still reeling.“Olivia is gone?”
“They’re still on, but if they malfunction, no one cares andI don’t think the cameras in this store have worked in forever, but I’m goingto try,” Morgan said.“I need to find the manager.”
“He was with Olivia,” Keane replied, sounding stronger, asthough he heard Garrett’s horror and responded with the strength they needed.“He was standing with her when I went to the back to grab the creamer.He wasgoing to show her where the makeup aisle was.He should have been there.”
Ruby’s eyes closed, and she shook her head.There wasresolve in her gaze when she opened them again.“Stephen Gunderson?”
“That’s his name,” Keane agreed.
“He’s on a list of people I watch because they have beefwith the Barnes-Fleetwood family,” Ruby replied.“I quietly monitor the socialsof those people.Stephen doesn’t have much, but what’s there is bitterness.Hefeels like the Barnes-Fleetwood family killed his birthright.”
“What?”Garrett was so confused.“Olivia has nothing to dowith some grocery store.”
Ruby waved him off.“It’s a long story, but here in smalltowns those stories don’t die.They simply sink into the collectiveconsciousness until they’re legends.”
“Wait,” Keane said.“That’s him.That’s Stephen.”
There was a rustling sound, and for a long moment Garrettprayed this was all one big mistake and Olivia walked in healthy and whole.
Then Keane’s voice came back.“I think you need to meet meat the station house.Fast.”
Garrett was already on his feet.
Twenty minutes later, Garrett stood outside theinterview room watching the lanky man in the chair as he yawned.
“Has he said anything?”Garrett asked.
Keane had given him a hug when he’d run in, but there wasn’ttime for comfort.They needed to figure out where Olivia was.
What had she already gone through?
“Not much.He says he doesn’t know anything,” Keane replied.“Morgan thought coming down here might open him up a bit.”
Ruby walked into the interview room.Gabe had given them aride in so Ruby could work on her laptop and Garrett could make a painful phonecall.
“Do what you can, Garrett,” Jack Barnes had said, soundinggrave but resolute.“Remember there will be time to panic later.Right now sheneeds you calm and cool.Let Ruby do what she does, and I’ll have some peopleworking on it from Dallas.”
Calm.Cool.He needed to listen.The truth often hid.
