Page 99 of Every Last Breath

They needed to catch a break, some lead to help them find Maddox.

“How did Novak find out where she lived?” Sanborn asked again, slowly, softly, not dropping the issue. “Any ideas?” He gave Castle a pointed look like he saw right through him.

Castle stared back, his face deadpan, his eyes hard.

Moments ticked by. It was like there was a time bomb ready to explode in Cole’s chest.

“Maybe he doubled back to the hotel a second time after taking a taxi to Union Station,” Cutter said as if he was thinking as he spoke. “He could’ve watched from across the street in front of the museum, followed the team back to the Gray Box. Then waited for her to leave and trailed her home.”

Sanborn cocked his head and straightened slightly. “Where would he wait without being seen and still be able to have a line of sight to identify her clearly?”

Cutter shrugged. “Hell if I know. It’s just a theory, boss.”

Reece flipped his cap around backward and leaned forward. “The woods across from the access road that leads to the front gate. It’s possible he hid there, with a motorcycle, and watched through a night-vision device. With his training, that would’ve been right up his alley. When he spotted her, he could’ve trailed her with no lights on until she hit the highway. It was late. She was tired and may not have noticed.”

Sanborn held a poker face, didn’t blink. “That is a solid theory,” he said with a bite in his voice.

Since Novak had her name, he could’ve paid a talented hacker to track down where she lived, the same way Cole had. It was also possible someone from the Gray Box called Novak, told him when she was leaving and what vehicle she was driving, making it easy for him to follow her.

A more insidious thought crawled inside Cole’s head. What if someone in this building, in this room, had simply given Novak her address?

His stomach soured.

“Cole, we need to establish a timeline,” Sanborn said. “When did you get to her place?”

“It was just after six.” Cole shook his head, berating himself again. “I parked behind the Goodwill van.” That maniac had taken her right in front of him. His insides squeezed like something in his chest was going to burst. “Novak shut the back door and limped around to the front. The pathetic little hobble threw me, caused me not to think twice about him.”

And Cole had been too distracted by the anticipation of seeing Maddox, had lowered his guard and let situational awareness slip.

“Her neighbor came into the hall, said she knew Maddox was home because a guy had picked up a donation. When I asked for a description, the lady mentioned a foreign accent.”

The air thickened with each detail repeated, and Cole’s anxiety swung back toward panic.

Reece clasped one fist, relaxed his fingers, and clasped the other. Over and over. Gideon chawed on gum, like a former smoker itching for a hit of nicotine. The analyst, Harper, jotted every word on a notepad. Elbows perched on his knees, Castle stared intently at the table. But Sanborn’s expression was serene, his gaze soft and unfocused as if he was visualizing everything Cole described.

“The front door was unlocked,” Cole said. “Her gun, jacket, cell phone, and car keys were on the kitchen counter. She’d picked up her clothes from the living room floor from earlier. The cap to the syringe was right in front of her bed. It was the first thing I spotted. The syringe and stun gun were on the other side near the bathroom door.”

The Ghost had taken her by surprise as she came out of the bathroom.

Had she let her guard down, too, thinking it was Cole breaking in yet again?

The thought weighed him down with guilt, and his heart twisted. “The shower was running. The bathroom full of steam. Her sneakers and clothes were on the floor.”

“Stop,” Sanborn said. “Was the bathroom floor wet or dry?”

Cole raked his memory. “Dry.”

“He got her before she stepped into the shower. No signs of a struggle?”

“None.” And she would’ve put up one hell of a fight if she’d had the chance.

Harper scooted forward. “When I undress, my necklace is the last thing I take off. Did you see her watch in the bathroom or bedroom?”

Cole shook his head, trying to keep track of the various streams of thought. “Her watch?” If relevant shit had slipped his focus, it was pretty much guaran-damn-teed he didn’t remember anything about a watch. He pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes and combed his mind. “Toothbrush, hand soap, towel. Box of tampons. No, I don’t think I saw a watch.”

“What difference does it make? How can it help?” Amanda asked, her face riddled with anxiety, her mouth pinched.

“Maddox has a smartwatch. She wears it every day,” Harper said in the quiet, dry tone that only changed if Cutter was getting under her skin. “If the watch wasn’t in her apartment, it means she still has it on.”