I shook my head, willing my thoughts to be wrong. “So . . . you’re saying that Axon might be somehow connected with what happened to me? That maybe that was the domino that got knocked down and set all this in motion? All because of something I was looking into?”
Wilson offered a grim nod. “That’s what we’re wondering.”
Chase shook his head and looked at me, displeasure evident in his frown. “I told you to stay out of it.”
“I know but—” Panic surged in me. This was not the way things were supposed to play out.
Chase stood and paced toward the door, his muscles clearly tense and stiff. “Not now, Holly.”
I clamped my mouth shut.
“Detective Dexter,” another man said. “We have a follow-up on another case you’re working. It needs a minute of your time.”
Chase gave me one last look before walking away.
As he disappeared from sight, my shoulders drooped. We’d gotten back together just in time for me to screw things up. Would Chase even listen to my side of things?
I had no idea.
But I felt horrible. And I wasn’t sure I’d be able to fix this.
Chapter Nineteen
Wilson glanced at me. Was that pity in his gaze? Maybe. But I knew this wasn’t the time to address it, nor did I want him to feel the need to act as my therapist. Instead, I let out a deep breath, unsure what exactly to do with myself at the moment.
I hated the awkwardness in the room. Hated the flash of shame and embarrassment I felt.
Wilson shifted, almost like he was going to pretend the terse exchange hadn’t happened. “Walk me through what you know about Axon.”
I nodded, grateful for something to focus on other than my downfalls. I wiped my palms on my jeans and drew in a deep breath. “They were an email marketing group based out of Louisville, Kentucky. Chase’s brother, Hayden, worked for them for about six months.”
“What did Hayden do?”
“He handled security at the front entrance. I guess they’d gotten some threats and felt the need to hire someone to keep an eye on things. Hayden had been a bouncer at a club in town before that. He didn’t have much ‘official’ experience, but he was brawny and intimidating, from what I hear.” I’d found that out partially through Chase and partly through my own research.
“Tell me again what happened to him. How did he die?”
“He was badly beaten and killed by a single bullet through the heart about six years ago. His killer has never been found, although a man with the first name of Hugo had been suspected of his death.”
“There was no other evidence to indicate motive or any background on the crime?”
“Not as far as I know. Hayden was jogging through a park at night when he was beaten and shot.” Chase had told me that much.
“And Hayden was Chase’s younger brother? What was their relationship like?” Wilson squinted as he tried to put the pieces together.
“He was his half-brother, although they’d only met about a year before Hayden died. Chase’s father left the family when Chase was young. He ran off and started a new life, apparently. Chase had no idea he even had a brother.”
“And this turned Chase’s life upside down, I imagine?”
I frowned as I remembered hearing Chase talk about it. “Yes. He was thrilled to discover he had a brother, then Hayden was snatched away. It was difficult. He has had no real family since his mom died. His dad was . . . absent, to say the least.”
“Did you know him during that time?”
I was beginning to feel like I was being interrogated with these rapid-fire questions. I also felt like Chase should be here to answer them instead of me. But I supposed, at this point, it was more about my involvement in the investigation than it was about Chase’s brother.
“No, we hadn’t reconnected when that happened,” I said. “He was still playing professional football.”
“I see.” Wilson nodded slowly, thoughtfully.
I studied the detective a moment, trying to figure out where he was going with all these questions. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m just trying to piece this puzzle together. You started researching Hayden’s death, which in turn means you researched Axon. When did you start focusing on the company?”
“Probably a month or two ago.”
He nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “So, maybe about that same time, this plan was set in place to abduct you and set you up in a retro-style house. Is that a connection? That’s what we need to figure out.”
“I’d like to figure that out also.”
“Two people who could be connected are already dead here . . . Kurt Casey and Barbara Jostens. This isn’t just a game. It’s a deadly game. Maybe the answers can be found in some of these searches you did on your computer. Maybe you stumbled into something you shouldn’t have.”
“It’s an idea worth exploring.”
Wilson turned back to my laptop and hit a few keys. He straightened and frowned as he stared at the computer screen. The next instant, he began tapping some keys.
“What’s wrong?” I stood, trying to get a better look.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed his phone and punched in a number. “I need you in here. Now. Something’s happening.”
Just as the words left his lips, the lights in the building flickered.
My stomach clenched.
Power surge? Or was this a tech genius at work, disrupting the computer, the lights, and who knew what else?
* * *
The man from the taskforce rushed into the room. I’d been introduced to him earlier. Felix, I believe was his name. Wilson had said he’d be my new best friend.
The man was tall, with chunky glasses, a blue baseball cap, and an uptight expression. He stared at my computer and kept hitting keys while muttering things under his breath.
He practically shoved Wilson out of the way and took his seat at the computer. Wilson remained behind the desk, watching the tech’s every move.
“I don’t know what’s happened.” Felix’s fingers raced across the keyboard. “It appears someone has hacked into the system and is deleting all the files from this computer. I’ve got to get this offline.”
He unplugged it then continued to furiously type.
I’d backed up most of my files to the cloud, and I hoped they were safe there. Besides, other concerns seemed more pressing than me losing all my photos.
Had we come too close to discovering something important? That was the only thing that made sense to me. Why else would someone be wiping my computer clean right now? How was this even possible?
Chase charged into the room amidst the flickering lights and a nervous murmur throughout the room. “Is everything okay?”
“We don’t know what’s going on.” Wilson scowled at the computer. “Whoever is behind all of this has a wicked sense of humor.”
“Why would you say that?” Chase glanced at Felix and Wilson.
It didn’t go unnoticed that he avoided my gaze.
“Someone is erasing documents from the computer, almost like he knows we’re getting closer to him and wants to destroy any evidence,” Felix said.
“Speaking of which, I just got another update,” Chase started. “Tyler Billings was involved in an auto accident four days ago. He’s in the hospital still. He doesn’t appear to be the person behind this. Whoever ordered those masks must have known Billings was in the hospital. Doll Man could have picked up the masks at the front door while Billings was laid up in a coma.”
“But there were masks inside,” Wilson said.
Chase shrugged. “Maybe this guy planted them there.”
Wilson muttered something under his breath and seemed to chew on the thought for a minute. “So this was just a smokescreen? A way to throw us off his trail again?”
Chase shrugged, his face appearing tense and his expression stormy. “That’s how it appears.”
I nibbled at the inside of my mouth,
fighting discouragement.
This person was always two steps ahead of us. Always.
How was that?
I didn’t know. But I didn’t like it.
Chapter Twenty
Chase went back to researching Tyler Billings more and looking for any possible connections that might lead us to the real bad guy. He’d barely glanced at me, and I knew I needed to give him time.
As I sat in the chair in the office, lights flickering above me, I closed my eyes. I’d love nothing more than to go home, but I knew I couldn’t. Since I was trapped here at the station, I decided to review everything I knew.
A man had abducted me. He had to have been planning it for several weeks in advance. Maybe he’d been watching me in the process, and those were the eyes I’d felt on me.
Somehow, he’d known I loved all things retro. He must have seen the article on developer Kurt Casey and decided the model home in the new neighborhood would be an ideal place to hold me captive. For some reason, this guy had killed Kurt and made it look like a suicide. That was my theory, at least.
Before he’d grabbed me, he’d had enough forethought to install cameras and microphones. He’d also put enough thought into this to steal Tyler Billings’ identity and order the creepy masks on his account, even get it sent to this other guy’s address.
What about the auto accident Tyler had been in? Was it truly an accident, and had the man just capitalized on it? Or had the man who’d abducted me somehow caused the accident?
Then came the twist that made me the most uncomfortable. I’d tried to get in contact with Barbara Jostens. Two weeks later, she turned up dead.
Two weeks ago was when I started feeling like someone was watching me. Coincidence? I had a hard time believing that.
What if this was all connected? What had Barbara known that had been worth killing over? Would I ever find out?
And what about Kari Leblanc? Was she innocent in this whole scheme? Had she told me the truth about her connection to me? Or was she somehow involved? Who was the man she’d been spotted with? Where had that blood come from? And where had she gone with the man in the expensive black car?
My head pounded. Nothing made sense. Nothing at all. I had too many questions and not enough answers.
And now my nosiness appeared to be ruining my newly rekindled relationship with Chase. Would I ever have the chance to tell him that I’d only looked into Hayden’s death as a way of trying to help him? I’d wanted him to have closure. It wasn’t about me or even about the two of us. It was about helping someone I cared about. But maybe I should have minded my own business. Chase had asked me to do that, and I hadn’t.
Someone else appeared at the door, this time a younger woman wearing a police uniform. “Excuse me, I’m looking for a Holly Anna Paladin.”
I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion before waving half-heartedly. Most people didn’t look for me at the police station. “That’s me.”
“Ms. Paladin, there’s someone here to see you.”
I pointed to myself, still uncertain I’d heard her correctly. “To see me?”
Who in the world knew I was here?
“That’s correct,” the woman said. “He says it’s important.”
First, someone had sent Jamie here under the guise of an emergency. Now, someone else had been sent here?
I didn’t like how much this guy knew about my schedule and my whereabouts. But I was really curious about who wanted to see me.
* * *
A few minutes later, a man with a partially bald head and the beginnings of a pudgy belly stepped into the doorway.
I’d never seen him before. He didn’t appear dangerous—he looked too out of shape for that.
His gaze fell on me. “Holly, I’m so glad you’re here.”
I stood, surprised that he’d recognized me. “And you are?”
He twisted his head as if confused. “I’m Mitch Kendrick.”
I shook my head, the name not ringing any bells. There was something major I was missing here, and I had no idea what.
“We’ve been texting.” He leaned forward and talked slowly, as if I had issues.
Realization hit me. I knew that Doll Man had sent texts on my behalf, but was he also intercepting my texts? And how did he know I was at the station right now?
My insides turned to ice—crackling cold ice.
I glanced at Wilson, who looked as concerned as I felt. He downed another handful of Tic Tacs like a drug addict swallowing pills.
Felix, the tech guy, still sat behind the desk, tapping away at my computer but occasionally glancing up like he was anxious to hear what was going on also.
Just to be safe, I was going to play along with this. “Texting . . . that’s right. But I feel like I’ve missed something.”
“I’m not sure what there is to miss,” Mitch started, moisture staining the shirt beneath his armpits. “I texted to see if we could meet. You said yes. I told you I was coming into town from Louisville today, and you said to come down to the station to talk.”
Louisville? That’s where Axon had been based and where Barbara had lived.
“Right.” I nodded, hating the off-balance feeling swirling in my head. So he was connected somehow to Axon and Barbara, I would guess.
“I can’t believe Barbara’s dead.” Mitch hung his head and his shoulders hunched with grief. “You’re the only one who can help.”
I sucked in a breath when he mentioned Barbara. As I observed his sadness.
Mitch was Barbara’s boyfriend, wasn’t he? It made sense.
I tried to search my memories. I’d looked at Barbara’s social media profiles. There had been a man with her in her more recent pictures. I was pretty sure that man was Mitch. He’d been wearing a baseball cap, though, which covered his baldness.
Wilson moved around to the front of the desk and leaned against it, then pointed to the chair beside me. “Have a seat.”
Mitch nervously lowered himself next to me, and I turned toward him, desperate for answers yet trying to play it cool—at least until we had more information.
“What brings you here, Mr. Kendrick?” Wilson asked.
“Barbara’s death, of course.” He sounded nearly winded as he sagged in the chair and ran a hand over his face. “Someone from that company she used to work for killed her. I just know it.”
My heart pounded against my chest as I processed his words. “Why do you think that? Barbara hasn’t worked for Axon in several years.”
“I know. But she realized they were up to something, and she was tired of being quiet.” He fanned his face. “Is it hot in here or is it just me?”
Wilson ignored his question. “I’m going to need to know what you know.”
Mitch shook his head rapidly and pulled something out of his pocket. “Of course. It’s all on here. Everything you need to bring that company down.”
Wilson took the jump drive from him and handed it to Felix. “Do you have a secure computer where we can run this?”
The tech grabbed a laptop from a bag on the floor and booted it up. “My computer has all the safeguards in place that we should need. No one should be able to hack into it.”
“Great,” Wilson said. “Let’s see what’s on that jump drive.”
The tech plugged it into his computer and tapped some keys. I could hardly breathe as I waited to find out what was on there. What kind of evidence did he have? Would it be something to close this case and point us to the real bad guy?
Part of me wanted to call Chase in here . . . then again, I knew we should wait. If this was nothing, I didn’t want to get his hopes up. Plus, I still wasn’t sure he wanted to see me.
My heart twisted at the conundrum. I really hoped the two of us could talk later. But right now, I’d deal with this issue.
Felix leaned closer to the screen. “It looks like Barbara had some official documents here from Axon.”
“What do they imply?” Wilson asked.
&nbs
p; The tech’s lips twisted. “That’s what I’m not sure about.”
Wilson crossed to the other side of the desk so he could see them also.
“It looks like large amounts of money were being exchanged,” Felix continued. “I’m just not sure if this was on or off the books.”
“Can we print the files and pour over them?” Wilson said. “There’s got to be something to this. Maybe it’s the link we’ve been looking for.”
“Absolutely.” Felix sucked in a quick breath, his eyes fastened to the screen. “Wait . . . “
“What’s wrong?” I asked, almost not wanting to know.
“The files . . .” Felix muttered. “They’re being deleted as we speak. I don’t think I can stop it.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“What?” Wilson leaned toward the desk, his eyes narrowing.
Felix typed furiously, his face reddening as his gaze intensified. “This shouldn’t be happening, not on this computer.”
“Can’t you stop it?” Wilson asked.
Felix grabbed the cord that connected his computer to the system. “I’m trying to stop it. But it appears the jump drive may have set off a virus in my computer.”
The man’s fingers moved so quickly that I could practically see steam coming from them. He seemed to be doing everything in his power to stop this. Would it be enough?
Please don’t let the files disappear. Please.
I glanced at Mitch. His face had gone pale also, but he said nothing, only waited.
Finally, Felix leaned back and shook his head as he stared at the computer screen. “It’s gone.”
“All of the files?” My voice came out as a high-pitched squeak. I couldn’t believe it. The evidence had just been there. We’d done the right thing and opened it on a safe computer with an experienced tech.
“I don’t know who these people are behind this,” Felix said. “But I’ve never seen anyone so brilliant. There’s no way he should have gotten through this firewall. No way.”
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