“How?”
“I don’t know yet. A feeling.”
She didn’t believe him. He saw it in her expression, the slight tightening of her jaw, the thinning of her mouth.
“What about the rest of the scene,” he asked. “What did you find?”
“Other than the kitchen, nothing out of order. No numbers carved into doors.”
“Both girls were celebrating their birthday.”
“All three girls,” he corrected. “I think Gomez is the one who got away.”
“Based on what?”
“The energy on her ID. And she disappeared.”
Mick shook her head. “She didn’t disappear. She checked out.”
“Think about this,” he said. “She leaves her home and abandons her job. Pretty drastic, wouldn’t you say?”
“Isn’t that the M.O. Teddy described? She decided it was time to move on.”
“Or she ran for her life.”
Mick snorted. “Again, based on what?”
“Look”— He stood and crossed to her—“if this thing is as big and bad as we think—”
“Back way up, Hollywood. We’re looking for a perp. Flesh and blood, two arms, two legs, the whole bit.”
“That’s what you’re looking for, Mick. That’s not what I’m tracking.” He held her gaze a moment, then turned away. “And I believe she came into contact with it.”
“We find her, maybe we find our perp.”
He agreed. “So, where’d she go?”
“Family member. Friend. Maybe she left the area.”
He hoped not. “Where’re Culpepper and Roberts?”
“Presently, going over the Miller report. If they spot something we missed, it’s really gonna chap my ass.”
“They won’t.”
“You didn’t shake hands with ’em. Why?”
She didn’t miss a thing. He’d have to remember that. “I couldn’t. My system was getting ready to completely short circuit. And without me and the energy, we’ve got pretty much zilch.”
“You’ve got confidence, Hollywood. I’ll give you that. But I promise you—”
His cell went off; he held up a hand stopping her. “Detective Harris.”
“What are you going to do now, Half Light?”
“Ms. Knight?” He motioned Mick, mouthed her name. She grabbed a notebook.
“I heard about the new girl.”
“New girl?”
“Putnam. We need to meet.”
“You know something about the girls?”
“Maybe.”
“You know who snatched them?”
“I know they’re in danger.”
“What kind of danger?”
“Tonight, Half Light. Midnight. Cafe du Monde.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Just you. No cops. No feds.”
“I am a cop.”
“This is between you and me. No one else. Or I don’t show.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Angel Gomez. I know where she is.”
Gomez. He’d been right, she was the one who got away.
She could lead him to the energy.
“Okay, I’ll be there.”
He re-holstered his phone and looked at Mick. “Knight wants to meet. Midnight. Cafe du Monde.”
“Why?”
“Something about the missing girls. She wasn’t specific, but said they’re in danger.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“She said she knows where Gomez is. Which answers our question of a moment ago.”
“She ran to Knight.” Mick hesitated a moment on that, then nodded. “Okay, good. We’ll be there.”
“Just me. She was insistent on it.”
“Oh hell no, Hollywood. That’s so not happening.”
Chapter Thirty
Saturday, July 13
11:54 P.M.
Zach sat at one of Cafe du Monde’s outdoor tables. He’d chosen a seat at the outer edge of the patio, in full sight of Mick. She’d refused to wait behind but had agreed to keep her distance, finding a spot on the Moon Walk above and behind him.
He wondered why Brite Knight had picked here to meet. The safety of a public place? The fact that here, no one would give them a second glance? Zach smiled to himself. Or like him, an unhealthy obsession with the sugary, dough bombs?
The waiter deposited his order, collected payment, and hurried to the next table. Zach checked his phone. Still not quite midnight. He dialed Mick, saw the connection had been made and laid his phone on the table. Low tech spy gear, he thought. Mick would be able to listen to their conversation, no warrant or wires required. Unless, of course, the fortune-teller caught on.
Zach had dealt with the fact that Mick might hear something he’d rather she didn’t—things that he’d deliberately kept from her, but he figured the inevitable end to that was coming anyway.
He took a giant bite of a beignet and powdered sugar went everywhere. He heard Mick’s snort of amusement, and he grinned. So much for absolute silence on the line.
He wiped his mouth, then dropped the used napkin over the phone just as the cathedral bells began ringing out the hour.
She’s coming.