It was nearly a quarter past one in the morning, but he’d try the office phone first. Reece didn’t have any kind of life, but even if he was at home, he’d have the office cell with him. Greer didn’t trust landlines so all business was conducted on burner phones.
The earlier rain had washed away the humidity in the air, leaving the night clear and cool. For once, all was quiet. He knew the party on Duval Street was probably just now swinging into high gear, but this end of town had called it a night early. No music came from the beach, not even the lone guitar that often strummed through the night until the first rays of morning spread over the ocean.
Jude stayed underneath the portico, sat in one of the wicker chairs, and stared at his phone. Pruitt’s lawyer had left three voice mails. He ignored them, but then scrolled blindly through his missed call list, stalling for time. Man, he really didn’t want to make this call.
The pat-pat-pat of soft paws caught his attention, and he lifted his gaze to see Sam had followed him outside. The big cat stopped in front of him, blinked its green eyes, twitched its tail, and in one mighty leap, landed gracefully on his lap.
“Damn cat,” Jude grumbled, but then heard the rhythmic purr pumping from the animal’s throat, and his heart melted just a bit. So maybe he could forgive the beast for scratching Libby all to hell.
Sam rubbed against his hand still holding the cell phone, almost as if assuring him it would all be okay. He sighed in surrender and scratched the cat’s white chin. “All right, Fuzz Butt. You’re cute. Sorta. But don’t tell Libby I said that. She’d have way too much fun I-told-ya-so-ing me.”
Purring like an outboard motor, Sam walked in a circle, plopped down on Jude’s lap, shot a leg into the air, and proceeded to lick his balls. Or the spot where his balls should have been. Poor animal had been snipped. Jude winced and resisted to urge to reach between his own legs to protect his equipment.
“Yeah, you won major sympathy points there, pal.” He rubbed a hand down the cat’s back, then gave him a light push. “Now get gone. Go cuddle up to Libby. She needs it, and I have a phone call to make.”
As if Sam understood, he jumped down and trotted into the house, still purring. Jude watched until the cat disappeared from sight, then turned his gaze back to the phone. Started to dial. Stopped. Tossed the phone from hand to hand.
“Goddammit.”
He hit speed dial before he could talk himself out of it. It rang twice—once more than usual—and to his surprise, Camden answered, sounding as if he hadn’t been to bed yet.
“You got Greer’s message?” he asked.
The tension seeped out of Jude like water from a sieve. Cam, he could talk to easily without the conversation devolving into a shouting match. “About K-Bar’s disappearance? Yeah. Where did that intel come from?”
“One of my informants,” Cam said and bit into something with a loud crunch. Probably one of the carrot sticks he’d taken to eating like candy after he quit smoking last year. “Soup’s reliable. Strung out, but his info’s always solid. He says K-Bar wouldn’t skip because Mama K-Bar put up her house for bond and her son wouldn’t want her ending up homeless. I believe him.”
“So where does that leave us?”
“I spent my day casting a net. If he shows anywhere in the city, we’ll be the first to know.”
“He may not be in the city,” Jude said and told Cam about the car that had been tailing them tonight. His brother reacted about like expected, with a litany of ear-blistering and creative curses.
He waited until Cam took a breath and added, “Which is why I need Reece to work his computer magic and lay a virtual trail to anywhere other than Key West.”
“Not happening. Reece is out,” Camden said. A tab popped on a can in the background. A beer, no doubt. Man, Jude could use one himself.
“What do you mean, out?”
“He took a home security contract that came in yesterday.”
“Fuck.” He dragged his hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. Sighed. Really, he didn’t know why he was surprised. “The last time we spoke, he wasn’t happy with me.”
“So what else is new?”
“But I never thought he’d actually leave me hanging.”
“You did almost blow the mission wide open. You endangered Libby Pruitt’s life.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” Cam said, sounding not the least bit apologetic. Actually, there was a thick undercurrent of pissed off in his voice. “I have to side with Reece on this one. You were careless.”
“C’mon! There was no real threat in anyone seeing that Internet video and linking me to Libby. Not unless they wanted to dig back eight years and even then, it would be a difficult connection to make. I already told you I was careful about who saw us together.”