“Any idea who?”
“No. One of the women I talked to said that Dirk mentioned making a mistake with a woman who was too close to home. He was talking about breaking up with her days before his death.”
“It’s Sophie,” he said under his breath.
“What did you say?”
“It has to be Sophie.”
“Was she pregnant?”
“Not that I know of.”
“The woman we’re looking for was pregnant at the time. Dirk wanted her to get rid of the baby.”
Jason looked suddenly pale.
“Are you okay?” She walked over to him and put her arms around him.
Jason pulled her close, their faces touching. Grief for all he’d lost floated downward and settled in his gut like a heavy rock thrown into a pool of water. For the first time, the realization that the killer was more than likely someone he knew and trusted was almost too much to bear. For eight years he’d been treated like scum. Why? For what? Who hated him that much?
And then there was Angela Chack, a woman he hardly knew, putting everything on the line for him. Without her, he never would have made it this far. Without her, he never would have believed that there was still good in the world.
He pulled her closer yet, covering her mouth with his, and in that moment he was taken to another place. She tasted like springtime, and everything he’d missed out on these past years.
Much too soon, she put her hands on his chest and gently pushed away, just enough so she could look into his eyes. “We can’t do this. Certainly not now. If it’s Sophie, that would mean we’re being watched.”
“You’re right. Not the best timing.” He wasn’t ready to let her go, but he took her hand in his.
She smiled up at him.
“Life can certainly get crazy,” he said. “I hate that you’ve become a part of my mess, but I’m grateful for everything you’ve done…and to have you here.”
“You already know I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t stand the idea of you being dragged back to prison.”
“Listen,” he said, pushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes. “I talked to someone in finance at D.M.S. The computers from Viro Pro, along with files, are being stored in a warehouse not too far from here. Forms need to be filled out at the corporate office if I want the computer back.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to break into the warehouse tonight.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No. You need to stay here.” He looked into her eyes. “I want you safe and out of harm’s way.”
“If Sophie is our girl, then I’m no safer here. I’m coming with you.”
Chapter Fourteen
They parked in a dirt lot behind the warehouse and donned dark caps and gloves.
Jason looked at Angela. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Let’s do this.”
As they left the car, he hoisted a backpack filled with the tools he’d found at the house. Angela walked quietly by his side. If something went wrong, if an alarm went off or the cops showed up, Angela was to drop everything and run back to the car. She carried the key. Under no circumstance was she to wait for him.
Don’t be foolish, he’d told her more than once. Drive off. Get away.
The night was warm, bordering on balmy. They had used the Internet to get a bird’s eye view of place ahead of time. It was a large freestanding building, twenty thousand square feet of space.
As they drew closer, Jason heard traffic coming from Sunrise Blvd. He moved slowly around the outside of the building, shining the beam of his flashlight over the stucco.
“What are you looking for?”
“The keypad that would be used for the alarm. Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Moving with quick, light steps, he disappeared around the building. When he returned, he peered inside a low window, checking in every direction. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t see any sign that the place has been wired with alarms. There could be motion detectors above the doors, but the windows are clear.”
***
She picked up the phone and headed into the other room so she wouldn’t be heard. “What the hell is going on? Your time is almost up.”
“My men have their sights on him now. You were right. They were able to follow that Sophie woman right to him. The bad news is that Jason was just taking off in a Volvo, and he wasn’t alone.”
“Did Sophie see you?”
“No.”
“Who’s he with?”
“Not the girl from the morgue. This woman had dark hair. She was petite, pretty.”
“Jesus. Are you going to tell me what she was wearing next? Where are they now?”
“Calm down. They’re in Sacramento, checking out a storage area.”
“What’s he doing there?”
“I have no idea. But I do know it’ll all be over soon.”
“Call me back when it’s done.”
She hung up the phone, then cursed under her breath.
“Is there a problem?”
“Go back to bed. Everything’s fine.”
“You know I worry about you. You should get some sleep.”
“I will.”