In the Nighthawk Security office at their long conference table, Erik described the new safe house location to Drake and Natalie. So far Drake approved. From their father’s days at PPB, he knew of an old lodge out in the middle of nowhere. The owners rented the former resort to groups, and PPB had used it for getaway weekends. He was more than willing to rent it to the Byrd’s for a few days.
“So there’s plenty of room for everyone and no connection to us.” Erik grabbed a handful of peanut M&Ms from a bowl on the table, and sat back, looking pleased with himself.
“What about the ability to set up an early warning situation?” Drake asked.
“It has a private drive, so we have someone stationed at the road just like at the cabin.”
“Good. Good.” Drake gave his brother a fist bump.
“How are the children doing with the change?” Natalie asked.
Erik crunched his candy then swallowed to face Natalie. “Sadie and Logan are doing good. Mom’s keeping them busy. Willow is still sulking. Keeps asking when Drake will be back.”
Natalie looked at Drake. “You made a friend.”
“We connected, but honestly, I think it was a fluke.” Drake shifted his focus to his brother. “Now tell me why you’re here.”
“I did everything I could to find internet videos for Tracey and a video channel for Laura. Thought maybe the information about the makeup channel from Odell and Tracey’s videos might connect the two of them. Then in turn link her to Gentry.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Drake said. “So what did you find?”
“Nada.” Erik looked at his hand as he turned the colorful M&M’s. “But my gut says there’s something there. So I asked Nick to work his magic for us. Do a more detailed search. He’s swamped and can’t do it right away, but he agreed to show me how to dig deeper. We’re meeting in an hour.”
“Good work.” Drake was about to elaborate on his praise for his little brother taking initiative when the office phone rang. The blinking light indicated an internal call.
“It’s Sierra.” He stabbed the button to put her on speaker. “Hey, sis. Baby coming?”
“No!” she said emphatically. “It’s the FBI. They’re in the lobby demanding that I turn over the blouse.”
Great. Just great. The last thing Drake needed was more bad news. Was it too much to ask for a break?
He gripped the receiver as tightly as he could to keep from snapping at his sister. The FBI being here wasn’t her fault.
And not a surprise to Drake. “We knew this might happen.”
“I know, but I’m not finished, and I don’t want to hand it over.” Sierra’s breath came in a long sigh over the speaker. “What do you want me to do?”
“Hang tight. I’ll be right down and we can talk about it.” He hung up and focused on Natalie. “You can stay here with Erik or come with me.”
“With you,” Natalie said.
Erik popped a green candy in his mouth and chewed. “If you decide to grab some dinner, I’d be all over that.”
“You got it.” Drake opened the door for Natalie.
Drake looked at Natalie. “It’s only two floors. Stairs okay?”
She stood. “Moving sounds good after all the time we spent sitting today.”
“Then let’s move.” Drake quickly led her to the other tower then pressed the fingerprint reader outside the stairwell, and they started down to the second floor. He could easily imagine the FBI chomping at the bit in the lobby, trying to bully the sweet receptionist, Lily. She might be sweet, but she knew how to hold her own and how to keep law enforcement officers at bay. They frequently stopped by thinking a visit would get their results faster, and she sent them packing.
As Drake jogged down the steps, his mind ran over possible ways they could keep the blouse here until Sierra finished her work. But when he opened the door to her lab, he hadn’t come up with a good answer. He’d barely noticed Natalie behind him so he paused to refocus. Her safety still had to be top priority, even in a secure building.
He opened the door, and they hurried to the lab.
At the door, she looked at him. “What are you going to tell Sierra to do?”
He pressed his fingers on the reader. “No idea. Except not turn it over.”
They entered the lab where Sierra’s assistant and two techs were working at tables to the left. Though they had state-of-the-art filtering systems, the usual chemical odor filled the air. Straight ahead, Sierra was leaning over a stainless steel table covered with white paper. Tracey’s blouse with a blood stain the size of a small fist lay spread out in front of Sierra.
She glanced up. “Good. I’m glad you came right down. Go ahead and have a seat, Natalie, while we work this out.”
“Thanks.” Natalie slipped onto a nearby stool. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Pray for a miracle.” Sierra wrinkled her nose and changed her focus to Drake. “What do you want me to do?”
She wasn’t going to like his answer, but it was the best he had. “Tell them it’s missing.”
“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I would ever tell the FBI that we lost evidence. Would do wonders for our reputation. Besides, you know I won’t lie.”
“Yeah, I know.” Drake shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, then…then…refuse to give it to them.”
She sat on a stool and rubbed her back. “You know I can’t refuse the FBI.”
“Sure you can,” he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. “They didn’t submit the evidence to you, so they have no right to take it. Unless they have a warrant, which I doubt.”
“Technically you’re right.” She shifted on the stool as if getting comfortable at this state of pregnancy wasn’t easy. “But we all know they’re working a joint investigation with PPB.”
He didn’t want to argue, but… “The evidence was submitted under an investigation unrelated to the task force. I assume PPB still has it classified as such. So you do actually have the right to refuse them.”
“Okay.” She pushed off the stool. “I’ll try that, but you come stand by the door and keep it cracked open. Give me three minutes and then tell me you need my attention. It’s not a lie. You do need me to get back to the blouse.”
“Okay. That I can do.”
“Chad,” she called out to her assistant. “I’m stepping out for a moment but leaving Natalie here. She’s all yours.”
Sierra marched off. Or more accurately, lumbered off, and Drake trailed after her.
She glanced over her shoulder. “And you better hope this doesn’t come back to bite us or Reed.”
“He’s tough. He can handle it.” At least Drake hoped so. Politics ran deep in law enforcement agencies, and the FBI wasn’t any different.
She called Lily on the way to the elevator and told her she would talk to the agent outside the door on the first floor.
“So how are things going?” she asked in the elevator.
“Not much progress, but everyone’s safe, so that’s a big win.”
She nodded. “And you and Natalie. How’s that progressing?”
“Come on now,” he said. “You did not pick up on vibes between us in that short visit to the lab.”
“The matchmaking is strong in the Byrd females.” She chuckled as she leaned against the back wall.
“Then thank goodness you’re having a boy.” He smiled.
“I hope anyway.” She cupped her belly. “Not that it’s not a boy, but that I’m having him soon.”
He took a good look at her. “You look uncomfortable. I can’t even imagine. I mean you’re growing a human. How cool is that?”
“Way cool.” She smiled, a dreamy kind that he’d only seen when she looked at Reed.
What would Natalie look like pregnant with his child? Man, oh, man. Where did that come from? Seriously, he was way out of his element here.
“I knew it!” Sierra pushed off the wall. “You’re thinking about Natalie, and you have a thing for her. Your look just told me.”
“You cannot possibly know I was thinking about her.”
“No, but you just told me.” The doors opened, and she gave him a playful grin.
“Showtime.” She stepped into the hallway and to the lobby door.
He held it open far enough so he could see her and the agent and hear how she handled him, but not be seen by the agent.
“Sierra Rice,” she said. “What can I do for you?”
“Special Agent Ewing.” He flashed credentials. “I’m here to collect evidence from the Gentry missing person’s investigation.”
“Sorry, what investigation?” Sierra had participated in community drama when in high school, and she actually sounded like she hadn’t a clue what he was requesting.
“Come on, now, Mrs. Rice.” He shoved his creds into a sleek suit pocket. “You know what I’m talking about.”
“We process evidence for many law enforcement agencies, so I don’t know the details of every investigation we’re working.” She clamped her hands on her lower back. “But now that I think about it, I don’t know of any evidence we’re currently handling for the FBI.”
Ewing didn’t stand a chance with Sierra. Drake had seen her in action as a teenager and already knew she was a master at telling the truth but still being very evasive.
Ewing widened his stance. “The evidence was submitted by Detective Archibald at PPB.”
“Detective Archibald. Yeah sure. I know him. We’ve handled evidence for him in the past. But if what you’re looking for was submitted by him, I’ll need a transmittal form to return it to him. He has an account and can complete the form online.” She turned to leave.
“Come on now, Mrs. Rice.” His sharp tone had her looking back. “That’s all going to take some time, and this evidence is top priority for our investigation.”
“You’re working this missing person’s investigation now?” she asked.
“We are. Now will you retrieve the evidence, or do I need to go over your head?”
“Sierra,” Drake called out. “I need you in the lab. Now.”
“Gotta go,” Sierra said. “Give me your card. I’ll look up the information and get back to you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He glared at her. “I’ll wait right here.”
“Then I’ll get back to you within the hour.”
He flashed a card, but as she reached out for it, he held on to the end. “Seems to me you’re stalling. You haven’t lost the evidence, have you?”
She stood straight, her back up. “Never. Our evidence is secure and tracked. In fact, we recently started using RFID tags to monitor every item.”
“Radio frequency identification,” the guy said, sounding impressed. “Then you should be able to locate it immediately.”
“I’ll do my best. Now I really must go.” She pulled the card from his fingers.
Drake held the door for her, and she marched through the opening.
In the elevator, she got out a small box of raisins from her lab coat. “You are so going to owe me, little brother.”
“You handled him really well.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see how I handle it when he gets mad in an hour and insists on seeing me again.” She stabbed the fourth floor button and leaned back to open the box. “I wouldn’t put it past this guy or his supervisor to call Reed to put pressure on me.”
“And will Reed do that?”
“He’ll have my back, but he’s going to ask about it, and I won’t lie to him or sidestep.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“Wouldn’t you?” She sighed and popped a few raisins in her mouth “No. That’s not fair. You wouldn’t. I’m just confusing you with every officer out there who wants something and will go to any lengths to get it.”
“Guess that’s what I just did,” he admitted. “There’s just so much at stake here.”
“As there is for most every investigation we work on,” she said. “We don’t work the basic breaking-and-entering cases, but we take on murder and other major crimes.”
“Yeah, I know, and I’m pushing you on this. Sorry.”
She waved a hand as she swallowed. “I’ll do whatever I can within reason to help you.” A cute grin crossed her face. “Besides, I’ll always have bragging rights that I helped bring The Clipper to justice.”
“You are the best sister ever.” He scooped her into a hug.
“Don’t I know it.”
The doors opened, and she waddled down the hall to her lab, tossing raisins in her mouth on the way. The moment she stepped inside, she tossed the raisin box and clapped her hands. “Okay, everyone. Join me at my table. We have less than an hour to finish processing this blouse, and it’s at least four hours of work. So let’s get moving.”
“How is that even possible?” Drake trailed behind her and gave Natalie a smile as he passed her.
Sierra stepped behind her table. “We pull out our lab-on-a-chip and give it the best test it’s had yet.”
“Lab-on-a-chip?” Natalie asked.
Sierra slipped on gloves with practiced ease. “A microfluidic device we’re testing for the manufacturers.”
“Oh, right, that explains it.” Drake rolled his eyes.
Sierra pulled a box out from under the table. “I don’t have time for a detailed explanation, but think pregnancy test. We load a sample into the device and get a yes or no. No means move on. Yes, means human DNA is present and will be great for profiling.”
“And that means, you can finish the blouse before the agent gets too cranky?” Drake asked.
Sierra looked up and smiled. “That’s my plan, and we should soon know if there’s DNA other than Tracey Gentry’s on her blouse. If so, I’ll get it down to Emory to process.” Sierra looked at Natalie. “She’s our DNA expert.”
“How long before she’ll have results?” Drake asked.
“She could better tell you, but a minimum of twenty-four hours.”
“I was hoping you’d say sooner than that,” Drake said. “But I know you’re doing this as fast as possible.”
Drake moved back to Natalie’s location to watch Sierra work for a minute.
“This is exciting and boring at the same time,” she whispered.
He laughed, the sound bouncing off the high ceiling.
“We’re working here,” Sierra called out without looking up. “And on a tight deadline. So behave or take off.”
“Guess we’ve been told,” Drake whispered, grinning at Natalie.
“Guess so.”
They fell silent, and he studied Natalie as she intently watched his sister and her team pour over the fabric.
“Got something here.” She leaned closer. “Another speck of blood. Could be Tracey’s or belong to someone else. Won’t know until Emory processes it.”
Drake’s phone rang with a call from Erik. Drake answered.
“I’ve been monitoring Gentry’s phone,” Erik said.
“How did you do that?”
“Don’t ask. Anyway, the body shop that’s fixing his car, left a message on his voicemail. His car is finished and ready for pick up.”
Drake had no idea how his little brother pulled this off, but he owed him big time. “Give me the name and address of the body shop, and we’ll head over there right now.”
Natalie walked next to Drake in the parking lot that surrounded the small body shop. The scent of paint clung to the air. Despite it being dinner time, the sun was still high in the sky and wouldn’t set until after eight, but the temps had dropped and a cool wind blew over the lot.
Drake took her elbow and drew her close to lead her toward the small building with bright blue paint and striped awning. She had to smile at his protectiveness even though Kirk was smart enough to know that once the police located his car, they would stake the place out and that would be the last place he would want to be.
At the shop door, Drake shifted the hard case he was carrying and peered through the glass. “There’s a security camera by the register. Keep your head down and take a seat in the corner right away. It’ll be out of the camera’s angle.”
She followed directions and tried not to look suspicious as she dropped onto a hard plastic chair. She’d developed an honesty gene when she was a kid, thanks to her pastor. Her parents dropped her and Gina off at church and picked them up after service. Not because their parents thought it was necessary for their upbringing, but because they wanted a couple of hours alone. Her stomach churned over their deception, but she knew this could be the best way to find Kirk.
After her dad had walked out on them, her mom stopped taking them to church, but Natalie always found a ride for her and Gina because even as a kid, Natalie knew she needed God in her life. He was her only hope in her dismal world. If only she could share that hope with the children she worked with. Alas, her job prohibited it. The best she could do was to refer them to church-based resources.
She looked around the tidy shop where the odor of paint and rubber grew stronger. A cute blond that Natalie put in her late teens sat behind the tall reception desk looking bored. Her eyes perked up when Drake approached the counter, and she gave him a dazzling smile. “Can I help you?”
Drake casually leaned on the counter, keeping the case that he carried out of view, and returned her smile. “Someone left a message about picking up a car for Kirk Gentry.”
“Right. It was me. I left the message.”
“Great. If you’ll just give us the keys, we’ll get going.”
“Let me pull up your record to be sure there aren’t any charges.”
Natalie sure hoped insurance was taking care of the bill, or Drake was going to have to do some fast thinking as he couldn’t produce a credit card in Kirk’s name. But she didn’t doubt for one second that he would figure it out if needed and achieve his goal.
The young woman squinted as she stared at the screen. “Here you are. You’re one of the lucky ones. Insurance’s covering it all, and you’re good to go.” She reached for a folder with keys attached and laid it in front of Drake. “Just need you to sign here.”
Natalie watched him scribble something on the pad then snatch up the keys. “Thanks for your help. Where’s the car?”
“Spot seven.”
Drake spun and held out his hand for Natalie. She rushed out the door. “You know we’re likely on several cameras, right?”
“Probably. But I’m going to call Londyn as soon as we’re done to tell her where to find the car. Hopefully, when we locate Gentry for her, she’ll choose not to bring any charges against me.”
Natalie stared at him. “You mean us.”
“I’ll make sure she knows I dragged you along, so you won’t be charged with anything.” He pointed ahead. “There it is. The red Mazda Miata. Sweet car.”
Natalie recognized Kirk’s flashy red sports car all repaired and shiny clean.
Drake held the remote in his hand, and the locks opened. “Keyless entry.”
He put on gloves, opened his case, and held it out to her. “Hold this for a minute, would you?”
She took it. “You never said what’s in here.”
He leaned into the car. “It’s a toolkit. I have to take a few things apart to access the telematics and infotainment system.”
“And you just happen to know where that is on a Miata?”
“Nah. Erik texted the information to me.”
She grew more impressed with the Byrd brother’s skills all the time. “I get that the infotainment system can give you the GPS and things like phone calls and internet access—stuff like that—but what are telematics?”
He grabbed a tool from the kit and leaned back into the car. “It’s kind of the black box of a car. It stores turn-by-turn navigation, speed, acceleration, and deceleration information. It can even tell us where the lights were switched on, the doors were opened, seat belts put on, or airbags deployed. So we can tell how many people were in the vehicle at any given time.”
She’d never heard of that. “Is that just for a Miata?”
“Most newer cars record that information.”
“And you know how to access it? I thought Erik was your electronics guy.”
Drake lifted out a cable from the toolbox. “This hardware kit provides the cables and interface boards I need.”
“So we can print out the information when we get back to your office and figure out where he’s been.”
“Not quite that easy. Erik will need to use specialized software to review the data and track what was going on with the infotainment unit at the same time. That will give us the most complete picture of Gentry’s whereabouts.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe all that information is there waiting for you to access.”
“It’s not always available.” He looked over his shoulder. “There are companies out there who provide owners with a service to clear their history. Sort of like you clear your internet history.”
“But why do that if you’re not up to no good?”
He backed out of the vehicle and took the toolkit. “Because someone could access the info and use it against you. And some people are just freaks about privacy. We use the service to clear our history when we close-out a case so no one can track our clients.”
She shook her head. “All this interconnectivity is great, but nothing is private anymore.”
“That’s the truth.” He glanced around the lot. “Keep your eyes open, and give me a heads up for anyone coming.”
She did as asked, but kept checking to see what he was doing too. He removed a car panel and unhooked connectors, which he promptly connected to a device from his toolkit. Time ticked slowly by as she nervously watched around them. She felt like a kid waiting to be caught and was thankful when he closed up the panel and snapped the toolkit lid closed.
“Finished. Let’s go.” He flashed her another smile, and they hurried to the SUV. He set the toolkit in the back seat and slid behind the wheel then called Erik.
“Yo,” Erik answered over the speaker. “Get the data?”
“I did, and we’re heading straight back there. I wanted to make sure you were ready and had everything you need to process it when we get back.”
“I can do it, but I think there might be a faster method. I’m heading down to see Nick, and I’ll ask if he’s written an algorithm that can process the data faster.”
“Great idea,” Drake said. “We’ll be back in less than thirty.”
“If you want me to do this quickly, bring burgers and fries. And a chocolate shake. Maybe two.”
“Two?”
“I’m still a growing boy.” He laughed and hung up.
Drake turned to smile at Natalie. “Won’t be long now, and we could very well know where to find Gentry.”