I went through every drawer, cabinet, and closet in Cassie’s place in search of any scrap of evidence I could use to locate her. My gut told me it was a waste of time. The trail started at the triple-homicide crime scene with her watch. She’d intentionally left it there knowing three detectives would be by at some point.
But it only told us she had been there.
Where was she now?
I paced down the dark hallway, checking my cell every few seconds, hoping a text or call would come in from Pennington or Cervantes. I’d already looked past Pennington’s behavior earlier today. He was in the same place I was. Scared shitless for Cassie. That would affect any man’s emotions. Sure as hell did mine. On any other day, I’d have knocked him flat out.
At least they couldn’t suspend me in Savannah.
In one of the kitchen drawers there was a keychain with five or so keys attached to it. I grabbed it and tested each in the front door. One matched. I removed it from the chain and tucked it in my wallet so I could lock up on my way out. No sense in letting anyone inside the house to cover up their tracks.
Back outside, the humidity enveloped me. It was more stifling today than it had been. That was saying something. The day had started off sunny, but now the skies thickened with dark gray. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Maybe the rain could wash the last eight hours or so away.
I imagined by this point the forensics team was combing through the crime scene again for clues as to Cassie’s disappearance. It was their job, of course. And things had to be done by the book. But little doubt was left in my mind who perpetrated the crime.
I knew little about the man aside from the few details Cassie had told me over the years. I put the chances of anyone inside the Chatham-Savannah Police Department telling me any more about Novak at less than slim. If I didn’t come up with something helpful on my own, they’d blacklist me from participating in the investigation. That’d be a bad idea.
The first raindrops thudded on the ground, prompting me to get back to the rental. A sheet of rain raced toward me. I managed to slide into the car as the brunt of the storm hit. After wiping my hands off on my jeans, I pulled out my cell and placed a call.
“‘Bout damn time you called me back,” Sam said.
“Look, bro, I know you’re ready to light into me, but we got a hell of a situation down here.”
Sam’s tone changed. “What’s going on?”
“Any chance you can get away for a couple days?”
“None.”
“You sure?”
“I really doubt it.” He paused for a beat. “You’re making me a bit uneasy. What’s this about? You still in Savannah?”
“Yeah, man, I’m here. Hang on.” I took a moment to compose myself. There weren’t many people I could unload my feelings on, but Sam was one. “Cassie’s been abducted.”
“Shit. You’re kidding right? This ain’t for real.”
“Yeah, it’s for real. And that’s not the worst part.”
Sam said nothing. His heavy breathing filled the line.
“Novak got her,” I said.
“You sure?”
“No doubt in my mind. Turns out the sonofabitch escaped from prison three weeks ago. These assholes down here didn’t bother to warn her because someone had told Novak that Cassie was in the witness relocation program. He’d never find her. And remember, he never knew her identity. Never saw her outside of the time he attacked her, and that was in the dark of night.”
“So they figured she was safe,” Sam said. “Maybe letting her know would somehow draw his attention toward her, or at the least, cause her undue anxiety.”
“With that girl, you never can tell.”
“What’s that?” he said.
“What?” I said.
“You said ‘that girl.’ You don’t speak like that usually.”
“Shut up, man.” I dropped the shifter into gear and eased away from Cassie’s house. “Anyway, look, I need you to do me a favor.”
“What’s up?”
“Get me anything and everything you can on Novak. I need you to dig for me, Sam. Find out who he talked to most at the prison if you can. What he preferred for lunch. His favorite porn. Anything and everything.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“One more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Get whatever you got going on wrapped up and see if you can get a couple days off.”
“It won’t happen, Mitch. We’re seriously strapped with you out and a couple guys on special assignment. But, hey, if I can string two days off in a row, I’m there, bro.”
We wrapped up the call. I drove around the city for a half-hour before returning to the apartment to grab a shower and change of clothes. I wasn’t sure where I’d go next, but I had to stay active. Proactive. An idle mind was the tool of the devil. Sam would turn something up soon. Hopefully it was something I could take and run with.
I parked the car about a block away from the apartment. The rain had let up. A tenor sax saturated the air with jazz that sounded like smoke and velvet. The guy playing in the square looked too young to know the tune. Hell, his sax was older than him. He’d lived that song, though. The goosebumps on my arm were a testament to that.
Twenty-plus years as a cop had taught me how to compartmentalize. It was a necessary evil. If I hadn’t learned the skill, I’d have been out after five years. But it was only possible to stifle your feelings so much. Everything you shut out returned eventually. Usually with the force of an eighteen-wheeler slamming into a house made of matches.
And as I opened the door to my home away from home, leaving the steamy city behind for the frigid air inside, Cassie’s predicament slammed right into me. Was it her reaching out to me?
“I’m here, Cassie,” I whispered.
I hadn’t managed to get the door shut when a car squealed to a stop on the street behind me.
“Tanner,” Cervantes yelled. “We need to talk to you.”