SHE SOUNDED DESPERATE. On edge. He stood, exhilaration bolting through him.
“Harry!”
He couldn’t help it. He’d not heard from his partner since she disappeared from the airport. Vada stood with him, her face tense.
“Harry, where are you? Are you okay? Tell me where you are. I’ll come get you.”
“I’m in communication with Regan,” she said, ignoring his pleas.
Whitt’s mouth became dry. “What?”
“He’s started calling me,” Harry said. “He was behind the shooting at the station. He went to—”
“—to steal your records. We know.”
“He has everything on me, and he says things are about to get personal.” She paused, trying to catch her breath. “We have to think about what that means. He’s got information on all my former partners. You. Pops. Everyone there is at risk. I think he’s going to try to come after someone I love. You better warn my mother, I guess.”
“Why is he doing this?” Whitt asked. “What’s the connection between him and Sam?”
“I don’t know.” Whitt could almost hear the fury rising in her voice. “He’s doing this because he’s got spiders crawling around in his shriveled little brain. Whatever the reason he chose Sam, Sam’s gone now. He’s shifted his focus to me. You’ve got to be careful, Whitt.”
“I will, I—”
“He knows where you live. He knows…He knows everything.”
“Harry, you’ve got to come in. We can work with you. We can put a trace on his phone.”
“You won’t be able to trace his phone any more than you’ll be able to trace mine.”
“Come in,” Whitt begged. “Harry, please. We’ll help you find him.”
There was a pause. The line went dead. Whitt looked at the disconnect screen on his phone and felt an urge to throw it across the room.
“Fuck!” he snapped. Placed the phone down carefully. “Sorry. Sorry.”
“This is so irresponsible.” Vada shook her head. Her face and neck were flushed. “So reckless.” Whitt didn’t answer. He didn’t have the strength to defend Harry now. Regan Banks did indeed know where he lived and had attacked him there before. He wondered if he should get a hotel room. If he should request an officer be posted to watch over Tox Barnes in hospital.
They sank slowly into their seats, the weight of the work before them filling Whitt with dread.
“Don’t lose heart,” Vada said. “We will find him.”
“Or he’ll find one of us,” Whitt answered.