29

Adam looked from Anissa back to the photo on his screen. “How on earth would this guy have gotten this picture? And why? It’s not like it’s a current photo to help him know who he was looking for. In fact, you have to look closely to even realize it’s Sabrina. She was a little girl . . .” Adam didn’t like the direction his thoughts were going.

“I’m calling Claire.”

Anissa pushed the speaker button on his phone and paced in a circle around his desk while he dialed.

He didn’t bother with any pleasantries when Claire answered. “The photograph of the young girl and the woman you found in the guy’s pocket. Was there anything on it? Any writing? Any notes on the back?”

“Uh, hello to you too. Hang on a second. Let me look.”

Adam counted to twenty before Claire responded. “There’s something written in Spanish. Mamá y hermana.”

Mom and sister? Was it possible?

“Adam? What’s going on?” Claire asked.

Adam looked at Anissa while he answered Claire. “I think our killer may have been Sabrina’s brother.”

Anissa dropped her head into her hands. “I killed her brother! Are you kidding me? She’s going to hate me.”

Adam pulled her hands away from her face. “You killed the man trying to kill her. If she struggles with this, it won’t be because you killed him. It will be because she’s trying to figure out why on earth he was trying to kill her. I don’t think she even knew he existed.”

He leaned toward the phone. “Hey, Claire, I’m going to need to know anything and everything you can give me on our guy. Anything identifying about him. Tattoos, birthmark. An estimate of age. Nothing is too inconsequential. And I need it yesterday.”

“Got it. I’ll call when I have something.”

After he disconnected the call with Claire, he redialed Sabrina.

“What are you doing?” Anissa asked.

“Trying to call Sabrina again.”

“You can’t tell her something like this over the phone.” Anissa was not handling this well. She looked like she was going to cry.

“I’m not going to tell her anything over the phone. I’m going to tell her I need to talk to her about the case and ask her if she’ll come here. Or offer to go there.”

“Oh. Right.” The fight dissipated from Anissa and she leaned against his desk. “Good idea. Sorry.”

The phone rang.

He put his hand over the speaker. “It’s okay. And you’ll be okay. She won’t hold it against you.”

Anissa huffed. “I hope you’re right, but you’ll forgive me if I don’t hold my breath. People get really funny when you kill their siblings.”

Gabe and Ryan walked up in time to hear Anissa’s final hissed words. Gabe leaned in close and whispered. “Whose sibling was killed?”

“Sabrina’s.” Adam and Anissa answered at the same time.

“She has a sibling?” Ryan shook his head. “What have we missed?”

“Had a sibling,” Anissa corrected him. “A brother. Who tried to kill her, and I shot him.”

“Her brother tried to kill her?” Gabe turned to Ryan. “We’ve missed a lot.”

When his call went to voicemail, Adam disconnected the call and grabbed his cell phone.

Anissa was filling Gabe and Ryan in on the photograph, but Adam wasn’t paying attention. When Sabrina had set up her new phone earlier in the week, they’d both turned on the “find my friends” locator app. She could find him—and he could find her—or least find her phone.

“She’s not answering, but her phone is at her house.”

“Maybe she turned it off so she could sleep. She’s basically been awake for the past week.” Gabe took a sip of coffee.

Anissa took the coffee from Gabe and turned to Ryan. “Why are you letting him drink coffee? He needs to sleep.”

“He won’t listen to me,” Ryan said. “You talk some sense into him.”

Adam was done trying to be nice. He called dispatch. “Can you get me the deputy who is at Dr. Sabrina Fleming’s house?”

He listened in shock as the dispatcher told him there was no one there. “Guys!” The three investigators ended their side conversation. “The captain pulled the deputy who was stationed outside Sabrina’s house. She’s out there alone. I’ve got to get over there.” Adam grabbed his coat and looked for his keys.

“Go,” Anissa said. “We’ll see who is in the area who can drive by. And we’ll get some units headed that way—no sirens, low key, just in case.” Anissa handed Gabe his coffee. “I’m not supposed to be working, so you’re coming with me, because when I say we, I really mean you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Adam found the keys. In his coat pocket, right where he’d left them. Man, he was still not firing on all cylinders. Ryan was the only one still standing by his desk.

“Pray I’m overreacting,” Adam said.

“I will, but I’m going with you.” Ryan followed him as they race-walked to the elevators.

“Why?”

“In case you aren’t.”