16

Brady led Emily inside the police station and stopped her just beyond the door. “You can take the vest off now if you want.”

“Thanks.”

He helped her shrug out of the body armor he’d insisted she wear before leaving the 911 call center. “You’ve been kidnapped, almost blown up, and shot at twice,” he’d pointed out. “I think it’s time for some precautions.”

She hadn’t argued with him. A fact he appreciated since he wasn’t sure he’d win if it came down to a battle of the wills. But she didn’t have a death wish and apparently picked her arguments wisely.

Linc and Derek would stay close by but would take the time to catch up on whatever it was they needed to do while Brady and Emily were in one of the safest places in the city. The basement of the main law enforcement building.

He led her downstairs to the office where David Unger worked day in and day out using his tech skills to help fellow officers catch the bad guys. Brady rapped on the door, and without turning from the monitor, David waved a hand, motioning for them to enter. “Find a seat.”

Brady took the chair closest to David, and Emily lowered herself into the one next to him. He set the vest on the floor. “Thanks for doing this, David,” he said.

“No problem.” David finally spun to face them. “Sounds like some serious stuff going on.”

“It’s always serious. David, meet Emily. Emily, David.”

“Thank you for making this a priority,” Emily said.

“Of course. I’m sorry about your friend.”

“Thanks.” She blinked rapidly, but no tears fell. Her shoulders straightened and her jaw tightened.

David turned back to the computer. “Thanks to the cooperation of the the newspaper people, I’ve got the footage right here. I’m going to start inside the newsroom and then we’ll trail her out into the outer area, to the elevator, and across the street to the parking garage. From what I can tell, she’s not carrying a laptop or any other bag except her purse. Unless the laptop’s so small it fits in that.”

Emily leaned forward. “No, she has one of those cross-body messenger bags that she uses for the laptop.”

David clicked the play button and the footage started with a woman sitting at her desk.

“Is that Heather?” Brady asked.

“Yes,” Emily said, her voice taut with emotion.

David zoomed in on Heather and kept the footage focused on her as she moved. “So,” David said, “it’s late. 11:21. She’s working. I guess she decides to call it a day, gets up, and grabs her purse.”

“But not her messenger bag,” Emily said. “She’s using her desktop while she’s working. I don’t see her laptop anywhere.”

“And then she exits, goes to the elevator. Waits. Goes down and out of the building. I was able to pull some footage from where she entered the parking garage and got on the elevator.” David paused it. “And see this here? I think this guy is following her. He’s got a ski mask in his hand, but we get a brief glimpse of him before he steps into the stairwell. Cameras in the stairwell were out too.”

He zoomed closer and Emily gasped. “I think that’s Martin Burnett!”

Brady leaned back. “And he’s dead, so there’s no asking him what happened that night.”

“That’s the last of the footage from this level,” David said.

“It’s okay. We know Heather didn’t have the laptop with her when she left the building,” Brady said.

“She could have had it in her car, I suppose.”

Brady sighed. “Won’t know that until we find it.”

Emily swiped a stray tear. “Well, the car wasn’t there when the cops got there, right? That means it left the garage. Surely there’s footage of it leaving?”

David nodded. “I thought about that too.” He clicked a few keys on the keyboard. The outside of the parking garage popped up on the screen. “There,” he said. “The car leaves at 11:40.”

Brady straightened. “Can we follow it? See where he goes?”

“Only so far. I tracked it to when they got on I-26 East. After that, I lost it. I tried different cameras along the exits but never did pick the car up again. I’m sorry.”

“There’s a BOLO out on it,” Brady said. “Maybe someone will see it and call it in sometime soon.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “For now, I’m going to take Emily and we’re going to grab her stuff from the house and head somewhere safe.”

“Where?” she asked.

“One of our safe houses.” He looked at her.

“Does it have a secure Wi-Fi connection?” she asked.

“Yes. Why?”

“I want to use my laptop but have been hesitant because as soon as I log in to the bank’s software, someone would be able to track me.”

He lifted a brow. “I’m glad you thought of that.”

“I do think things through occasionally.” She smirked, then sighed. “Although, it doesn’t seem like it matters. They’ve been able to catch up with me—us—regardless.”

“But we haven’t been trying to hide you. Up to this point, it wouldn’t take much effort to follow you—or us.” But that was about to change. He pulled his phone from the clip on his belt and called his boss, updating him on everything and requesting a specific location for the safe house. He wanted to be on the water.

“She needs to pass on what she knows and our investigators can take over,” the sergeant said. “We’ve got resources that could be a big help in getting those involved.”

“I know. And we’ll need access to those resources, but we need a little time. Emily’s the one who discovered this. She’s the one who’s been on top of this from the beginning. Give us a safe place to catch our breath and gather the information and we’ll share when we’ve got it so it makes sense to someone just coming into it.”

“Our people can read too, you know.”

“I know, Sarge. Come on.”

A sigh. “Fine, you can use the house on Lake Wateree, but I want regular updates. You know where to find the key.”

“Thanks.”

“Stay in touch.” He hung up.

Next, Brady sent a text to a friend who was a detective and also on the dive team when she was needed. Mary Beth Habishaw. He requested she join them at the safe house and bring a dry suit and equipment. While he and Emily were on the lake, he planned to see if she’d be interested in joining the protection detail he wanted to have in place. And besides, he could see Mary Beth and Emily connecting and becoming friends in the long run.

Emily wasn’t sure she wanted to head to a safe house, but she had to admit she needed a breather. So much had happened so fast, she hadn’t had time to even process most of it. When Brady hung up with his sergeant, he turned to David. “I have one more request.”

“What’s that?”

“I’ve got pictures that I need to look at while we’re here. If I forward an email to you, will you pull them up?”

“Sure.”

Within seconds, they were scrolling through the pictures. While some were more clear than others, Emily still recognized them from the Emergency Department. Unfortunately, none of the faces were familiar, but the guy with the baseball cap caught her attention. “Can you zoom in on him?”

“A little. These aren’t the best pictures.”

“I know.” The frame adjusted, blurred, then cleared. “There, on his neck.” She pointed. “See that? Is that a tattoo?”

David zoomed closer and even though the pixels separated more, Emily could clearly make out the head of a snake. “That’s one of the snake men,” she said. “From the office building. I can’t see his face, but I’m sure he was one of them.”

“I think you’re probably right,” Brady said. “Well, at least we know how they knew I left the room and when to time their communications with you.”

“I agree. But how did they know I was at the hospital?”

Brady rubbed his eyes, then met her gaze.

She held up a finger, signaling him to stay silent. “Never mind. They’ve been following me. Us. Obviously.”

“Yes.”

She crossed her arms. “Maybe they were biding their time so they could grab me but realized they couldn’t because I was never alone or without protection.”

“So, they had to lure you out.”

“Exactly.”

“Okay, your mother and sister are safe,” Brady said. “Is there anyone else they can use that we need to get under protection?”

“No one that I can think of right off. Heather and I were best friends. I mean, I have friends at the bank and friends at church, but no one that I can see them going after. Maybe Heather’s parents, but that’s a stretch. Although, they haven’t called me back and I’m getting worried. I know they’ve got all kinds of family there, so I’m not really worried they’re hurt or in trouble. I just want to know why they won’t take my calls or call me back.”

“We won’t take any chances. I’ll request patrols be increased in that area. Where do they live?”

“In Forest Acres.” She gave him the address.

“Forest Acres? You said you and Heather had been friends since fourth grade. Is that where you grew up?”

“Yes. Different sides of the track, so to speak, but yes.”

He nodded. “All right. We’re going to go by the house and get your things. We’ll work on finding Heather’s laptop or any kind of storage device that she could have backed information up to.” His phone buzzed. “Hold on a second. Hello?”

While Brady took the call, Emily watched David work to make the pictures even more clear. “You’re very good at that.”

“Thanks.” He shot her a grim smile. “I’m not a huge people person and I’m too much of a wimp to chase the bad guys in person, but I’ve always wanted to be in law enforcement in some way. This job suits me.”

“Yeah. It does. Perfectly.”

Brady hung up and Emily turned her attention to him. “That was Izzy,” he said. “She and Jordan are still at Burnett’s house but promised to meet us at the safe house to fill us in when they’re finished.”

“Okay. I’d appreciate that. I need to know what they found.”

“She did say she got word that the cab driver appears to be clean. He said he was just sitting outside waiting on a fare when you came out.”

Emily narrowed her eyes. “There was another car there. An Uber. He honked at us when we left.”

“Yes, Izzy also looked into him and thinks he’s clean as well. He said he got a notification for a pickup at the hospital. The person who ordered the ride described you right down to the clothes you were wearing. They checked out his records and it all looks legit.”

“That’s why they rerouted me. When they got word that I hadn’t taken the Uber, they texted me the fake address.”

“You did great, Emily,” Brady said. He checked his phone. “Someone was beeping in while I was talking to Izzy. Let me check the voice mail.” He listened and his eyes cut to her. “It’s Nicholas Raimes. He said he can meet if I can be at his office in the next fifteen minutes. Otherwise, he won’t be able to meet until next week sometime.”

She lifted a brow. “He thinks meeting with you is optional?”

“Apparently.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Not so fast. You’re staying here with David, if that’s all right with him.”

“Sure,” the man said. “The company will be nice.”

“No offense to David,” Emily said, “but I’d really like to go with you.” She crossed her arms and lifted her jaw.

Brady sighed. “Look, we were headed for the safe house once we’re done here. I think it’s best to keep to that. Linc and Derek are already on the way here and can take you out there. I trust them to get you there safe. I’ll meet up with you there after I talk to Raimes and fill you in on every detail, I promise.”

She bit her lip and looked up at him through her lashes. She supposed he was right. If she insisted, she could be putting him and everyone in the building in danger. “Fine. You promise?”

“Yes. If you’ll promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“That you’ll wear the gear the whole time you’re riding out to the safe house. I don’t want to leave you open to a sniper.”

She nodded. “Right. No, I don’t want to be picked off by a sniper.”

“Good, I’m glad we’re in agreement on that.”

Definitely. She didn’t like the idea of being left out of the interrogation process, but this was what Brady did and she’d have to trust him enough to let him do it.

Nicholas Raimes’s office dominated the fourth floor of a recently renovated high-rise in the heart of downtown Columbia. Fortunately, the building was only about three blocks from the police station and Brady parked out front in the circular drive. He placed the card in the window that identified him as a police officer.

With an eye on the surrounding buildings, he hurried through the double glass doors and breathed a sigh of relief when no bullets hurled his way. Although, he couldn’t think why they would. Emily wasn’t with him. Still . . . he’d admit to some paranoia—and wasn’t going to apologize for it.

The elevator carried him upward, and when the doors opened, Brady found himself in the plush lobby of Raimes and Associates. He approached the receptionist, flashed his badge, and gave the twentysomething young man his name.

“Just one second, Detective. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

“Thanks.”

Brady wondered if the man would keep him waiting, but before he had a chance to choose a seat, the inner door opened and Nicholas Raimes stepped through. “Hello, Detective St. John?”

“Yes.” They shook hands. “Nice to meet you,” he said.

“You too. Come right this way and we’ll talk in my office. I managed to push my next meeting a bit so we wouldn’t be too rushed.”

“Thanks.” Huh. The man wasn’t really what he expected. Mid to late forties, trim and tall with linebacker shoulders and a tanned face. Green eyes sparkled with life and he had an easygoing smile that probably resonated well with his clients.

Brady settled himself in one of the comfortable leather seats that had been arranged to face a matching couch. A coffee table and end tables completed the sitting area.

“Could I get you some coffee? Water? Soda?”

“I’ll take a water,” Brady said.

“Absolutely.”

Raimes rounded his desk to put in the order using his phone’s intercom system. The same young man who’d greeted him in the lobby brought the chilled water bottles and napkins along with a bowl of fresh fruit and toothpicks. Brady thanked him and snagged a strawberry.

“Now,” Raimes said, seating himself on the couch. “What can I do for you?”

“Mr. Raimes,” Brady said, “are you aware that your office building on Charter Street was being used by known felons?”

The man sighed. “No. I mean, of course, I got the call from the police telling me what had happened, but that building . . .” He shook his head. “I bought it a few years ago when I thought the area was going to make a comeback. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I was losing money on the place, sank some cash into it, and rented it out.”

“Who’s the tenant?”

He stood and raked a hand down the side of his perfectly combed hair. “A man by the name of Hudson. Grant Hudson. I pulled his file last night.” He opened it. “We rented the building to him last year. He requested to do some renovations, and I told him as long as he would return it to the original layout when he left, that was fine.”

“Did you ever inspect it?”

“No. He paid his rent on time on the first or second of each month and I’ve never had an issue with him.”

“Sounds like a dream tenant.”

“You could say that. He called us when the air-conditioning went out shortly after they moved in, and I sent a crew out to fix it. Since then, it’s been quiet.”

“Do you have a picture of this guy?”

Raimes shook his head. “Sorry, I’ve never met him.”

“Do you mind if I look him up real quick?”

“Help yourself.” Raimes grabbed several toothpicks and downed half a dozen pieces of fruit while Brady opened the software on his phone that would allow him access to the department’s driver’s license database. “What’s the home address?”

“47 Parkside Drive,” Raimes read in between bites of fruit.

Brady found him. And recognized him. It was Emily’s Snake Man.

Brady stood and handed Raimes a card. “Thanks for your time. If you think of anything else, will you give me a call?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks again. I appreciate the information.”

“Anytime.”

Brady shook the man’s hand and headed for the door even as he wondered how things were going with Linc and Derek escorting Emily to the safe house.