Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            “We’ll start at his business,” Croft said. “We’re more likely to be allowed in.”

            Raeburn nodded. “Take Hall and Summerfield with you. I doubt he’ll come in easily.”

            Tom felt a rush of adrenaline at that. He hadn’t been in a takedown situation since Ephraim’s last stand at Dunsmuir. He really wanted to take someone down today.

            “Will do,” Croft said. “Anything else?”

            Raeburn nodded. “I had your tattoo artist, Dixie Serratt, put in protective custody. She can’t ID Kowalski if she’s been harmed in the general population. When you bring Kowalski in, we’ll put him in a lineup. Any chance that your source would agree to do a visual?”

            “Yes. He’s already agreed to that.”

            “Good.” Raeburn pushed away from the conference table and returned to the chair behind his desk. “You have your orders. Keep me informed.”

            When they were in the hall, Croft lifted a brow. “Who’s your source, Hunter? That sixteen-year-old who brought us Cameron Cook?”

            “No.” Tom was saved further reply by the buzzing of his work phone. It was a San Francisco area code. “This is Agent Hunter.”

            “This is Cameron Cook.”

            Speaking of. Tom stopped midstep and leaned his back against the hallway wall, letting others pass. Croft stood beside him, looking concerned. “Cameron,” Tom said, and Croft tilted her head, hopeful excitement in her eyes. “How are you?”

            “Not good,” Cameron confessed. “Have you heard anything? I’m so worried. Hayley’s due any day now. She must be so scared. And I can’t even think of my Jellybean in that place.”

            Tom’s shoulders sagged. He fully understood Cameron’s fear. “I have some leads, but nothing that tells me where she is. I was hoping you’d gotten another e-mail.”

            “No. Sometimes I stare at my screen for hours at a time, hitting refresh over and over.”

            “I get that,” Tom said. And he did. It had been like that for him when Tory was murdered. He’d stalked her killer through Internet forums that no decent person should ever see, clicking refresh in the hope that the vile monster would show his virtual face. “I don’t have anything I can tell you, though. I’m sorry, Cameron.”

            A choked sob met his ears. “Thank you anyway. I’m . . . I’m sorry I bothered you.”

            “You didn’t,” Tom said firmly. “I promise you didn’t. But keep watching your e-mail. Maybe Hayley and her brother will be able to send you another message.” Especially if Pastor and DJ were both in Sacramento. Tom wondered who was minding Eden in their absence.

            “I hope so.” Cameron shuddered out a sigh. “I’ll call you as soon as I see something.”

            “Thank you. Listen, Cameron, do you have someone with you?”

            “My mom and dad. They let me take a few mental health days but they say I have to go back to school on Tuesday. So after that I can’t watch my e-mail.”

            “If I have your permission, I can put an alert on your e-mail that will let me know if you get a message. I might see other personal messages, though.”

            “Do it,” Cameron said quickly. “I got nothing to hide, Agent Hunter. I need to get Hayley back. I need her. And my daughter, too.”

            “All right, then. I’ll send you a form you can sign, and then I can do it legally. I have to go now, but you have my number.” He ended the call and looked at Croft helplessly. “I hate having to tell him that I’ve got nothing.”

            “But you don’t,” Croft encouraged. “You got a lot of somethings. We just don’t know how they fit together yet. But we will. Come on. We need to round up Hall and Summerfield. If Raeburn offers backup, I am for sure taking it.”




GRANITE BAY, CALIFORNIA

            FRIDAY, MAY 26, 8:45 A.M.

            “Oh my God.” DJ grimaced at his reflection in Smythe’s bathroom mirror. “This is awful.”