they hadn’t discussed, Dev leaned forward, his face impassive.
“I guess you could say we’re on a collection call,” Logan continued. “My father isn’t going to be very happy when I tell him she’s gone.”
“Your father isn’t the only one,” Hackbarth said.
Logan was silent for a moment. “While I’m sympathetic with your situation, it’s of no importance to me. Finding the woman is. Any cooperation I get in doing so will, naturally, be appreciated.”
“Whoa,” Hackbarth said. “I don’t have any idea where she went.”
Logan kept his gaze steady and his voice calm, but direct. “Of course you don’t. If you did and didn’t tell us, that would just be stupid. And you’re not stupid. I can see that.”
The fingertips of Hackbarth’s left hand began to tap nervously on the desk. “I’d love to help you, but I’ve got my own problem to deal with right now.”
“That’s where we’re in luck. At the moment, our problems are similar,” Logan said. “And the few minutes you spend helping me would be helping yourself.”
“I don’t see what I could possibly do for you that would help.”
Logan allowed himself a quick, controlled smile. “I assume Ms. Stockley filled out a rental application, and perhaps other documents containing personal information.”
Hackbarth looked really nervous now. “Well, of course, but I’m not sure if I should—”
“Mark?” the woman up front yelled.
They all looked over. She was standing at her desk, a phone held to her ear.
“Frank was in the neighborhood, so he’s there now,” she went on. “Definitely looks like your renter cleared out. Says the place is a mess.”
Hackbarth took a deep, seething breath, and turned back to Logan. “Let me get her file for you.”
C HAPTER S EVENTEEN
E RICA SAT BEHIND the wheel of her car and fumed. They had missed the woman by what couldn’t have been more than a few hours. Unbelievable!
Though Erica had made good time at the rental agency at LAX, and Clausen and Markle—her two men—had arrived on schedule, it was still after four thirty in the morning when the three of them finally arrived in Braden.
She had decided during the drive that they could no longer risk simply observing the woman. Either the bitch knew something or she didn’t, and now that someone else was snooping around, Erica couldn’t prolong this irritation. She needed it sewn up, and she needed it done now.
That’s why she was here, to make sure no one screwed up this time.
Half an hour before they arrived in town, she had called Cecil Frisk, the man who had been watching Diana, and told him to meet her at the woman’s house. Though Frisk had obviously been half asleep when they talked, he was wide awake and parked a block away from the woman’s place when Erica and her team arrived.
It should have gone nice and smooth. At nearly five a.m., even a bartender would be asleep.
But when they went in, instead of finding Diana in her bed, she wasn’t even in the house.
How the hell did that happen?
Erica was the one who found the note. When she read it, she’d come very close to ripping it up on the spot. Extreme self-control was the only thing that helped her return it to its envelope.
It had taken her over two years to find Diana again. Two years! Once she had, she’d sent Frisk out to monitor her, with the hope that Diana would lead them to the other one. But then tonight, while Frisk slept , Diana had skipped town.
Incompetency!
Frisk was lucky she didn’t have him killed on the spot. Once more her cool nature prevailed, and all four of them retreated to her car where they would wait and see what happened.
Now, for the thousandth time since the sun had risen, she looked down the street at Diana’s duplex.
“You all right?”
Erica glanced at Frisk in the passenger seat. “I’m fine.”
“You look a little…pissed off.”
She locked eyes with him. “Really? And that surprises
“I guess you could say we’re on a collection call,” Logan continued. “My father isn’t going to be very happy when I tell him she’s gone.”
“Your father isn’t the only one,” Hackbarth said.
Logan was silent for a moment. “While I’m sympathetic with your situation, it’s of no importance to me. Finding the woman is. Any cooperation I get in doing so will, naturally, be appreciated.”
“Whoa,” Hackbarth said. “I don’t have any idea where she went.”
Logan kept his gaze steady and his voice calm, but direct. “Of course you don’t. If you did and didn’t tell us, that would just be stupid. And you’re not stupid. I can see that.”
The fingertips of Hackbarth’s left hand began to tap nervously on the desk. “I’d love to help you, but I’ve got my own problem to deal with right now.”
“That’s where we’re in luck. At the moment, our problems are similar,” Logan said. “And the few minutes you spend helping me would be helping yourself.”
“I don’t see what I could possibly do for you that would help.”
Logan allowed himself a quick, controlled smile. “I assume Ms. Stockley filled out a rental application, and perhaps other documents containing personal information.”
Hackbarth looked really nervous now. “Well, of course, but I’m not sure if I should—”
“Mark?” the woman up front yelled.
They all looked over. She was standing at her desk, a phone held to her ear.
“Frank was in the neighborhood, so he’s there now,” she went on. “Definitely looks like your renter cleared out. Says the place is a mess.”
Hackbarth took a deep, seething breath, and turned back to Logan. “Let me get her file for you.”
C HAPTER S EVENTEEN
E RICA SAT BEHIND the wheel of her car and fumed. They had missed the woman by what couldn’t have been more than a few hours. Unbelievable!
Though Erica had made good time at the rental agency at LAX, and Clausen and Markle—her two men—had arrived on schedule, it was still after four thirty in the morning when the three of them finally arrived in Braden.
She had decided during the drive that they could no longer risk simply observing the woman. Either the bitch knew something or she didn’t, and now that someone else was snooping around, Erica couldn’t prolong this irritation. She needed it sewn up, and she needed it done now.
That’s why she was here, to make sure no one screwed up this time.
Half an hour before they arrived in town, she had called Cecil Frisk, the man who had been watching Diana, and told him to meet her at the woman’s house. Though Frisk had obviously been half asleep when they talked, he was wide awake and parked a block away from the woman’s place when Erica and her team arrived.
It should have gone nice and smooth. At nearly five a.m., even a bartender would be asleep.
But when they went in, instead of finding Diana in her bed, she wasn’t even in the house.
How the hell did that happen?
Erica was the one who found the note. When she read it, she’d come very close to ripping it up on the spot. Extreme self-control was the only thing that helped her return it to its envelope.
It had taken her over two years to find Diana again. Two years! Once she had, she’d sent Frisk out to monitor her, with the hope that Diana would lead them to the other one. But then tonight, while Frisk slept , Diana had skipped town.
Incompetency!
Frisk was lucky she didn’t have him killed on the spot. Once more her cool nature prevailed, and all four of them retreated to her car where they would wait and see what happened.
Now, for the thousandth time since the sun had risen, she looked down the street at Diana’s duplex.
“You all right?”
Erica glanced at Frisk in the passenger seat. “I’m fine.”
“You look a little…pissed off.”
She locked eyes with him. “Really? And that surprises
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