Into the Whirlwind by Kat Martin

slipped out the back door, leaving Dirk in the kitchen, coffee mug in hand.
    He headed for the dining room. “Let’s see if Sadie’s sent any mail.”
    Meg followed him, heard his cell start playing, and her pulse kicked up.
    Dirk dragged out his phone, spoke into the receiver, listened, then mouthed, “It’s the lab.” The call went on for a couple of minutes. “That’s great, Carrie. Thanks for the extra work. I really appreciate it, and I know Luke does, too.”
    As the call came to an end, Luke wandered into the dining room. “What’s up?” he asked, raking his fingers through his sun-streaked brown hair.
    â€œThat was your girlfriend,” Dirk said. “Or should I say one of your girlfriends, specifically the one who works at the lab. Carrie came up with a DNA match on the coffee cup. Guy named Vincent ‘Vinnie’ Santini.”
    Luke smiled. “Vinnie Santini, alias Vincent Sandoval.”
    â€œExactly.”
    â€œLast known whereabouts?”
    â€œPortland, Oregon.”
    â€œSame as Pam’s mother,” Luke said.
    â€œYup. Vinnie did two years at the Columbia River Correctional Institution for a string of burglaries in the Portland area. He just got out six months ago.”
    â€œPam lived in Portland before she moved here,” Meg said. “I remember she mentioned it.”
    Dirk’s gaze swung to her. “How long’s she lived in Seattle?”
    â€œAt least a couple of years. She’s worked for me for more than a year. She was working at the day-care center before that.”
    â€œSo a couple years back, Pam meets Santini in Portland,” Luke said. “He catches up with her again in Seattle when he gets out of jail.”
    Dirk sat down in front of the laptop, set his coffee mug down on a coaster on the dining table, and brought up his e-mail. “Carrie sent us a photo.”
    Meg and Luke both leaned in to look over Dirk’s shoulder.
    â€œGuy’s real pretty,” Luke said. “Except for the nose. Black hair, strong features, Italian-looking.”
    â€œHe’s handsome,” Meg said. “His nose just gives him character.”
    â€œYeah, all of it low,” Luke said.
    Dirk reached for his coffee mug and took a sip. “If he’s in touch with Pam, he knows we tracked her to the kidnappers’ safe house.”
    â€œWhich means,” Luke said, “by now he’s gone to ground.”
    â€œSo how are we going to find him?” Meg asked.
    Luke rubbed his unshaven cheek. Neither of the men had shaved in the last two days. Amazingly, they looked even hotter with beard shadows along their jaws.
    â€œLet’s see what Sadie can tell us.” Dirk e-mailed Santini’s name to his office, along with the rest of the info the woman named Carrie had given him.
    A minute or two later, the computer dinged with an e-mail reply. “Sadie took a look at the court docs,” Dirk said. “Santini claimed he had a gambling addiction. He committed the burglaries to get money to support his habit. Threw himself on the judge’s mercy.”
    â€œDid it work?” Meg asked.
    â€œSantini agreed to join Gamblers Anonymous. In return, he got a lesser sentence and a year’s probation.” Dirk looked up from the screen. “I know this guy Santini’s probation officer. Allen Whitlow. Good guy. He works out of the Seattle Justice Center. Might be able to give us Santini’s address.”
    Dirk phoned his friend, but by the time the call was over, he was shaking his head. “Santini was using Pam’s address as his place of residence.” Dirk pushed back his chair and stood up. “Add to that, he hasn’t shown up for his last two appointments.”
    Meg’s shoulders sagged. It seemed like they had hit another dead end.
    â€œI might know someone who can help,” Luke said, rubbing the back of his neck.
    â€œYou always