Page 56 of I Will Find You

“When David Burroughs escaped,” Max continued, “we sent a man over to your motel.”

“Person, Max,” Sarah said.

“What?”

“You said you sent a ‘man’ over. That’s a bit sexist, don’t you think?”

“I do. I apologize. Where was I?”

“Sent a law enforcement officer to her motel.”

“Right.” Max turned to Rachel. “You weren’t there, of course. The front desk informed us that you were most likely at the Nesbitt Station Diner. I guess you’d complained about the motel’s Wi-Fi.”

“So?” Rachel countered. “Is it a crime to go to a diner?”

“The waitress told us that not long after the escape alarm sounded, you hurried out of the diner.”

“And right before you hurried out,” Sarah said, “you received a phone call.”

Rachel shrugged. “I may have. So?”

“Do you remember who that call was from?” Max asked.

“I don’t, no. I might not have picked up. I don’t a lot of the time.”

“The waitress saw you answer it.”

“It was probably spam then. I get a lot of those.”

“This wasn’t spam,” Sarah said. “It was from David Burroughs.”

Rachel frowned. “David is a federal prisoner. How would he have a phone?”

“Wow,” Sarah said, throwing up her hands in mock surrender.

“He stole it during his escape,” Max said. Of course, Max didn’t really believe that the phone Burroughs used had been genuinely stolen. He figured that both Philip and Adam Mackenzie had given David their phones as part of the escape plot, but there was no reason to offer that up now. “The caller ID would have shown the name Adam Mackenzie. Do you know who that is?”

“Sure. Adam grew up with David.”

“Do you recall receiving that call from Adam’s phone?”

“I don’t, sorry,” Rachel offered with a faux apologetic smile. “Maybe it went into voicemail. Do you want me to check?”

Max and Sarah exchanged another glance. This was not going to be easy.

“After you left the diner,” Max said, “where did you go?”

“I live here in New Jersey.”

“Yes, we know.”

“Well, that’s where I was heading. Home. I was almost there when a bunch of state troopers pulled me over with guns drawn. Scared the hell out of me. Then I was brought here.”

“So you intended to drive straight home from the diner?” Max asked.

“Yes.”

“But you didn’t check out of the motel. Your clothes are still in your room. Your personal items.”

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