Page 113 of The Last Close Call

Her face instantly turned suspicious. “What?”

Bryan nudged his jacket open and pulled his badge from the inner pocket. She looked intrigued.

“There’s a guy at the counter there,” he said. “Dark green jacket.”

“Yeah?”

“Would you mind walking by and taking a look at what he’s reading?”

She hesitated, but only for a second. “Sure, I can do that.”

“Thanks.”

She walked away, and Bryan watched from the corner of his eye as she stopped to fill a few more cups before going back behind the counter. She clipped an order to the line by the pickup window and then made her way down the row of counter stools, topping off coffees.

He still alone?

This message was from Heidi, and Bryan pictured her sitting in her car in the parking lot, watching customers file in, probably trying to memorize people and their vehicles in case she needed to run the license plate of someone who was here to meet Anderson.

Still solo, Bryan typed back.

A few minutes later, the server was back with a plate of toast he hadn’t ordered.

“The guy in the Dodgers hat, right?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“He’s looking at a map.”

Bryan’s pulse picked up. “A map?”

“It’s one of those laminated foldout ones, like we sell in the gift shop.”

“Did you happen to see what it was?”

“I didn’t get that close.” She dug a few packets of strawberry jam from her apron pocket and set them on the table. “But there’s a picture of the Alamo at the top.”

A map of San Antonio.

“Thanks,” Bryan said. “I appreciate your help.”

She tipped her head to the side. “Anything else I can get you?”

“I’m good. Thanks again.”

“Sure thing.” She smiled and set his check on the edge of the table.

As she walked away, Bryan texted out an update. He wasn’t surprised when Heidi responded immediately.

San Antonio?!! he’s planning again

Bryan chomped into his dry toast and cast a subtle look at Anderson. Was he camped out here at this truck stop so his girlfriend wouldn’t see what he was up to? Was that why he hung out at the library, too, using their computers? Or was he stopping here for breakfast on his way somewhere?

We need that sample ASAP

This from Jack, as though Bryan wasn’t already acutely aware of how badly they needed to get their hands on a DNA sample.

Bryan watched Anderson and tried to catch the eye of the server again, but she had her hands full delivering food. And then she stopped to take an order.

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