Page 92 of The Last Close Call

No response. The silence stretched out.

“You there?”

“Yeah.” She cleared her throat. “So... I’ve been thinking. When all this is over—”

Someone rapped on the door of the van, and Jack leaned forward. “Hang on.” He glanced in the side mirror and saw Bryan standing in the street. Jack unlocked and slid open the door, letting in a waft of cold air.

“Holy shit, it’s cold.” Bryan climbed inside and sank into the empty bucket seat. He handed Jack a cardboard coffee cup.

“One sec,” Jack told Rowan as he stuffed the drink into the cup holder and slid the door shut. “Bryan just got here.”

“I’ll let you go.”

Jack shot a look at his partner. “I can call you back in a minute.”

“No need. Just... let me know when you’re back in town.”

“I will.”

“Night.”

He hung up and stuffed his phone in his jacket pocket. When all this is over... What had she been about to say?

“It’s fucking freezing.” Bryan peeled off the lid to his coffee and tore open a sugar packet. “Aren’t you cold?”

“What’s with the T-shirt? You know you can’t run the heater in here.”

Bryan watched him over the brim of his cup as he took a sip. “Hey, you’re welcome for the coffee.”

Jack sat back in his chair.

“Who was that?” Bryan asked.

“No one.”

Bryan shook his head. Then he settled his cup in the holder and ducked his head to peer through the windshield at the Taco Bell across the street.

“Why this place?” Bryan asked.

Jack combed his hand through his hair and tried to shake off his frustration. “I heard he likes tacos.”

“Any sightings?”

“No.”

“You try grocery stores?”

“I’ve been by all of them and talked to the management. And I’ve been by all the big apartment complexes. There’s sixty-five thousand people in this town. It’s like a needle in a haystack.” Jack checked his watch. “You’re an hour early.”

A sly smile spread across his partner’s face, and Jack’s pulse picked up.

“What is it?”

“I’ve got something.” Bryan pulled out his cell phone. “You know I told you about the flyer that someone randomly stuck on Evie Wood’s car?”

“Evie Wood’s car?”

“Evelyn. Whatever. Check this out.” Bryan swiped at his phone and handed it over to Jack.

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