Page 98 of Critical Doubt

After Savannah finished ordering and handed her credit card to the boy, she also showed him her badge, and then pulled out her phone and showed him a photo of Paul. "Have you seen this man?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. He's been coming in every day the last couple of days," the kid said. "Always gets a bunch of bagels and coffees."

"Does he ever come in with anyone else?"

"No. Why? What did he do?"

"Do you think he lives around here?"

"I don't know. Probably."

"You ever talk to him?" Ryker interjected. "Did he tell you his name?"

"I just sell him bagels."

"Thanks," Savannah said. They slid down the counter toward the pick-up window.

"At least we know this is the right bagel shop," he said.

"And we know Paul was always buying more bagels and coffees than he could eat or drink himself. Whoever he is working with has to be nearby, Ryker."

"That narrows it down, but maybe not enough."

"I'll let Parisa know that it's this shop. After we eat, we can walk around the neighborhood."

He nodded, his gaze moving back to the window. There was an apartment building directly across the street. "We can start there."

She nodded. "We'll check out all the possibilities. There was also a motel down the street. I noticed it when we were looking for parking. That's a better bet for a hideout. They could probably pay in cash. No trail."

"Good point."

When their order was up, Savannah showed Paul's photo to the female server.

"Sure, I've seen him," she said. "He always orders extra spreads. He didn't come in today, though. Maybe he left town."

He frowned at the server's words. "Did he say he might be leaving town?"

"He said DC was too cold for him. He couldn't wait to get somewhere warmer. I guess I assumed he was going somewhere. I didn't ask."

"Thanks," he said.

They took their food to a nearby table and sat down.

"Paul picked a good place to eat," Savannah said, biting into her scrambled egg bagel with green onions and cheddar cheese. "This is delicious."

"You know who always orders extra cream cheese—Todd."

She met his gaze. "It would make sense they were together. Hank, too, probably. Perhaps Mason."

"I still haven't heard a word from Mason," he said, as he ate his bagel and washed each bite down with a swig of coffee.

"I don't think you will, Ryker."

"We still don't know if he's involved. He's supposed to have surgery today. That doesn't sound like a man who's caught up in some big plan, does it?"

"Maybe not. I know you don't want him to be involved, but his silence is damning."

She was right. Maybe he was just sticking his head in the sand, desperate to find one man on his team who didn't want to kill him or fake their death. But it was time to stop speculating and get on with finding some answers. He finished the last of his coffee. "Let's go."

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