Page 89 of Her Wild Coast Promise

She taps a key and the earlier image flashes on the screen. What had caught my attention? I stare at it, willing the detail to materialize.

Hunter’s watching me, his eyes tense.

“There’s something about this one,” I say to the team while keeping my gaze on the screen. “Like I’ve seen that ring before. Can you send both of those to me?”

Agent Snow taps a few keys. “Done.”

“Where would you have seen it?” Hunter asks.

“Neither Walsh nor Stoll were wearing a ring,” Brian says in a thoughtful tone.

“Could that be Katovich?” Madison asks.

“Maybe,” I say, shaking my head. It certainly fits his lifestyle. That could be it—I saw it in passing while studying the surveillance images we have of him, looking for clues to his current whereabouts.

“I can add that to our search,” Agent Snow says, typing again. “Oh,” she adds, sounding excited. “There’s an update from Biometrics.”

Brian flips on the lights. All eyes in the room turn to Agent Snow, who is completely focused on her screen. Finally, she looks up, her eyes bright. “Stoll is a match for the man who abducted Terrilynn Silva from the hospital. He also matches the surveillance shots taken from the recent theft of the delivery van at the storage facility you sent.”

This is more good info. It ties Stoll directly to Terrilynn’s abduction.

“They’re stealing vans to transport girls from place to place,” Hunter says. “Any ID on the woman with him?”

Agent Snow shakes her head. “Still working on it.”

“Okay, McCabe and Ambrose, you work Stoll and Walsh, see what shakes out,” Special Agent in Charge Gunderson says, then gives me a pointed look. “You’d better get to City Hall or you’ll be late.”

Shit! My press conference. “Yes, sir,” I say, and bolt for the door.

Ten minutes later I’m hurrying down the hallway to the press room inside City Hall when my phone buzzes in my pocket.

It’s Cora. I’m about to answer when a text comes in from Hunter.

Walsh cracked.

In the split second I stare at the screen, Cora’s call goes to voicemail. Great. Can this night get any more intense?

With a deep breath, I tell myself that with Walsh confessing and the way that this complex investigation might finally have the missing pieces we need to bust it wide open, I can’t get distracted. Being separated from Cora like this is torture, but it’s another reminder that this is my reality. Sometimes my job takes all of me. I can’t change it.

When the task force has milked these new leads for every drop of momentum, there will be time to work things out. I’ll be able to give her my full attention.

Our PIO Ian Stanford steps into the hallway, nearly barreling into me. “Oh, you’re here. Good. They’re ready for you.”

Right. The press. “I’m ready too,” I say, and follow him into the conference room.

ChapterTwenty-Five

CORA

I watchthe livestream of Seth’s press conference inside City Hall while manning the phone line, soothing the nerves of our anxious volunteers posted all over town, and replying to emails.

Though I’m a nervous wreck with the debate starting in a few hours, my heart is so full of pride it’s going to rip right open. Seth not only discovered the identity of the murdered girl, Alisha Farrell, he has two criminals in custody. All his hard work is paying off. Of course he hasn’t had time to call me. Not with so much happening.

Seth finishes his speech and the crowd of media representatives start barking questions, microphones jutting at him and camera flashes lighting the room like a strobe.

The little pain in my hip throbs, reminding me to take some ibuprofen. It’s probably sore from the hard run Rosie and I did two days ago to burn off some energy.

Over the last week, I’ve applied for several jobs, graduate school at Seattle University because a scholarship is almost guaranteed if I choose a public service career path, and a position with a refugee-assistance NGO in France.

---