Page 25 of Island Holiday

He was putting the names of the cleaning crew and the maintenance staff into another search. “Long enough to find something,” he replied absently. While he continued hunting for employee IDs that might resemble Football Fan or Flannel, Sonya moved away once more.

He heard her in the kitchen, then moving around the condo.

But he stayed focused on his searches. He needed to know if those two thugs were here specifically for Sonya or for something in the condo. Granted, he wasn’t a criminal, but it seemed like common sense to wait until the condo was clear to make a move. Especially if the code they’d been given failed. So it worried him that the two men had been so persistent in their pursuit near the coffee shop.

Sonya was right that someone had either recognized her or her handiwork as she’d tracked Zimmer. Connor didn’t believe the man’s stop in Brookwell was coincidental. He was either scoping out another destination or up to something else.

Connor sat back and scrubbed at his face. When would they catch a break?

Neither Football Fan nor Flannel seemed to have any association with the rental service or the condo building in general—at least not with any role that required a photo ID.

“Have you tried any of the other addresses I sent?” Sonya asked.

He glanced toward her bedroom. “What are you doing?”

“Searching my way.”

What the hell did that mean? He was halfway out of his chair, when he got an alert from one of the social media accounts he was monitoring. The young woman he’d thought was in Kansas City was now in Charleston, South Carolina. At least, her original cell phone was pinging there. It was too close to Brookwell for Connor to write it off as a coincidence.

“Sonya.”

“Just a sec.”

He didn’t set a timer or anything, but he could tell she was distracted. He used the time to zero in on that phone’s location. Then he combed the area CCTV for any sign of the three young women who weren’t where they were supposed to be. To his surprise, he got a hit almost immediately. A gym linked to a national chain, just like Sonya said. Not one of the women, but all three. They were pink-faced and sweaty, grinning in front of a big logo, the one used frequently as a backdrop for the gym’s social media. The caption was short, with plenty of hashtags about fitness being right in any season.

Recent. Close. He notified Jess. With luck she’d get someone over there in time to speak with the young women.

“Did you find them?”

He jumped at Sonya’s question. Somehow, she was right behind him. Some protector he was turning into. Startled and embarrassed, he tried to smile. “You scared me.”

“Sorry. Didn’t realize you were so dialed in.”

“Telling Jess.” He pointed to the screen. “Look at that. All three of them, in Charleston.”

She pursed her lips. “Not Kansas City?”

“Nope. Although the phone that pinged is off again.”

“Clearly, not hostages.” She leaned closer. “They seem to be happy enough with the situation. Still not believing the story Zimmer is feeding them is legit.”

“I’m as skeptical as you are. Jess will send someone to try and pick up their trail.” Belatedly, he noticed her twisting socks in her hands. “What’s all that?”

“I found a false panel in the bathroom cabinet. Come take a look.”

He followed her into the suite, doing his best to ignore the bed as she walked straight to the bathroom. He watched, amused as she put the socks over her hands. “Just in case,” she explained with a shrug. “Check this out. I took several pictures, but feel free to do the same.”

He opened the app and started a video. Sonya narrated her find, first showing the false panel, and then a black velvet bag sitting on top of cash. Five bands of twenties. “Ten grand?”

“That’s right.” She carefully removed the bag and, with her sock-covered hands, she loosened the string closure and held it open for him. “Diamonds too.”

“What the hell?” he muttered.

“Do we call the authorities?”

“For starters. Jess too. She might have some sway—”

“With her police connections,” Sonya finished.

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