Page 65 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

He palmed the key. What harm could come of putting it on the ring? Sliding it off would be easy enough, and if he left it loose in his pocket, he might drop it.

That’s quite the cock-and-bull story you’re telling yourself.

Whatever.

He was sliding the key onto his keyring when his phone rang. He jerked and fumbled the keys. He lay them on the nightstand and snagged his jeans, scrambling for his phone.

Unknown caller.

Since many potential clients would be unknown, he swiped to accept the call. “This is Mitch Alexander, how may I help you?”

“Mr. Alexander, this is Corporal Colton Pritchard from the Mission City RCMP detachment. Where are you currently?”

Mitch pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it. Was this a prank? Why would a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer call him? Or someone pretending to be RCMP. Was this a fraud call?

“I’m not interested. Thank you anyway.” He was pulling the phone away when the man spoke again.

“This is not a crank call. I can give you my badge number and a phone number you can call to verify it.”

“Okay, but how do I know they’re not fraudsters as well?”

“You can look up the RCMP Mission City detachment phone number and call them. They’ll confirm my identity.”

The man’s confidence bordered on arrogance, but something niggled. “So you know Seth.”

“Constable Seth Jacobs? Of course.” A noise traveled through the phone. A pen clicking? “How do you know Seth?”

“I met him the other day at the Mission City library. I just…”

“You wanted to verify my credentials.”

“Well, that would be logical. These days anyone can call up claiming to be anyone else. I don’t feel like being scammed today.”

“Great. Now we’ve verified my bona fides, where are you?” No missing the stern and exasperated tone.

Mitch wanted to tell the man off, but he’d never do that. Not in a million years. “I’m in Mission City. If you want, I can come down to the detachment. Where is it?”

“The edge of town. But I’m at your condo complex right now. Perhaps you could buzz me up?”

Goddammit.

“I’m not home, but if you give me twenty minutes—”

“Mr. Alexander.” He cleared his throat. “I’m not a patient man. Tell me where you are, and I will come to you.”

What the hell?

“Can you at least tell me what this is about?”

“That’s confidential. But I have to speak to you. Right now.”

Something in his tone caught Mitch’s attention. “Will you tell me what this is about?”

“No. Where are you?”

He could continue to stall for time—or just hang up the phone and power it down. But his phone had been on all night. They’d find him. They might need to get a search warrant or something, or they might just decide to do it.

He sighed. “33939 Fourth Avenue.”

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