Page 51 of Phoenix Rising

Reese chuffed a laugh. “Not a peep. I was as blindsided as everyone else.”

“Did your acquaintance with her cause problems for you?” Talia asked.

“Yeah, a little, but she was more my ex-wife’s friend. I wasn’t as close to her. Still, there was talk that I was in on it.”

“You said she’s gone dark before,” Hunter recalled. “After what’s happened to you two the last couple of days, I’m betting she poked the wrong bear this time.”

“Our thoughts as well,” Audria agreed.

“We have talked about it, but what is your plan for dealing with Elijah?” Talia wanted to know.

“I had booked a room for me and Reese to attend the weekend retreat, but I canceled since he might be trying to kill us,” Audria deadpanned.

Talia chuckled. “About that.” She reached into the bag at her feet and handed Audria and Reese new identification. “You are now Allie and Russell Moore.” She picked up the duffle and passed it to Audria. “There are all kinds of fun items to disguise yourselves, too.”

“This is great. Thanks.” Audria placed the bag on the table beside her. “After the session tonight, we’ll know if it’s Elijah. If it’s not him, Reese and I will continue investigating with Christian’s help, and you two can go home.”

“We’re here to help you find out what happened to Paige, no matter how long it takes,” Hunter responded.

Audria loved her coworkers. “Thank you.”

Reese’s phone beeped, and he checked it before glancing up. “Christian, the resort’s head of security, Terry Hammond, is about to meet with the bartender we told you about. He’s agreed to allow you in the room while he questions him.”

“Awesome. I’m on my way,” Christian responded.

Chapter Fifteen

Christian Zamora and Hunter McGrath bypassed the elevator and took the stairs to the lobby. Reese and Audria had given them a quick rundown on the bartender, Raphael Ramsey. The guy was apparently a drug dealer, selling his product on resort grounds. It was right up Christian’s alley, having joined COBRA Securities from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Reese and Audria hadn’t told Terry Hammond about the exchanges they had witnessed between Ramsey and Vincenzo Fusco, also known as Playa, according to his license plate. Christian was now in possession of the video that would send Ramsey to jail. He had plenty of contacts with his former employer and could have a team from Phoenix here to apprehend him. First, they wanted to determine if he was involved with trashing Reese and Audria’s room and possibly Paige Stockton’s disappearance.

While the others would leave soon to discover if Richard Caraway, also known as Elijah, was back, they decided Christian would follow Ramsey. Since they didn’t want him to know he was being watched, Christian couldn’t sit in on the interview, which was why Hunter was with him.

Most likely, Ramsey was a small cog in the Sedona drug trade, as was Yogi Vishnu. It didn’t matter what part they played. They would all be brought down in the net.

As Christian scanned the busy lobby, he spotted a woman with long hair such a dark shade of red-brown that it had to be called mahogany. Overhead lighting caused the strands to shimmer when she turned her head. She wore a sleeveless top and shorts, showcasing long, lean legs and a perfectly formed heart-shaped behind. He couldn’t see her face, which was probably a good thing. If the front was as amazing as the back, Christian might find himself falling in love.

Chuckling at his musings, he shook his head and caught up with Hunter, who had kept walking while Christian gawked. They found the hallway leading to the security office, and he rapped on the door.

“Come in.”

He was glad Reese had warned him about the security chief being a twin for the former athlete-turned-actor Terry Crews because Christian would’ve sworn that was who he was looking at. He held out a hand. “Christian Zamora.”

“Terry Hammond.”

Strong, firm handshake. Christian listened as Hunter introduced himself before saying, “Thanks for your cooperation.”

“No problem. I didn’t realize there would be two of you.”

“I’ll be the only one sitting in on the interview,” Hunter informed him. “Before joining COBRA Securities, I was a special agent with the FBI.”

“If Ramsey doesn’t cooperate or admit to his involvement, I have information that will make him talk.” Christian hit play on his phone and showed him the evidence. Terry watched the video, his jaw firming.

“He’s dealing out of the resort? Sonofabitch. I had no idea.”

Christian returned the phone to his pocket. “We don’t want to let him know we’re on to him yet. I’ll watch him for the next couple of days to see who he interacts with. My background is with the DEA, so I’ll have a team here to apprehend him soon. I will let you know before it happens.”

Terry nodded. “If you don’t want him to see you, you can hide in the bathroom back there.” He pointed to a door behind them. “That way, you’ll be able to hear the questioning.”

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