Page 69 of Montana Manhunt

They exited the SUV and walked toward the apartment building where Camilla had lived. Noah threaded his fingers through Violet’s. “Any idea how efficient the Morrison cops are?”

“It’s been the good-old-boys club as long as I can remember. They’re never in a hurry to do anything except take donut breaks.”

“Ouch. Don’t have a high opinion of law enforcement?”

“Not this department. You and the rest of Echo unit were exceptionally good cops. The Morrison PD isn’t in the same league as you and your team.”

As they walked, two cars drove past them and parked in a driveway half a block back. Noah continued walking at the same pace, casually glancing around and behind him. The drivers of the vehicles walked toward a house.

He breathed easier. “Neighbors,” he whispered.

Ten minutes later, he inclined his head toward the alley leading to Camilla’s apartment building. “Stay alert. Lots of hiding places back here.”

“Where is a Klieg light when you need one?” Grant muttered.

With Violet, Noah approached the back of the building. Everything remained quiet. Good. He examined the door and tugged on it. “Locked.”

Violet handed him two keys. “Try these. One should unlock the door.”

Excellent. Breaking one less law would make the lawyer happy if Noah and his team were hauled into the police station for questioning.

He chose one key, slid it into the lock, and twisted. The tumblers shifted. He opened the door and peered into the interior. The door opened into an empty laundry room. “Clear,” he murmured, and motioned for the others to enter the building. With a last glance around, Noah followed them inside.

They walked through the laundry room to the door leading into the main part of the building.

Grant opened the door wide enough to peer into the hallway. “Clear.”

“Go. Second floor, apartment 205.”

“Copy that.” He eased into the hall and led the way toward the stairwell at the other end of the hall.

Soon, the four operatives exited onto the second floor. They paused, listening. So far, no one was stirring.

Noah motioned for Violet to follow him to her sister’s apartment. When they reached her door, he noted that the crime scene tape had been removed, slid the second key into the lock, and twisted. No resistance.

He frowned. “Wasn’t locked,” he whispered. Bad police work or had someone else been in Camilla’s apartment after the crime scene team finished?

Noah nudged Violet back against the wall. Grant did the same with Rayne. He and Grant stood on either side of the door, weapons held down by their legs. When Grant signaled he was ready, Noah twisted the knob and pushed open the door.

No response.

He signaled Grant to take the right while he took the left. After counting to three, they entered the apartment, weapons up. His breath caught at the mess in the apartment.

Together, he and Grant walked through the apartment, clearing room after room. When they finished, Noah went to the hall. “It’s clear,” he whispered. “Be careful walking in here. It’s a mess.”

Violet scowled as she scanned the interior of the apartment. “Cami didn’t do this. She was obsessive about keeping things tidy. Used to drive me crazy when we shared an apartment.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, her last statement made Noah smile. Violet was just as obsessive about keeping everything tidy. She knew exactly where every piece of medical equipment was stored in her mike bag. Her own apartment was orderly as well. “The crime scene team wouldn’t have left this kind of mess, either. Someone came in after they finished and trashed the place.”

Grant glanced around. “They were looking for something.”

“What?” Rayne asked. “This looks like anger and hatefulness to me.”

Noah looked at the wholesale destruction again. She was right. The only items in sight not destroyed were pictures and ceramic decorations that would have made a lot of noise and brought unwanted attention to the apartment.

“This is a disaster.” Violet surveyed the surroundings with her hands on her hips. “I’ll have to clean this up as I box what’s salvageable of Cami’s belongings. Otherwise, the landlord will charge a huge cleaning fee.”

“We’ll help you.” Rayne gripped Violet’s hand for a moment. “We’ll get boxes from a home repair center or a moving business and load them on the jet when we return home.”

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