Page 10 of Wired Justice

Chapter Six

Jake turned the wheel,heading down into the park. The narrow, two-lane road wove along the side of a canyon draped in varying shades of vegetation. He unclenched his hands on the wheel—they’d begun to cramp.

That was his big move? Grabbing her leg and pretending they were “a thing” in front of those detectives?

Smooth one, Jake. Nice.She was really impressed by your promise to “make it good.”

Jake sneaked a look at Sophie. Her face was turned away as she looked out the window and her eyes were shut, but blotchy color showed on the golden skin of her neck.

She was blushing.

He’d gotten to her.

Yeah!His opening move had sucked, but she was thinking about what he’d said.

It was a start. He could work with it. The key to success was exploiting every angle toward an objective. And his objective had just shown a chink in her defenses.

They reached the bottom of the canyon and a small parking lot beneath the high, graceful arch of a freeway overpass. That bridge spanned both the canyon and a small river that tumbled over rocks and between banks of tall native grass.

Jake pulled the Jeep into a parking spot and they sat for a moment, surveying the park.

A camping area toward where the riverbank met the ocean was clearly marked. Off to the right, tucked up against the steep wall of the canyon, hunkered a cement block bathroom. A brisk wind blew in from the sea, smelling of the ocean. Jake’s nostrils flared instinctively, taking in the saltygoodness.

Sophie gestured toward a small group of tents clustered in the designated camping zone. “We should begin by canvassing there. You have a photo of our client?”

“Sure do.” Jake took out his phone and texted a photo of their client to Sophie.

Julie Weathersby was five foot six, one hundred and thirty pounds, with light brown hair and blue eyes. She had freckles on her nose and a hopeful smile with the perfect teeth of good orthodontia. In the photo, she wore hiking clothes and carried the backpack she’d disappeared with.

“She looks so young.” Sophie said.

“She’s twenty-four.”

“That’s how old I was when I escaped from Assan.” Sophie’s lips folded tight. “I didn’t feel young.”

She so seldom said anything about her fucked-up marriage. “That bastard stole your . . . your youth and innocence.” Jake growled. “May he rot in hell.”

“It’s some comfort that I sent him there.” Sophie opened the door of the Jeep and got out. Yeah, she’d sent him there, all right—Sophie had slit the man’s throat. Not that he didn’t deserve that, and more. Jake would’ve liked a little time to work on Assan Ang with a knife, himself.

They left Ginger secured in the vehicle with some water and a dog biscuit.

The two approached the first tent. A young mother sat on a beach towel near its entrance, playing with a baby wearing a puka shell necklace and a diaper. Sophie squatted to smile at the child, who reached out a hand, grasping her finger. “She’s darling.”

“Thank you. We think so,” the mom said.

Sophie was such a softie when it came to kids. Every case they’d worked so far, she seemed to get attached to any children involved. He’d never forget climbing over that fence at a cult’s headquarters in Waipio, carrying a couple of terrified children, with dogs and armed men on their trail.

Sophie chatted up the mother as Jake surveilled the camp. A young man strolled towards them, wearing a pair of board shorts and a battered tee. He carried a fishing pole and a stringer.

“Good fishing?” Jake loved fishing on any days he had off. Spin casting, stream fishing, reef walking, deep-sea—it didn’t matter, as long as he was near the water.

“Got a few papio for dinner.” Jake recognized the Hawaiian word for a small jack as the young man held up his catch. “What can we do for you, Detective?”

Jake laughed. “I’m not a cop. But Ms. Ang and I are private investigators.” He held up his Security Solutions ID, and Sophie showed hers as well. “We’re looking for a young woman who camped here around a week ago.” He held up his phone so they could see the photo of Julie Weathersby.

The young woman shook her head. “We’ve only been here a week. But I think the couple down by the creek has been here long enough to have seen her.”

Taking their leave, Jake and Sophie walked toward a battered tent set close to the water, away from the rest. Disorderly bins of personal clothing and objects were piled nearby. The door was zippered shut.

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