Page 15 of Girl Lost
“Harlee, I’m sorry. I know I hurt you when I left. Hurt you more by not checking in.” Harlee looked up, and Luna summoned a small smile. “I want to ... to fix it. Make it up ... whatever. There willbe time, I promise, but right now ... could we work together? Can we do this for Stryker? All of us?”
Harlee leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “All of us?”
She didn’t have to say it, but Luna knew she meant Corbin. Clever woman. Harlee was trying to get her to agree to set aside everything to work with Corbin too. If it meant getting Stryker back safe and sound, she’d do it.
If there was one thing Luna could do, it was fake it for the greater good. “Yeah. All of us. For Stryker.”
A slow smile appeared on her face. “Good, because look who’s here.”
Luna followed her finger to the security camera feed on the monitor. Blade and Corbin were inside the gym, about to head up the stairs.
Harlee anticipated a reaction, but Luna had years of experience concealing her emotions and controlling her reflexes.
“Perfect timing. It should only take a few minutes to trace this, then we’ll have some intel to share when they get here.” She held out four pieces of confetti in her palm for Harlee to see.
Tori hopped off the table and leaned in for a closer look. Her eyes flicked up to Luna’s. “AFID dots?”
“Found them on the sidewalk. I’m sure the crime scene crew retrieved a few by now, but at least we’ll have a head start.”
Harlee picked up her phone and dialed. She smiled at Luna. “Nice.”
The best way to eliminate your enemy was to make them your friend. All she did was approach from a place of humility. Found a common interest, then offered up a favor. “No big deal.”
Tori patted Luna’s shoulder. “Good call.” Luna wasn’t sure if she meant the Taser dots, or how she’d handled Harlee, but she expected it was both.
Harlee was on hold when Corbin and Blade came in.
A huge grin broke out on Blade’s face when he saw Luna. “C’mere and let me get a look at you.” Blade was a big guy with abroad chest and delicate blue eyes. Dark brown hair fell across his forehead in an unintentional style statement. Part professional, part just-rolled-out-of-bed.
He cupped his massive hands around hers. “It’s so,sogood to see you.”
She pulled her hands free and slid her arms around his middle and hugged him.
A hot tear formed in the corner of her eye. She’d missed this. Missed the human connection. The familiar touch of people she could trust.
When Luna released her hold on Blade, he ran his hand over her hair. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure you get your reunion with Stryker too.”
Corbin stared at her as if he was waiting for her to say something.
“The company came back with a name.” Harlee scribbled on a notepad. “The Taser cartridge was purchased by Charles Abercorn. He bought three. I’ve got the address. It’s on the corner of Prosperity and Fifteenth.”
Blade had his phone out. “I’m getting a warrant. It’s almost one o’clock. The DA should be back from lunch by now.”
“Ah, there you are.” Harlee clicked a button and enlarged a mug shot of Abercorn.
He was a gaunt man, his face hollowed and shadowed, his skin stretched tight over prominent cheekbones. Heavy-lidded eyes stared back at her from the photo. A Santa Muerte tattoo stretched across his neck, from shoulder to ear. The Saint of Death. She suppressed a shudder. How could anyone worship death when life itself was a miracle, a gift?
“Did they say how he paid? Credit card?” Corbin had moved to stand closer to Blade, and Luna’s traitorous heart fluttered when his shoulder brushed past hers.
Harlee clicked around the computer. “Used a prepaid gift card. Untraceable. But here.” She tapped the monitor. “This is the place.”
A street view image showed a dingy white bungalow with ajungle of a yard. The native plants had run wild and started crowding the house. From the blurry photo, Luna could see the sagging chain-link fence surrounding the property. One section of the four-foot fence looked like it had been peeled back, pulling the rusted support pole to a forty-five-degree angle. “Place looks abandoned.”
“I guess we’ll find out when we get there.” Corbin used his phone to snap a photo of the address and headed for the door.
Blade held up a hand. “Whoa. Broward County has this case—”
Corbin shook his head. “This is Stryker we’re talking about. He could be in that house.”
