Page 30 of The Ghost Assassin

One thing for certain, I can’t figure out how to deal with Kane and his father while watching my back and everyone else’s for an assassination attempt. I need to catch a killer, and that’s what I do best.

I retrieve my MacBook from my field bag, power it up on top of the kitchen island and just as I claim my seat, Jay pokes his head in the doorway. “We have a guy up there that can go get Tic Tac.”

“Tell him to hold. Tic Tac seems to want to ride it out there. More soon.”

“You’re killing me, Lilah.”

“Not yet.” I smile.

He scowls and leaves the room.

I turn my attention to my email, hunting for anything Lucas has sent my way.

The truth is that if Kane’s father is responsible for Murphy’s murder, life is easier simply because I have focus. If he didn’t, and I’m dealing with him and someone else, bullets are flying in all directions. In my life, the simple answer is rarely the right answer.

Turns out Lucas has filled my inbox with a total of one message with the data he’s collected. I open the secure file, and the limited volume of information already tells me this is going nowhere fast. I start with the folder titled “Director Ellis,” which turns out to be a big ol’ nothing bomb.

Ellis was a Navy SEAL who was recruited by Homeland and secured the role of director eight years ago after ten years of service. He’s never been married, which is only a slight deviation from “divorced,” which is more typical of law enforcement. There are no negative marks on his record, and Lucas found no record of where he was the day Murphy was murdered.

As for the other documents Lucas has included, there’s next to nothing, which means he wasn’t even trying. When Lucas wants to go big, he goes big. When he wants to fuck around, he does that big as well.

The whole world is trying to irritate me at this point, but those I call family always manage to excel. I dial his burner phone and pray I don’t get my dumbass brother and all his drama. Fortunately, Lucas answers on the first ring. “Oh, gentle queen, how might I serve you?”

“By not being a pain in my ass, but we both know you aren’t capable of such a delightful idea. So, start by giving me something to work with.”

“I can’t milk a cow that’s already been milked.”

“Please spare me that visual. I hope that’s not how you approach the women you wish were in your life.”

“I don’t milk women.”

“But you’d like to?”

“I have a love life.”

“Really? When this is over, you’ll have to fill me in on all the juicy stuff.” I move on. “Right now, your job is to get what no one else can.”

“Murphy’s data was wiped about three hours before you called me. That includes camera feeds for months.”

“What about Ellis? Can you check the hotel feed for his activity?”

“I did, and there’s nothing to see. He’s also gone. He checked out of his hotel about fifteen minutes ago. I sent you a text.”

I grab my phone and confirm. “So, you did. Where’s he headed?”

“At the moment, he’s stuck in traffic and hugging the same red light for a good five minutes.”

“What about the phone number I gave you?”

“It’s a burner phone. It’s not registered.”

“Where was it sold?” I ask.

“A gas station right by the Nashville airport, a year ago. It’s going to be almost impossible to track it down.”

My brows dip. “Who is calling him on a burner phone they bought a year ago?”

“The question of the decade,” he replies.

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