Page 103 of A Step You Shouldn't Take

“The photo I sent?”

“No, the photoIsent. Why did you just message it back to me?” More time wasted.

“Look again.”

“What? Why?”

“Just look again.”

Okaaaay. My eyes rolled all of their own accord as I put the phone on speaker and lined the screen up next to Kim’s necklace. Two gold… Hold on. What the…? The pieces were similar, but not identical. The pendant in Will’s hand had subtle differences in its shape, and when I looked closer, the symbols were different.

“Where did you get that?” I asked.

“I think that should be my question.” A pause. “Does the word ‘Electi’ mean anything to you?”

Holy fuck. I’d heard the phrase “heart-stopping moment” before but never truly experienced it.

“You’ve heard of the Electi?”

“What are you talking about?” Wyatt asked. “What’s an Electi?”

I didn’t even bother trying to explain, just walked into the kitchen and kicked the door shut behind me. Wyatt, I could apologise to later, but I couldn’t afford to let Lawson go. He had information on the Electi? I was kinda surprised he’d come right out with his question, but then again, it wouldn’t have meant anything to the average person. They’d have experienced mild curiosity at most.

“They’ve shown up on my radar,” Lawson said. “I take it from that reaction you’ve come across them too?”

“I’ve heard the name.”

“From your client?”

“She was the person who mentioned them, yes.”

“Is she one of them?”

“I can’t—”

“You said she’d been kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re desperate. You must be to have posted that message online and then left it there through all the ridicule. So stop with the bullshit. I know how difficult this is to talk about, believe me. I’ve been there. So I’ll ask again; is your client a member of the Electi?”

Blunt. Will Lawson didn’t mess around, did he? And he’d been there? Was he telling me what I thought he was telling me? That one of his clients was a member of the Electi too? Or something more… Suddenly, his high solve-rates made sense.

“So she claims. You’re working with one of them?”

He laughed. “You could say that. Whereabouts are you in the USA?”

“Maryland.”

“We’re on our way. Send me your email address, and I’ll let you know when we get to the airport.”

“You’ll help?”

“Mate, I’m as curious about the Electi as you are.”

CHAPTER 31 - REED

“SO LAWSON’S BRINGING his partner?” Wyatt asked.

---