Chapter Twelve

Although he hated grilling Becca to find out if she had any information that might help them track down Kassidy, he needed to. He’d tried calling her before lunch but only managed to get her voice mail. Later in the afternoon, he sent her a text message, but she’d quickly sent him back a reply, letting him know she was in another meeting and wasn’t sure when she’d be done. He’d found her response odd. The police had sent detectives over this morning, so she knew Kassidy was missing. In that kind of situation people usually took time off from work. Why hadn’t Becca?

Reaching her front door, he rang the bell, anxious to get some answers so he could report back to Ax.

When the door opened, thoughts of gathering intel for work disappeared. Instead, the need to pull her close and lose himself in her overwhelmed him. Dressed in shorts and a plain T-shirt, her hair hanging loose over her shoulders, she was the walking embodiment of a sex goddess. Stepping inside the house, he reached for her. Questions could wait until after he’d tasted her. Lowering his head toward hers, he covered her mouth with his.

Given the choice, he’d continue their reunion upstairs, but at the moment it wasn’t an option. So after one more pass across her lips, Connor raised his mouth from hers. “I’ve missed you.”

Considering her stepsister was missing and possibly in danger, he expected to see worry or perhaps sadness reflected in her eyes when she met his. Instead, he saw unease.

“How are you holding up?” he asked. Before he questioned her, he needed to know she was doing okay.

“I’m fine. A little stressed maybe. It was a crazy day,” she answered. Taking his hand, she started down the hall. “I’m so glad tomorrow is Friday.”

Fine? If his stepsister, Jill, a woman he didn’t even like, went missing, he wouldn’t be fine. Despite the bad blood between them, he’d be worried about her welfare and would do what he could to bring her home. There was no way Becca could be fine when the police and Elite Force security were out searching for Kassidy’s whereabouts. Not unless she’d been found safe and the police had already notified Becca but not Ax.

“Sorry I couldn’t talk earlier. My day was literally one meeting after another.” Becca sat and folded her legs on the sofa. “Unless you really want to go out, I thought we could stay in tonight. Maybe watch a movie or something.”

“Whatever you want.” Putting off uncomfortable questions wouldn’t make asking them any easier. Connor cleared his throat before he said, “Are you sure you’re okay? Did you hear anything from the police?”

She tilted her head to one side and blinked. “The police? Regarding the break-in?”

“About Kassidy,” he answered. “I know two detectives stopped by this morning.”

“How do you know that?”

Fair question. “Lafayette Laboratory hired Elite Force to help find Kassidy.”

“Hired Elite Force? I thought the company provided private security.”

He couldn’t go into everything the company did, but he could clear up this misconception.

“We do a lot of things. I’m actually part of the firm’s HRT, hostile response team, and one of the things we do is locate missing people. Earlier this summer, I led the team searching for a missing little girl up in Boston.” Connor took a seat next to her. “As soon as we were brought on board today, my boss contacted the Alexandria police, so I know two detectives questioned you. It’s why I called earlier. I wanted to make sure you were okay and ask if you had any information that might help us find Kassidy.”

Becca didn’t speak, but she didn’t need to. Her face told him she was trying to wrap her head around all the information he’d shared.

“But she’s not missing, Connor. She’s on vacation. I talked to her this morning.”

Not at all the statement he’d expected. “This morning?”

She nodded. “Before I went to work.”

The cyber division would know if Kassidy used her cell phone at any point today. Last he’d checked with them, it hadn’t been used in over a week. “Are you sure it was her? There have been no incoming or outgoing calls to her cell phone in days.”

“How do you—Never mind,” she said, shaking her head. “Yes, of course it was Kassidy. She said someone made a clerical error when putting in her vacation days. She promised to call the lab and Detective Murphy from the Alexandria police department right away and get everything straightened out.”

People made clerical errors all the time, but he wasn’t buying Kassidy’s excuse. The lab wouldn’t want to spend unnecessary money searching for a person who was simply on vacation. If Kassidy had called them, someone would have reached out to Elite Force to let it know its services were no longer required, saving a lot of money.

Becca’s voice said she wasn’t buying it completely either. “You doubt her explanation,” he said.

She nodded slowly. “I know people make mistakes, but I’ve caught Kassidy in a few other lies recently. And something keeps telling me she was lying today. But I don’t know why she would lie about being on vacation. At least to me. I don’t care what she does.”

The more she talked, the more Connor’s suspicions grew. They’d assumed Kassidy was a victim. It was looking more and more like she was intentionally in hiding.

“I hoped she’d call back and tell me everything was good with work and the police. But I haven’t heard from her again.”

“Did you check with the detective?”

“No. Honestly, I’ve been thinking about it, but I’m almost afraid to.”

“Do it now, and I’ll call my boss. Maybe he’s gotten some news since I left the office.”

He waited until Becca left before calling Ax. “Becca spoke with Kassidy early this morning. She gave her a story about being on vacation and the lab making a clerical error. According to Becca, Kassidy promised to call both the lab and the detective who stopped by the house.”

“We both know Kassidy didn’t use her cell phone,” Ax said. “And if she called Lafayette or the Alexandria police, they would’ve let us know.”

Connor watched Becca reenter the room as he listened to Ax. Kassidy hadn’t done as she’d promised, Becca’s face said as much.

“Make sure you get whatever number Kassidy used to contact her stepsister and get back here as soon as you can,” Ax ordered. “And make sure your friend knows to contact you ASAP if she gets any other calls or messages from Kassidy.”

“Will do. I gotta go.”

She dropped down next to him and leaned her elbows on her thighs. “Detective Murphy said Kassidy never called him or anyone else at the police department. And the lab never contacted him to say Kassidy called in.”

At least this one time, he wished he’d been wrong.

“Did your boss have any news?” She glanced his way.

For her sake, he wished Ax had had news. “Nothing yet. And if she called Lafayette, they would’ve reached out. They don’t want to be dishing out money.”

“I don’t understand.” She stood and paced across the area rug. “What is she really doing? Why lie about being on vacation to me? I’m not her supervisor. I don’t care if she shows up at work or not.” Becca paused and looked at him. “This morning the police said they were concerned she was in danger. Do you think they’re right? She’s a scientist, not some spy. Why would anyone want to hurt her? And if she was in some kind of danger, wouldn’t she have told me so I could get her help?”

In the last ten minutes, he’d started developing his own working theory of what was going on. And if he was right, Becca wasn’t going to like it. Until he knew for certain, he’d keep it to himself. “If she’s being held against her will, someone might have forced her to give you that explanation this morning,” he said. “If you give us the number you used to contact her, it might help us find Kassidy.”

“I didn’t call her.”

“You said you talked to her this morning.”

“I did, but she called me.” Becca retook the seat she’d vacated earlier. “After the police left, I sent a text message to her tablet because Detective Murphy said she wasn’t answering her phone. She doesn’t have the two devices linked, and she prefers to get messages on it instead of her phone anyway. Not long after, she called me.”

She ran her fingers through her hair and then down her face. “But Kassidy didn’t call from her cell phone. At least not the phone I have the number for. She said it’d been acting up since they got to the beach, so she borrowed a friend’s.”

Connor stored away every bit of information Becca shared. Later he’d pass it along to Ax. “Then she’s not alone?”

“She’s with someone named Jameson. Or that’s what she told me. She’s never mentioned him before, so it must be someone she either met at the tech conference or when she got wherever she is. After everything else, I’m not sure I believe her about even that. And I know several weeks ago she had a second cell phone. I heard it ringing one morning.”

It didn’t matter much if it was some guy’s phone or a cheap, disposable one. Both could be traced. “The number should be on your phone,” he said.

Even before she shook her head, he suspected she wouldn’t be able to provide him with what he wanted. “It came through with no Caller ID. If I hadn’t been hoping Kassidy would call me, I wouldn’t have even answered it.”

Another red flag went up in his head. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but it was a hell of a lot more than just a simple clerical error.

“Did she tell you where she is?” He doubted Kassidy had shared her location, but he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t ask.

“Nothing specific. She said she was sitting on a deck overlooking a private beach and the Caribbean Ocean. But she could’ve lied about that too. For all I know, she might be in the middle of Kansas.”

“If we have access to your phone records, the tech gods at Elite Force might still be able to trace the call and get a location.” The men and women who worked in the cyber division amazed him all the time with the information they could get their hands on.

“Yeah, of course. If it helps find her, they can poke around in them all they want.”

“Can you think of anything else that might help us? Maybe something she said during the call or the last time you saw her.”

Becca sighed and leaned back. “I wish I could.”

He did too, because so far they had very little to go on. “The people I work with are the best out there. They’ll do everything they can to find her.”

“Then you think she’s in some kind of danger too?” she asked, biting into her bottom lip.

Either she was in danger or in hiding for some reason. “I think it’s possible.” He didn’t want to cause Becca any additional worry, but he needed to be honest with her. “She might know something or have something someone wants.”

“Do you think the break-in is somehow linked to all this?” Becca asked, voicing the same thought he’d had earlier.

“Maybe.” He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “If it is related, they took what they wanted and have no reason to come back.”

All Becca’s instincts had told her Kassidy was lying this morning. Her conversations with Connor and Detective Murphy confirmed it. Unfortunately, knowing her stepsister was lying didn’t help explain what was going on. Connor, like the police, thought she might be in danger. But in danger from whom? Kassidy was a scientist who liked to have maybe a little too much fun, not some high-level government employee with access to top-secret information. Nothing about the situation made any sense.

“I guess you’re right.” Her mind went back to the encounter at lunch and the man in the parking garage.

Connor moved closer, the fabric of his jeans rubbing against her bare leg. “Has someone been hanging around?”

“No, at least I haven’t seen anyone. There was just this man on the Mall today at lunch.” She didn’t want Connor thinking she was afraid of her own shadow. “Before you even say it, I know I’m worrying about nothing.”

“What did he do?” Connor asked, his tone hard.

“Nothing really.” She should’ve kept her big mouth shut. “He sat on the same bench while I was having lunch and said he hoped he would see me there again today.”

“And?” His tone remained suspicious.

“Then he introduced himself as Ross. He said he often sees me there and then asked me to lunch.” The more she considered it, the more innocent the encounter seemed. “He was just being friendly. And if he visits the Mall at lunchtime, it makes sense he might have seen me there. I go over there a lot. Besides, it’s a public bench in a public park, so he wasn’t breaking any laws by sitting next to me.”

Connor’s expression didn’t change, making it difficult to guess his thoughts. “What did he do when you turned him down?”

“Offered to walk me back to my office and asked me to meet him after work.” Becca shrugged. “I told him I had a boyfriend and then left. Like I said, he was just being friendly. Other men have sat down and talked to me like that while I was out there. I’m sure it happens to other women too.”

“Yeah, but this one made you uncomfortable. Think about it. Was there something off about him? The tone of his voice? The way he walked? His clothes?”

Why did he have to be right? Becca ran through every detail of the encounter then shook her head. “He just looked wrong. He was wearing a suit, and said he worked at the IRS, but I can’t imagine him there. But that doesn’t mean anything, Connor. You can’t judge a person by his looks.” She considered the man in the parking garage. He’d looked out of place too.

“Still with me?” Connor asked, pulling her thoughts back to the present.

“Yeah, sorry. I was thinking about the guy in the parking garage tonight. He was parked on the same level as me, but I’ve never seen him around. Most of the people who use the garage work with me or in the building next door, and they park on the same level every day. It makes it easier to find your car at night. At least that’s why I do it.” There was nothing worse than wandering around a parking garage or lot at night, looking for your car.

She picked at the skin around her fingernail. “He could be new. Employees come and go all the time. I’m sure I’m overreacting about him too.” Normally, her imagination didn’t get the better of her like it seemed to be today. Then again, the police had paid her a visit this morning before she’d even managed to shower. Considering their visit, perhaps an overactive imagination was to be expected.

“Possibly, but there was a reason he made you uneasy. Was it the way he was dressed? Did he have any odd tattoos or piercings? Something unusual about his car?”

Closing her eyes, she pictured the man again. He’d looked to be in his mid- to late-twenties. She hadn’t noticed any tattoos. They would have stood out to her because the people she regularly saw in the garage never had visible tattoos. There hadn’t been anything unusual about his suit except that it looked to be on the cheaper side, but not everyone could afford custom-tailored clothes. “Sorry, I can’t….” Her voice trailed off, and she looked at Connor.

“What?”

“He backed into his parking space. Most people pull into them.” Another detail remained just out of her reach. Rubbing her temples, she tried to think back to the very moment she first saw him. She pictured him closing his car door and starting to walk.

“His shoes.” She dropped her hands into her lap. “He was wearing boots similar to those a person would wear on a worksite or hiking. Not the type a person pairs with a suit.”

“And did he approach you?”

“No. He didn’t speak to Danny or me. When I pulled out he was headed toward the elevator. I didn’t stick around to see if he got into it.”

Connor remained silent for several moments. “Until Kassidy is found, I think you should hire some protection.”

“Like a bodyguard?”

She should’ve kept her stupid mouth shut. Just because the man had committed a fashion faux pas and paired work boots with a suit didn’t mean he was dangerous. “I don’t need someone following me around. I’m not in danger; my imagination is just getting the better of me.”

He leaned closer and shook his head. “Maybe it is, but until this situation is straightened out, it’s a good idea, Becca.”

“And have everyone think I’ve lost my mind? No thanks. The house has an alarm, and I’m perfectly safe at work. Everyone goes through security when they come into the building.”

Placing his hands on her shoulders, he rubbed his thumb back and forth across her skin. “Just think about it. Please. I’d feel better if you had someone with you.”

She was touched by his concern, even if it was misplaced, but she had no intention of changing her mind. At the same time, she didn’t want to argue with Connor either. “Okay, I’ll think about it, but I’m not making any promises.”

“Ax wants to see me.” His right hand left her shoulder and moved around to the back of her neck. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Demanding lips came down hard on hers, caressing them with each pass and making it impossible to answer. Soon it was impossible to think as well.

When he pulled away, she considered asking if he’d be her bodyguard so she could enjoy similar kisses and other forms of physical pleasure whenever she wanted.

“If you need me, call.” Connor stood, pulling her up with him. “And I need you to contact me right away if you hear back from Kassidy.”

“Go do whatever you need to at work, I’ll be fine. I don’t even plan on leaving the house tonight.” At the moment, she couldn’t think of a single place she wanted to go except the hot tub upstairs. Hopefully, a long soak would wash away some of the anxiety eating away at her. “If she calls again, I’ll let you know, but I don’t think she will.”

“Neither do I, but if she does, don’t tell her Elite Force has been hired to find her.”

If she was in danger or being held against her will, she’d want to know people like Connor were out searching for her. “Why not?”

Connor didn’t immediately answer, and she didn’t understand why. It seemed like a pretty straightforward question, unless he knew something he wasn’t sharing. “Connor, why don’t you want me to tell her?”

“We don’t know who else is listening to her conversations,” he answered.

Although he still hadn’t said Kassidy was definitely in danger, everything about their conversation tonight made Becca think he believed it to be true.