Threat Detection, page 7
“She likes plants, I see.” Isaac pointed to the abundance of greenery in the living room.
“Yes, that’s why I have a key. If she had to go away for a few days, she wanted me to water her plants. I think giving me the key was mostly to show trust. It’s strange that the curtains are drawn. Emily always worried about the plants getting enough light. Honestly, that is the only thing that seems out of character for Emily to do.” Aubrey stared at the curtains. “Maybe she didn’t want someone looking in.”
Freddy snorted. Nose to the floor he paced into the living room, up the hallway and then back into the kitchen.
“Something has him riled,” said Aubrey.
“I haven’t given the command for him to do anything.” Isaac squatted on the floor and called Freddy over. “He’s smelling something. Maybe a scent that he’s been exposed to previously.”
Freddy nuzzled his nose against Isaac’s jacket pocket and then sat down.
“What’s in your pocket?”
“The thumb drive. I still haven’t had a chance to get it to my team to be analyzed.”
Aubrey shook her head. “What is he trying to tell us?”
“Dogs’ noses can separate out smells. He’s trained to detect the chemical on the electronics, but he could also smell the scent of whoever touched the thumb drive.”
“So you’re saying whoever held that thumb drive was in my sister’s place.”
“It’s just a guess. Based on what Freddy is trying to communicate.”
Aubrey slumped down in a chair. “If she is in some kind of danger, why won’t she just communicate with me? Doesn’t she know I would help her?” Maybe Emily didn’t believe that. From an early age, they both had learned to be self-sufficient in order to survive. Emily had a lot of shame about her past. Maybe she feared Aubrey would bring it up if she came for help.
“I hate to ask this question, but what kind of stuff was Emily involved in before she reconciled with you?”
“Petty theft and drugs. Emily’s big weakness is choosing the wrong guy to be involved with.”
“Was she seeing anyone?”
“I don’t think so, but I’m not sure. My sister could be secretive. I want things to be better between us. We have a lot to work through, but I didn’t want to be pushy or nosy and cause her to back off from the relationship.” She put her face in her hands and shook her head. “I don’t want to let my mind go there, but what if she has done something terrible and has just run off?”
Isaac crossed the room, sat down beside Aubrey and rubbed her back. “We don’t know anything for sure yet.”
“I want to think the best of her. She seemed genuine when she got in touch with me and said she wanted to turn her life around.” His touch kept her from bursting into tears. Years ago, his being close had always made her feel calm and confident. Some things didn’t change.
Freddy let out a sympathetic whine, put his front paws on the sofa and licked her hand. It was nice to have so much support.
Isaac wrapped his arm around her back and squeezed her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll find her.”
She rested her face against his shoulder. “I’m really afraid.”
“I get that. If it was my brother who seemed to have disappeared, I’d feel the same way,” said Isaac.
Being held by Isaac, hearing the warmth of his voice, made her realize that she had missed having him in her life. He always had a way of talking her off her emotional ledges. She pulled away, not wanting the moment of connection to cross any lines.
He rose to his feet, indicating that he, too, must have wanted to keep things just friendly and supportive. He cleared his throat. “Ruby should be getting to the foundation by the time we drive over there. If Brandie was able to come, you can maybe work inside while Ruby and I head back up to where you were shot at.”
She longed to get back out in the field, but she would take what she could get. There was plenty she could work on inside the facility as well.
Isaac headed toward the door and opened it. He stared outside and then shut the door. His features hardened.
“Is something wrong?”
“When we came here, there was a man sitting on the bench in that park across the street with a view of Emily’s front door. One of the cars has been moved, and that same man is now sitting behind the wheel.”
Fear shot through her like an arrow. “Do you suppose he was watching this place?”
“Now his car is positioned for a quick pullout, probably to follow the K-9 vehicle,” said Isaac.
“He must be watching Emily’s place. Why? Who is he?”
Isaac pulled his gun from the holster. “I don’t know but I’m going to find out. You stay in here with Freddy. Lock the door behind me.”
* * *
Once he stepped outside, Isaac slipped behind a hedge before the man in the car had a chance to turn his head and see him. The driver’s attention was on the K-9 vehicle. He was clearly waiting for Isaac and Aubrey to come out. If he was watching for Emily, maybe he thought they would lead him to her. Or that Aubrey was Emily because from a distance they looked alike.
Even though it was clear from the driver’s actions what he was up to, Isaac did not have probable cause for arresting or even questioning him. It wasn’t illegal to sit in your car on a city street. Plus he might be armed.
If the man in the car did tail them, Isaac could stop him for suspicious activity and harassment of a police officer.
Crouching and walking in a straight line from the hedge so he was shielded from view, Isaac retreated back to the apartment. He knocked lightly. Aubrey opened the door almost immediately.
“You and Freddy come with me,” he said. “Stay on my far side so you’re shielded from the man in the car.” If his intent was to shoot at them, he didn’t want Aubrey to be an easy target. “Just act natural. We’re going to see if this guy will follow us. Right now, he hasn’t done anything that he couldn’t lie his way out of if I questioned him.”
When Isaac did a quick glance in the direction of the car, the driver had slipped down below the dashboard. He didn’t realize that Isaac had already made him.
They got in the SUV. Isaac started the car and drove. At first, he didn’t see anyone in the rearview mirror. Once he got through the residential neighborhood, though, he saw the car behind them. Isaac pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store. The other car rolled by on the street.
Aubrey turned in her seat. “He lost us.”
“He’ll be back. That’s a trick in tailing someone. He’ll assume that we’ve gone into the store, circle back and wait for us to pull out. Get down low so he doesn’t see our heads.” Isaac watched his side and rearview mirror. In less than a minute, the car tailing them parked on the street by the convenience store. “Stay in here. Lock the doors.”
Isaac slipped around to the front of the car and then circled around the convenience store so the man tailing them wouldn’t see him coming. With his hand hovering over his gun, Isaac approached the driver.
The man rolled down the window. “Officer?”
Isaac had half expected the guy to either shoot at him or drive away.
“Are you in the habit of following a police officer in a harassing manner? You want to tell me why you’re tailing me?”
“I’m a PI. I was hired to stake out Emily Smith’s house and report when she showed up. You guys were the first action I had gotten in twenty-four hours. I thought you might lead me to her.”
The guy seemed to be sincere.
“If you let me reach for my wallet, I’ll show you my license,” said the man.
Isaac nodded. “Who hired you?”
“I don’t know. The request was made via my website. Once the fee is paid, I go to work, and I don’t ask any questions.” He showed Isaac his credentials and handed him a business card.
Isaac took note of the man’s name. “Were you given a phone number to contact once Emily Smith showed up?”
“Yes,” said the PI.
“I’ll need that number.” Isaac pulled out his phone and typed in the number in the notes section. It was probably a number from a burner phone, but he’d have Jasmin trace it all the same. Someone who wanted to remain anonymous through a website probably wouldn’t give a phone number that could be connected back to him or her.
The PI seemed to want to cooperate. Isaac suspected he was telling the truth.
“Emily Smith is a person of interest in an ongoing investigation.” Isaac pulled out one of his cards. “I suggest if you do locate her, you contact us first.”
The PI agreed and Isaac stepped away from his car. As he walked across the lot, Aubrey pushed the button to unlock the doors of Isaac’s SUV.
“Well?”
“He’s a private investigator hired to watch Emily’s place and notify the client when she shows up.”
“That’s bad news and good news,” said Aubrey. “It means someone is trying to track down Emily. But they haven’t found her yet.”
Isaac’s phone pinged that he had a text. It was from Brandie, one of the candidates for the PNK9 open slot, who’d be helping Ruby on his case.
About five minutes away from the foundation research building.
An earlier text from Ruby that he must have missed informed him that she had been delayed.
“Your protection is waiting for you if you want to go back to work in the building.”
“That would be great. I have things I can work on at my desk and in the lab,” said Aubrey.
Isaac started his K-9 vehicle and pulled out toward the road that led back to Mount St. Helens. “You’ll like Brandie. She doesn’t talk a lot about herself, but the little bit I’ve seen of her working with Taz, that’s the German shepherd she’s been assigned to train with, makes me think she’d be good K-9 handler.”
“You mean she’s not a full-fledged K-9 officer yet?” A little fear had crept into Aubrey’s voice.
“She is. I just meant I haven’t worked closely with her. All four candidates have to put in some hours with the rest of the team. Not only do they have to be good K-9 officers, but they have to mesh with the other officers.” He found himself wishing that he could be the one to watch over Aubrey at the foundation so she wasn’t afraid, but if he could move the investigation forward, she wouldn’t need protection at all.
After Isaac pulled into the employee parking lot of the foundation, they both got out of the vehicle. Isaac glanced around, not seeing another K-9 SUV. He pulled his phone out and started to text. “I wonder if Brandie parked on the public side of the foundation. I forgot to tell her to park in employee parking.”
Aubrey moved toward the door while Isaac finished his text. She turned back to face him as if she had thought of something. Her expression changed when something over his shoulder caught her attention.
“That’s Emily’s car. She’s here.” Aubrey flung the door open and rushed inside.
Isaac hurried after her. Maybe now they would get some answers.
EIGHT
Aubrey flew through the door. Emily’s desk was behind a partition not visible from the entrance. She ran across the room. Emily’s phone sat beside her computer and a sweater was hung on the back of the chair, but her sister wasn’t there.
Isaac had followed her in. She stepped from behind the partition and shook her head. Emily was around here somewhere.
Mary came up a hallway, holding a stack of folders. “Aubrey, your text implied that you probably weren’t coming in today.”
“Everything is a little up in the air right now. Is my sister here?”
“I meant to call you, but we’ve been so busy. She showed up maybe an hour ago.”
“Where is she now?”
Mary set the folders on the counter. “I asked her earlier to go over to the gift shop to collect their invoices. That might be where she is.”
The foundation had two sides, a private higher security side where Aubrey worked and the public side where there were exhibits, a gift shop and opportunity to sign up for tours or listen to a ranger or volcanologist talk.
Aubrey hurried toward the door that led to the public side of the foundation. She opened it, stepped through and ran up the hallway; the place was already teeming with people. Assuming that Isaac was behind her, she pushed through the crowd and hurried toward the busy gift shop.
She stood on tiptoe, trying to see above the people and get the clerk’s attention. The clerk was focused on ringing up a customer’s purchase.
Aubrey turned around. She didn’t see Isaac anywhere. Several people bumped into her as she tried to make her way out of the gift shop.
When the crowd dispersed, Aubrey saw Emily across the room with her back turned. As if she knew someone was staring, Emily pivoted, her gaze landing on Aubrey. Her sister’s expression darkened. Aubrey recognized that look of shame. Emily darted toward the entrance, leaving the pile of papers she’d been holding on a display case.
Aubrey pushed through the crowd. Once outside, the sun nearly blinded her. She drew a protective hand up to her face. The parking lot and surrounding area was just as busy as inside. She scanned in all directions, looking for her sister. A flash of purple by a tour bus caught her eye. Emily had been wearing a purple dress.
She ran in that direction.
A hand grabbed her arm from behind. She swung around to see Isaac. “It’s not safe for you to be out in the open like this. You need to go back inside.”
“It’s Emily. I saw her. She’s here.”
“You go back inside. Brandie and Taz are over there. We’ll do the searching.”
“But my sister—”
“You can’t be out in this crowd. Go back to the work side of the foundation and wait. I’ll text you if we find her. Where did you see her last?”
A young dark-haired woman holding the leash of a German shepherd was crossing the parking lot.
“That way.” Aubrey pointed. “She’s wearing a purple dress.”
Isaac nodded, then he and Freddy ran toward Brandie and Taz.
Someone pushed Aubrey from the back.
“Oh, sorry,” said a man’s voice.
When she turned to see who it was, the man had already been engulfed by a crowd of people.
The little accident had caused her heart to race. Isaac was right. As much as she wanted to find her sister, she’d be safer inside. Knowing she couldn’t get back through to where she worked because the door only opened into the visitor side, she walked around the building back to the work side of the foundation.
Her stomach churned from anxiety. She returned to the desk where Emily had been working. She picked up her sister’s phone, tempted to check the calling and texting history if it wasn’t password protected. But she caught herself. Violating her sister’s privacy would not build trust. Emily was here. She had come into work, but something had frightened her when she saw Aubrey.
Aubrey looked closer at the wallpaper that was on the phone, half-concealed by apps and icons.
A chill ran over her skin. The photo was of Emily and a man, in profile, sitting at an outdoor café. She looked closer. Her breath caught. The picture had been taken at night, but she was pretty sure she was looking at a man who was on the thumb drive, Nathan Wharton. The one with a record for hacking and cybercrimes. The dead man. Her heart squeezed tight. What had her sister gotten involved with?
She held the phone to her chest, closed her eyes and prayed.
Please keep Emily safe.
And yet Emily had come back to work today. As if she was trying to do the right thing. She had fled when she knew Aubrey was here.
Mary’s voice came from behind her. “Everything okay?”
“Did my sister say anything to you when she came in?”
“You know, I think she came in to talk to Duncan. It was after I told her you weren’t coming into work that she said something about needing the hours.”
“Why did she want to talk to Duncan?”
“Not sure. She asked where he was the first thing when she came in. I saw the two of them through the glass wall of his office. The conversation looked intense, but I wouldn’t say it looked like a fight. I have no idea what they were talking about,” Mary said. “The other times I saw them interacting they always seemed friendly.”
“Thanks.” When Aubrey crossed the room to Duncan’s office, she found it locked. She walked to her boss’s office, where Leandra Ware was sitting in front of her computer. “Duncan was here this morning. Do you know where he went?”
“He didn’t say anything to me. You can check the sign-out sheet. Maybe he was doing some on-site research. I don’t believe he was scheduled to give any talks to the tourists today.”
Grabbing her mug, Leandra pushed her chair back, stood up and walked over to her coffee maker. She filled her cup and returned to her desk. “You look a bit out of sorts. Did anything get resolved with those attacks on you?”
“Not yet.” Aubrey gave only a brief summary of what she and Isaac had uncovered. “I don’t suppose the park police have gotten back to you on the break-in.”
Leandra shook her head and then took a sip of her coffee. “Potential break-in. You know how Christopher can be about everything being in place. It might all be in his imagination.”
“What about the handprint on the glass downstairs? Was it matched with someone who works at the foundation?”
“I haven’t heard anything on that yet,” said Leandra. “They haven’t asked for any one of us to give a fingerprint sample. They must still be working on it.”
