Her Best Friend's Keeper (Finley Creek Book 1)

by Calle J. Brookes

  She read, learning nothing informative, but getting hugely embarrassed for her friend. Each article seemed wilder than the first. What would Brynna think, seeing some of the things mentioned in the articles? The sites speculated that Brynna and Chance had been together that late at night because of a romantic rendezvous that had been interrupted by crazy kidnappers—who were using Brynna to force Chance to confessing to the murders of his family.

  Of course, that one was from The Snotty Garlic, a snarky supposed news site that she and Brynna liked to joke over. What would Brynna think, knowing she’d made the Garlic?

  Gabby missed her friend so much the ache in her chest was almost real. She clicked to a few other blogs and news hosts. Just to see what the world—at least the internet world—was saying.

  It was mostly just reports of them missing. There was some speculation about why. Brynna was mildly famous among software developers for some of her work with her oldest sister and that was mentioned. Some speculated that software had led to her current situation.

  Gabby didn’t know how she thought about that. It was obvious to her that Chance had been the real target. If they had been targeted at all. Why would someone go after Brynna?

  That barely made sense at all.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE.

  ***

  HOURS passed with nothing to show for them. Gabby found herself back in Brynna’s room as the storms picked up again. Elliot was busy downstairs—he’d set up a mobile TSP command post in the Beck family dining room, and was juggling his duties as division chief from there. No one said a word to challenge him. He was definitely in charge, commanding, used to getting things done.

  Journey and a few others had also joined the crowd at the Becks.

  Another reason she was practically hiding in Brynna’s room. She circled back around to one of the black hat websites she’d sometimes used in her work for Computer Forensics. There was chatter that it was Brynna’s software.

  Gabby read deeper.

  There was always the possibility, wasn’t there? Brynna’s software was for exclusive law enforcement usage. And it was far above cutting edge. There were bound to be jealous programmers and developers out there. Not to mention companies who would want it on the commercial market side of things. Had one of them done this? Taken Brynna to get her software, and Chance was the collateral?

  Or maybe Brynna had found something on one of her cases that led to this? She and Gabby didn’t work all their cases together. Sometimes she or Brynna were tapped by different departments; it just depended on the workload. Like Benny had moved Brynna exclusively to the Quincy case. Brynna had worked with Jarrod and the Commander of Major Crimes closely on that one. Maybe someone had discovered her work on that case, and was angry about it? Brynna was good at keeping herself out of the limelight on their cases—she and Gabby both let Benny be the face of the CF department. Gabby had testified twice in four years with CF. Brynna probably twice that, but still enough to count on one hand.

  It was rare they were associated directly with any of the TSP cases. But the possibility existed, didn’t it?

  Maybe that had something to do with it?

  There were too many possibilities for Gabby to think straight. She wasn’t good at this part of things. It was Benny who would help fill in motive for her and Brynna while they focused on the technical. The digital and the programming.

  That was all they were really good at.

  Along with Brynna’s skills in developing new ways to use programs in their field. And with the other things Brynna had in the works.

  Gabby helped her with some of those projects, and when Brynna inevitably sold something big—which they both knew would happen—Gabby would get a commission, as well.

  Brynna’s sister Carrie was in on it, too. They all stood to make a huge chunk of money. Gabby’s and Carrie’s was substantially smaller, but Brynna’s…

  If someone wanted to stop that software from being used, stopping Brynna would be a good place to start.

  It was an angle she doubted anyone else had considered.

  Gabby shut the laptop down. She needed to talk to Elliot.

  Brynna’s laptop that was missing was a personal one.

  They had no idea of what was actually on it. She did.

  It was hers, after all. Brynna had needed it for her pet project—and Benny had been upgrading Brynna’s with a different virus software he’d written specifically for Brynna and Gabby’s use.

  ***

  ELLIOT looked up when Gabby walked into the dining room. “I’ve thought of something.”

  He nodded. Elliot had his phone at his ear and she waited patiently for him to finish the call. He disconnected the phone and looked at her. “What did you find?”

  “I did some digging.” Gabby said as Mel and the rest of her family stopped what they were doing to look at her. “Internet chatter is everything from one of his private investigations to a competitor wanting her software. She’s getting a lot of attention for it right now anyway. More than I would have thought. Nothing really significant on where they may be, though. I isolated two or three general areas that they could have found shelter in, but I don’t have a clue what to do next.” She handed him her notepad. “If it is her software, I don’t have a clue where we should look next.”

  “Who is planning to buy it?”

  “Probably Lucas Industries, out of St. Louis. The Lucas Tech branch. He’s a family connection,” Mel said. “But there are other competitors of his out there. Tenaro Corp. and Barratt-Handley come to mind.”

  “Has anyone talked to him?”

  “I did. Brynna and Carrie were out there the afternoon she disappeared. He said nothing unusual happened.”

  “Gabby, do you think you can get us a list of who else would want that software?” Elliot asked. “That might give us another direction to look in.”

  “Off the top of my head the number one other company—they’re in direct competition with LI, is Barratt-Handley. One of their divisions,” Gabby said. “I’ll write down all that I can think of.”

  At least it was something. She wasn’t just going to sit back and do nothing while her friend was out there.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX.

  ***

  THE two days that had passed with no word on Brynna had been two of the worst in Benny’s life. A part of him just wished it would end. That Brynna would be found and tucked back safely in her frilly little bedroom in the house she’d grown up in. With her father to watch over her, as it should be.

  The other part of him just wanted answers. Even if they were in the form of her body.

  He never would have expected Brynna to be with that Marshall boy. The former Texas Ranger was enough to give a rattlesnake night terrors. And he was somehow mixed up with sweet, innocent, naïve little Brynna? Unless she had found something on that video, found out his little secret, and had told Marshall exactly what it was?

  He wouldn’t put it past Brynna to be just that skilled.

  Or was it something else? Marshall’s brother had turned to Brynna’s best friend rather quickly. Maybe his brother was involved with Brynna. Maybe they’d been involved all along?

  What in the hell was Brynna thinking? A man like Chance Marshall would use a woman like Brynna and break her heart without a care.

  She had to know that way lay only heartache?

  Once they found her he was going to tell her exactly that.

  If they found her alive.

  Why did it matter if she was with Marshall? Eliminating him would only serve Benny’s purpose overall, wouldn’t it? One less set of eyes on the past.

  Just like getting rid of Marshall’s older brother—and Gabby.

  But Benny couldn’t—wouldn’t make that call. Not yet.

  He couldn’t hurt Gabby now. Sending men after Brynna had damned near destroyed what was left of Benny’s rotting soul.

  Gabby.

  She beat Benny to the lab, and it was no surprise to see the
damned chief with her. He probably thought the safest place in the world for that girl was the TSP building.

  Benny bit back a bitter laugh. If Marshall only knew…

  Benny promised Marshall he’d keep their Gabby safe and protected.

  She looked horrible and more guilt soaked into his heart. Benny hugged her when her emotions got to her. Like he’d always done when something would upset her.

  Half the time he was convinced she was just as much his daughter as Allana, Alyssia, and Addilyn. Her and Brynna.

  Brynna.

  Damn it. Benny felt like his damned heart was being torn right out of his chest. Would they ever find her?

  What would he do if they did?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN.

  ***

  “ANY news about Brynna, sir?” Officer Journey asked as he checked his messages and prayed at least one of them would be about his brother on the third morning after Chance and Brynna disappeared.

  The only thing even partially Chance-related was from Gov. Deane wanting an update. He and Chance weren’t exactly the friendliest of cousins, but they weren’t exactly enemies, either. Hell, Marcus and his two younger brothers were family. Elliot thought the governor truly did care about what had happened to him. He still didn’t like the asshole, though.

  “Not yet.” It had been a full three days, plus several hours, since the last time anyone had seen or spoken with his brother or Brynna. Elliot was refusing to give up hope; but that wasn’t like his brother at all. Chance would have to know the girl’s family would be worried sick about her. He would have contacted someone, if he’d been able. Something had happened out there. And it had been bad. And Elliot was stuck on his ass, twiddling his thumbs. The futility of it wasn’t lost on him. “We’re still looking. We’ll find them.”

  “Of course we will. I’ve trimmed your schedule for today as much as I possibly could. Just in case.” She was good at what she did—and she protected his time and interests like a rabid lion at times. He was very appreciative of Magda Journey.

  Gabby was waved into his office at lunch time by Journey with a much more relaxed and welcoming expression from his assistant than anyone else had gotten. Journey liked Gabby, then. Good. It would make things a bit easier.

  “Gabby, honey, I was looking forward to getting out of here and to you.”

  She looked uncertain for a moment. “I’m sorry, I—“

  “I am glad you’re here.” He stood and rounded the desk. Held his hands out to her. He didn’t give a damn if there were a million cameras in his office, or if the place was bugged or if there were a billion pairs of eyes pressed up to the window watching them. He wanted to hold her. Kiss her. Remind himself that she was safe. “Come here, sweetheart. Let me hold you.”

  As soon as the words left his mouth she was in his arms. And Elliot felt rocked to his very core. How many millions of times had he heard his father talk to his mother in that same tone? With those same words?

  How many times had his mother looked at his father just like Gabby had looked at him before she’d flown into his arms?

  It was already happening to him, wasn’t it? He was losing himself in Gabby, wasn’t he?

  ***

  SHE smelled him. Felt him. Gabby wrapped her arms around his waist and held him for a moment. “Benny left again. And it was too quiet down there by myself. I did some googling.”

  He pulled back and sat on the edge of his desk. She stood in between his knees and fiddled with the brown tie he wore. “Did you know some of the more idiotic newsites are still speculating that Brynna and Chance are romantically involved? Isn’t that silly?”

  He laughed. That was a bit far-fetched. “Yes. While your friend is a seriously beautiful woman, I don’t think she’s my brother’s type. She’s too…normal. Strange as that sounds. She has ties, roots, a family. A home and a job. She’s…normal.”

  “And Chance isn’t. I get that. There was something else. I’m still looking at all the competitors for her software. Most of them are getting ready for a big tech summit down in Mexico, though.”

  “I don’t know that it is the software.” While it was a definite possible motive, Elliot had a feeling that it wasn’t the right one. That it was something more going on. But he’d given the information to McKellen in Major Crimes. The other man was following that angle.

  “Elliot, I’m talking at least a two million dollar software design we’ve been working on. Mostly Brynna’s work, so she’d get the lion’s share of it. That’s why she was in St. Louis in the first place.”

  “And Chance was there last minute. He had no plans to go up there. The ADA called him out of the blue.”

  “But Brynna had plans. Our entire department knew about it three weeks ago.”

  “Making it a hell of a lot more likely she was the target. The Oklahoma forensics confirmed the blood on the window was hers, baby. And that there was a third vehicle involved.”

  She hoped she was wrong. Hoped they were just hiding from the storms. It wasn’t likely that they’d have had no contact, though. Hope was definitely dwindling for all of them.

  Gabby had to face the very strong possibility that…

  Her best friend…was dead.

  ***

  ELLIOT saw the realization in her eyes and felt the defeat in her shoulders and back. “Don’t. Don’t let yourself think it. We’ll find them. We’ll get the answers. She could have hit her head, or busted her lip or nose and the blood got on the car that way. It’s actually pretty likely. I’m not stopping until we have them.”

  “That’s what Art said after Sara…and he still doesn’t have them. He quit before he could find those answers.” She whispered the words.

  “I’m never going to quit on my brother. Or on your friend. I promise you that. I’ll find them, Gabby. I swear.”

  “How much longer can we look, though?” Gabby asked the question in his mind. Elliot stroked her back, then tangled his hand in the hair she’d left down. He’d held her through the past two nights while she’d tossed and turned. While her worries had chased through her dreams.

  He’d only felt that useless once in his life before.

  The fear of losing his brother was almost debilitating. But Elliot had forced himself to go on. When all he really wanted was to put Gabby someplace he’d know she was completely safe and get out there and search for Chance himself. He knew if their roles were reversed his brother would never stop looking. Elliot barely felt like he’d looked at all.

  He couldn’t. He had every eye on him right now. Watching him, wondering if he’d put personal business above the TSP. And he would in a heartbeat, if he thought it would accomplish what he wanted, but right then the TSP was his best tool for finding Chance.

  Chance’s life couldn’t be put above any other. It just didn’t work that way. No matter how much he may have wanted it to.

  Serve and protect the ones they found when they found them. And hope Brynna and Chance were the ones they found. That was all he could do.

  He’d never felt more useless in the past ten years.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT.

  ***

  BRYNNA’S last confirmed sighting had been in the St. Louis FBI parking garage. A special emailed video clip had come to Gabby’s attention that first evening. They’d watched Brynna confront Chance and practically force her way into his brother’s rental car. Chance’s expression had been absolutely priceless. Elliot had choked back a laugh when his brother had tried to pull Brynna from the front seat and she’d held on to the seatbelt and grinned at Chance’s frustration. Then held on even tighter. Chance had eventually given up. Defeated by a carrot-topped twenty-four-year-old computer geek.

  His laugh had died almost before it had begun when he focused on the pics of the SUV after the collision next.

  Because Brynna Beck had been pulled out of that vehicle, after all.

  He did every damned thing he could think of to mobilize his people. But it only got him so far. Oklahoma
officials were willing to trade favors, but it was slow in coming.

  And gained them very little. Two more tornado producing thunderstorms had rolled through Oklahoma and Texas over the last three days, hindering everything. Two possible vehicular assault victims were a lower priority.

  The contrast between the media perception of his brother and the younger woman had the more salacious sites going nuts with speculation. He did take comfort that the coverage was getting their faces in front of the public. Maybe it would get them remembered at just the right time to do some good.

  He just wanted to find them. Not only for himself, but for the other people who loved them. His cousin Tobias had called him—expressing his own worry. He’d even sent six ranch hands to aid Elliot in the search. He’d sent them with Erickson to assist recovery efforts in the general area.

  Hopefully someone would find them—and soon.

  He’d barely been able to look Gabby in the eyes. As the hours passed with no progress, she’d gotten more and more bleak. Frightened and hurting.

  He had no idea how to help her. Mel had burst into the TSP building that second day; she’d marched—as much as she was able—right past Officer Journey, demanding that she be a part of everything. There had been some protests—many right to her face and Elliot’s, but most had welcomed her with a great deal of respect.

  Mel had been one of the best and the Finley Creek TSP apparently still knew it.

  Mel had set up shop in Computer Forensics, watching over Gabby like a hawk. No one could budge her.