by Lisa Harris
“Can you tell what she hid?” Jack asked.
“Only partially, but from what I’ve been able to see so far, there are spreadsheets, accounting ledgers, lists of names—you name it, it’s here. It’s going to take time to go through it, as some of it still needs to be decoded, but if this is legit, it’s going to be enough to put Russell away for life.”
“What about Dimitry Petran? Can you connect anything to him?”
“Like I said, there is still a lot that will have to be decoded, but so far I haven’t seen anything that hints at his involvement.”
“That’s not going to make the FBI happy. But either way, why didn’t she just give this information to the FBI when she met with them last weekend?” Jack asked.
Nikki shrugged. “Maybe she didn’t have all the information yet. Maybe she wasn’t ready to give up the only leverage she had.”
“She didn’t know who to trust,” Gwen said.
“Here’s another question,” Jack said. “How easy is it to hide data this way?”
“You’d have to have some pretty advanced skills. That’s why I said you might be right that someone else was involved.”
Nikki glanced at Jack. “So who else could she have trusted?”
“I might be able to help you with that one as well.” Gwen said. “Erika ditched her first phone, but we know she made calls to three different numbers. The first one was to Kim Parks. The second number was the unregistered 931 area code she called after the crash.”
“The Popes?” Nikki asked.
“Yes, but they never picked up either.”
“Erika told me she’d tried to get ahold of them, but she couldn’t get through.”
“And the third number?” Jack asked.
“It was registered to someone right here in Nashville. She also called the same number using the disposable phone she picked up.”
Nikki felt her heart rate speed up. If this turned out to be the lead they needed … “Do you have a name?”
“Brandon Folly. He works for the Russells in their IT department, keeping up their websites for all of their businesses.” Gwen pulled off her reading glasses. “And here’s something interesting. When I couldn’t reach him, I tried calling the office here in town. He’s already gone home for the day, but he called in sick last Thursday and Friday.”
Nikki quickly did the math. “Enough time for him to drive to Houston, pick up Lily, and take her to the Popes.”
“This is starting to make sense,” Jack said. “Not only were he and Erika co-workers, he had the skills she needed.”
“She made three calls to him,” Gwen said, glancing back at her notes. “One was yesterday about three. Then again late last night. Both of those calls lasted just under ten minutes. The third call she just left a voice message.”
“What did she say?” Nikki asked.
Gwen hesitated. “I can let you listen to it.”
Nikki nodded.
Brandon, I need you to call me back as soon as you get this. Please. I think he’s following me and I don’t know what to do.
Nikki felt the knots in her stomach tighten as she listened to Erika’s voice. But she was going to have to process what she just heard later. For now, their one focus had to be finding Lily before Russell did.
“I’m tracking down where Brandon lives,” Gwen said.
“Thank you.” Nikki turned back to Jack, then frowned as Brinkley walked through the doorway. “And in the meantime, it looks as if it’s time for another chat with the FBI.”
Agent Brinkley had changed from the jeans and short-sleeved T-shirt Nikki had seen him in that morning at her house to a dark-gray suit and green tie. Along with his expensive suit was the familiar smug look on his face.
“I got your message that you need to see me, Special Agent Boyd.” His voice boomed through the room as he acknowledged Jack and Gwen before stopping at her desk. From the look on his face, he’d already heard the news. “I also just got word that both Peters and Erika are dead.”
Nikki pressed her lips together. “One of Russell’s men was sent to finish the job before we could talk with Peters, and Erika … her car went through a guardrail about an hour and a half from here.”
“Which I’m sure was no accident either,” Brinkley said.
Nikki studied his expression, unable to tell if there was a flicker of compassion in his expression or simply frustration. “There’s evidence her death wasn’t an accident.”
“What about the evidence she promised to give us?”
“The evidence?” This time Nikki didn’t try to mask the anger in her voice. “The woman is dead, her daughter’s still missing, and you’re worried about the evidence.”
Brinkley combed his hands through his thinning hair. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry Erika’s dead. I really, really am, but there’s a lot at stake here.”
“Yes, there is.” Nikki stepped in front of him. “Like a child who just lost her mother. She turns four this month, and she doesn’t even know she’s just lost her mother. In fact, it won’t be long until she won’t even remember her.”
She’d talked to Tyler’s son about losing his mother, Katie. Liam was six and already struggling to remember his mother’s face.
Daddy tells me I’ll see her again one day in heaven. But sometimes I think I’m forgetting what she looks like.
Brinkley’s frown deepened. “I really am sorry.”
“Save your apologies,” Nikki said. Anger over the events of the past two days welled up in her gut. “If this had been handled differently—if you had told us everything at the beginning—Erika might still be alive today.”
“And you really think any of that would have made a difference?”
“She was scared and running for her life because she felt you couldn’t protect her. But I guess all of that doesn’t matter anymore, does it, because she’s dead. Even though you threatened her with jail time if she didn’t cooperate, and—”
“I convinced her of the importance of her testimony and advised her in her best interest.”
“In her best interest or yours?” Nikki asked, not even trying to mask her anger this time. “Because Erika’s willingness to work with you cost her her life.”
“The bottom line,” Agent Brinkley said, “is that she wanted Brian Russell in prison. So did we.”
“Then you’ll be happy to know that Gwen found the information you wanted. Spread sheets, accounting ledgers …” She nodded at Gwen. “Gwen is still going through all the information, but it looks like Erika held up her end of the bargain.”
“Where did you find it?” Brinkley asked.
Gwen handed him the phone. “She swapped phones at some point and had this one with her during the crash.”
“Maybe we’ll be able to take down Russell after all. But what about Lily?” Brinkley asked. “Any leads on where she might be?”
“Gwen’s tracking down someone right now who we hope will have some answers,” Nikki said. “There is one other thing you need to know. I believe we found your leak.”
“You found the leak? Who?”
“A few months ago, Russell bought Erika an expensive watch. She was wearing it on the plane, but it fell off at some point and I found it as I was getting off. I never had the chance to give it back to her. But after one of Russell’s men showed up at my house—”
“You realized he was using it to track her,” Brinkley said.
“We found a GPS tracker inside the watch,” Jack said. “He would have been able to track her to the safe house.”
“So Erika was the leak and she didn’t even know it.” Brinkley glanced down at the phone. “You keep looking for Erika’s daughter, and I’ll give the files you have to my team and see what we can come up with. One way or another, we’re going to take this guy down.”
“You okay?” Gwen asked Nikki as Brinkley stalked back out of the room.
“Erika’s dead and he’s worried about the evidence.” She shook her
head. “It doesn’t really matter. We’ve got a little girl to find.”
“I’m searching for Brandon Folly right now,” Gwen said, scooting back to her desk.
Nikki’s phone beeped. She glanced down at her phone to read the text message she’d missed.
Tyler
i know this has been a rough day for you. you don’t have to respond now. just know I’m thinking about you and I love you.
Nikki bit her lip to hold back the tears. “I need to make a quick call.”
She hurried out of the room, past the break room to the front office, then outside, where she punched in Tyler’s number and let it ring. Traffic rushed by along the busy street outside the precinct.
No answer.
He was probably busy. Like herself, he had a lot on his plate between looking for a new job, selling his house, and raising Liam.
She started to hang up as he answered.
“Nikki?”
“Tyler … hey. I didn’t think you were going to pick up.”
“Sorry I almost missed your call. My Realtor called to discuss a house she’d shown me.”
“You don’t sound too enthusiastic. What did you think?”
“It was … a house. The master bedroom was purple and the living room was this, I don’t know, a pukey green color.”
Nikki laughed. “You know you can easily fix paint color.”
“That’s exactly what my Realtor said. I guess I’m not much on house hunting.”
Maybe if we were looking together for our own family …
She pushed away the thought for now.
“It’s definitely a big decision,” she said.
“Forget about the house. I’ve been thinking about you all day but didn’t want to interrupt. How are you?”
She looked up at the cloudless sky and drew in a deep breath. “Honestly, I’ve had better days. Erika Hamilton … the woman who was on the plane with me—”
“You found her?”
“Yes. But she’s dead.”
“Oh Nikki, I’m sorry. I really am.”
“I know, and I shouldn’t let myself get so caught up, but this case … it’s really gotten under my skin.”
“After all that’s happened, I’d think there was something wrong with you if it hadn’t affected you.” There was a short pause on the line. “So what happens now? Are you wrapping things up?”
She wanted to. Because she wanted to see him. Wanted to stop the world for a few hours to let him hold her and tell her there were still some things that were good and right and normal in the world. “Not yet. Erika’s daughter’s out there somewhere, and we still haven’t found her.”
“I’m worried about you. You didn’t get much sleep last night—”
“I’ll be okay. We’ve got a good lead. We believe we know who has her, and if we’re right, she’s safe. I’m hoping we can track her down in the next few hours.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Invite me over for dinner as soon as this is over. I’ll bring Chinese takeout.”
“You don’t have to worry about any of that.” She caught the emotion in his words. “All I want to see is you.”
Nikki smiled. There was something about hearing his voice that was helping to smooth over the rough spots of the day. She wasn’t going to think about the doctor’s report or what the future might hold for them. Not now. Only that he was there for her and he loved her. “I’m going to need to go. But I’ll call you as soon as we’re done here.”
A minute later she walked back into the precinct, determined to see this through. She wasn’t going to let Brian Russell win this round.
“Any luck on finding Brandon Folly?” she said, walking up to Gwen’s desk.
Gwen handed Nikki a piece of paper. “His work said he was sick and left early. He’s still not answering his phone, but I was able to track down an address.”
24
8:27 p.m.
Brandon Folly’s apartment complex
Brandon Folly’s apartment was located in a large complex about twenty minutes from the Moreau Gallery, where he headed up Brian Russell’s IT department. The buzz of a lawn mower whirred in the background as Nikki and Jack walked down the sidewalk toward building C.
“What’s the apartment number?” Jack asked.
Nikki glanced at the address Gwen had given her. “Two seventeen. Should be a couple breezeways ahead on the second floor.”
A couple stood outside on their partially enclosed patio barbecuing their dinner. The smoke from the grill filled Nikki’s lungs, triggering an unwanted memory. She froze. The plane had smelled like smoke and burning plastic when it crashed. She bit her lip and glanced at the small plume of smoke, fighting the urge to run.
“Nikki? You okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “It’s nothing.”
She starting walking again, knowing all too well the emotional responses that often followed a traumatic event. Hearing Tyler’s voice had helped soothe her tattered nerves, but her emotions were still on edge. Which was normal. Or at least that’s what she was trying to tell herself. She knew it was going to take time for the stress reactions from the past couple days to completely fade, but for now, she needed to ignore everything that was vying for her attention and simply focus on finding Lily.
I just need you to help me through the next few hours, Jesus. Help me find Lily, and bring closure to this situation.
Because like a lot of the cases she worked that became personal, this wasn’t something she could do in her own strength. Not today anyway. Fatigue from both the emotional toll and lack of sleep was starting to catch up with her. And she couldn’t afford to lose her focus.
Nikki paused in front of one of the two-story buildings. “This should be it.”
She hurried up the flight of stairs to the small landing outside apartment 217, then knocked on the door.
Nothing.
Fifteen seconds later she knocked again, this time louder.
“If he really is sick,” Jack said, “maybe he ended up going to the doctor.”
Nikki took a step backward and glanced down the breezeway. “Somehow I don’t think he’s sick. If he heard that message from Erika—and is involved the way we believe he is—he’s going to want to find her.”
“Which is going to make him extremely hard to find,” Jack said.
“Why don’t you try his cell again?”
Jack punched in the number Gwen had given them, then shook his head. “He’s still not answering his phone.”
“So what now? He’s not at home, he won’t answer his phone …” She glanced at the door across the breezeway from Brandon’s apartment. The door had been decorated with an orange, yellow, and red fall wreath and a welcome sign. “Maybe the neighbor knows something.”
A minute later, an older woman opened the door across from Brandon’s a crack, the chain still in place. “Can I help you?”
“I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am.” Nikki held up her badge. “We’re looking for your neighbor, Brandon Folly. Have you seen him today?”
“Just a minute.” She quickly shut the door, slid off the chain, then opened it again. “You asked about Brandon? He’s such a nice young man. Always offers to carry my groceries up the stairs for me.”
“What about today?” Jack asked. “Have you seen him?”
“I did, actually.” She pressed her hands against the pair of pink pants she wore. “I didn’t speak to him, but I saw him leave in a hurry. Not that I’m nosy or anything, I just try to keep an eye on him. Make sure he’s okay. He doesn’t have family around here, so I try to bake him cookies every once in a while.”
“How long ago did he leave?”
“Just a couple minutes ago. I’m sure if you hurry, you might even be able to catch him.”
Nikki glanced at Jack. How had they missed him?
“Do you know what kind of car he drives?” Nikki asked before turning away.
“I know it’s a newer model
, and it’s red.”
“Thank you.”
Nikki ran down the stairs toward the double row of parking in front of the apartments. She scanned the lines of cars, pausing at a red Honda Civic. A man wearing a gray beanie was putting a bag in the trunk.
“That’s got to be him,” Jack said.
“Brandon Folly?” Nikki called out, approaching the car from behind.
The man looked up and caught her gaze. Late twenties, beard, dark-brown hair … He was definitely a match to the photo Gwen had given them.
He slammed the trunk shut. “I knew you’d find me.”
“We’re with TBI. We’d like to speak with you for a few minutes,” Nikki said.
“TBI. Right. And I’m an Israeli with Mossad.” He reached behind him, pulled out a gun, and pointed it at them. “Don’t come any closer.”
“Whoa …” Jack stopped beside Nikki a dozen feet from where Folly stood. “Why don’t you put that weapon down so no one gets hurt. We’re just here to talk.”
“Forget it.” Folly kept his arms steady, pointing the weapon at them at chest level. “Because I don’t have what you want.”
“I thought this guy was an IT geek,” Jack said quietly enough so only Nikki could hear him.
“An IT geek who thinks he’s the Terminator.” Nikki weighed their options. The last thing they needed at this point was a gun battle in the middle of an apartment complex, but something told her that Brandon wasn’t just angry. He was scared. And probably not convinced they were really with TBI.
“In case you were wondering,” Brandon continued, “I’ve taken defensive handgun classes and can hit a bull’s-eye at fifty feet. I do even better close up.”
“Okay. Then what happens next, Brandon?” she asked. “Because all we came to do was talk.”
“Just talk? Right.” His jaw tensed. “I know what you want, but like I said, I don’t have it. So turn around right now, get out of here, and tell your boss to leave me alone.”
“We’re telling the truth, Brandon. I can show you my badge.” Jack started to pull back his suit jacket.
“Stop.”
Nikki heard the click of the safety being released and felt her own heart hammer. His hands were steady, but all it would take was a slight pressure against the trigger to discharge the weapon.