Page 73 of The Secrets She Keeps

Heather hadn’t had to do that.

But she had.

“How are you feeling?” Heather asked.

“Me? What about you?” They had hurt Heather. Repeatedly. Just hitting her because they could.

“I’ll be okay. As soon as I am out of here.” Heather shifted a little and grimaced in the low light.

“How?”

“We’ll make it work, Powell. I promise. I just need some time to think. I’m going to get you out of here. No matter what.”

50

Gunnar didn’t knowwhat exactly his next options were right now. They had called in everyone they could to help. Even Haldyn was there, looking as weak as Hope did. And terrified. Beyond terrified.

Jarrod had instilled her in the conference room, with one of her techs to look after her and do her bidding.

Jarrod was out there now, getting the security cameras from the Hughes Heights housing division. There was a system in place, but it wasn’t as sophisticated as it should have been. It was outdated. Almost ridiculously outdated. Especially for a Lucas Tech product.

Of course, it was. Hughes Heights was asafeplace. Security wasn’t that big of a priority, even after what Victor Scott had done there to Shelby.

Mel and Houghton were there. Houghton had one of his own security guards with them. The man had tried tracking Powell’s bracelet. But it had been turned off. Useless.

They knew it had left Hughes Heights. That was all the information they had.

It was nothing.

What good were those damned bracelets if they were known about? If every damned criminal in Finley Creek knew to just turn them off?

The conference doors slammed open. Jarrod and Jake were there. Jarrod held something in an evidence bag. “We swung by the hospital. Izzie called. She was on duty when the bodyguard was brought in.”

“He still alive?” Daniel asked, disconnecting his own call. He’d ordered every TSP road officer in the vicinity of Finley Creek statewide to head in that direction. All that could.

They had nothing. They had people out knocking on every door in Hughes Heights. Hoping for something. Anything to go on.

“Hanging on,” Jarrod said. “Izzie foundthistucked inside his shirt. We just need to crack the passcode.”

He held out a bag. With a bloody cell inside.

“It’s Heather’s. Ask her family,” Daniel said. “I know Cara knows the passcode. I saw her get on Heather’s phone and play music videos starring Heather and their family to show Powell in Wyoming.”

Jarrod pivoted and headed to the waiting area where Lila had somehow herded the Colesons.

He returned five minutes later, a Coleson with him. “Crispin’s going to get into Heather’s phone for us.”

“It needs processed first,” Haldyn said.

“Heather wouldn’t have left her phone like that. Not unless there was something she wanted us to see on it. I can guarantee wherever she is, she’s not waiting passively for rescue. Not her,” Jarrod said. Of all of them, besides Miguel, Jarrod probably knew Heather the best.

“I’ll do it, Cris,” Hope said. She’d come in behind them. She didn’t look too steady on her feet, but there was determination in her face. “I can do it without disturbing too much evidence. Yougo back, take care of Mom. I want to see what’s on that phone before anyone else in the fam does. Go.”

It took Hope less than five minutes to find what she was after.

“There’s a video. Taken right around the time she disappeared,” Hope said. “It’s twenty-seven minutes long. The phone probably clicked off after so long.”

She hit the button.

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