Page 91 of The One for Forever

We all stare at one another, trying to come up with a brilliant new idea to connect these pieces.

Then Rex’s phone buzzes, and he checks the screen. “It’s Angela. She’s got an update for us. She asked if she could call.” Rex types a response, and a moment later, he answers his phone.

“Detective, you’re on speaker. We’ve got a brain trust here trying to puzzle out what happened with the Printz trial.” Rex rattles off the names of everyone who’s present. “Do you mind if they listen in?”

“Not at all,” Angela says. “Wish I could be there with all of you in person, but I’m at the station. I finished up interrogating the idiot who chased you down Ocean Lane this afternoon. Good thing Leon stopped him with that fancy maneuver without getting anyone killed.”

“Leon’s a Bennett guy. We’re all consummate professionals.”

Angela barks a laugh. “There was a time I’d have my doubts, but now I’ve got to agree with you. Anyway. You’ll want to hear this. The suspect is a twenty-year-old kid named Sam. Unemployed, living in his grandma’s basement. Obsessed with Amber Printz. But unlike the others, this kid didn’t stick to his story about being a loner. When he found out the kind of charges he’s facing, he caved. Completely.”

I take a breath, sitting forward on the couch. “Did he tell you who’s pulling the strings behind the attacks?”

“He says he doesn’t know the person’s name. But he confirmed thereissomeone. Sam showed us the text exchanges on his phone. He met this person online through a Reddit subthread. Apparently, this mastermind has been recruiting young men to go after Quinn specifically, just as we suspected. Sam says he was promised a personal visit with Amber.Verypersonal, if you catch my meaning. But now that he’s facing prison time for that car chase, Sam’s realizing what a mistake he made. For what it’s worth, he says he only meant to scare you.”

Unbelievable, I think. He could’ve killed me and Rex and innocent bystanders too.

Rex grasps my hand. “How do we track down the puppet master? I want this person held accountable foreverythingthat’s been done to Quinn.”

“I’m working on it,” Angela says. “We got the person’s contact info from Sam, and the number is unregistered. But we’re working on getting a warrant to wiretap and track thedevice. The person claims to be someone very close to Amber Printz.”

Who could it be?I rack my brain, but Amber doesn’t have that many friends left. Not that she sees day to day, anyway.

Could it be the same person who intimidated my secret witness? Or maybe this mastermindismy secret witness.

I simply can’t make these clues fit into a clear picture. There’s something missing. A few more pieces that’ll click into place and reveal what’s going on.

Yet I have no idea how to find them.

26

The last of our guests leave, and I lock up the house. But Quinn’s still sitting in the living room tapping away at her laptop.

“You ready to call it a night?” I ask.

She must be exhausted after the day she’s had. First the verdict, then the car chase. Followed by hours of brainstorming and studying every aspect of the Printz case.

“Not yet. I’ve still got energy. Maybe another hour or…” She’s forced to stop talking when her mouth opens wide in a yawn.

I smile down at her where she’s sitting on the couch. “You were saying?”

“All right, fine.” She saves her work, closes the laptop, and sets it aside. “We can go upstairs. But I’m not promising to sleep. I’m wired.”

“Who said anything about sleeping?” I scoop her up, and she yelps, grabbing onto my shoulders. I take Quinn upstairs and lay her on my bed. Then I stretch out beside her. “It’s been a long day. How are you feeling?”

She thinks about it. “I’m really good, actually. Not the best day for my career. I couldn’t have gotten through that partwithout you.” Her eyes brighten, and she turns onto her side to face me. “But it’s the day you said you love me, so it certainly wasn’t all bad.”

I play with the strands of her blond hair that have slipped across her collarbone. “I do love you. Very much.”

“Feel free to keep saying it.” She stretches her leg out and drapes it over my hip. “You spoke to Cliff? Did you smooth things over?”

“We did. He apologized, and I think we’re in a much better place. Has he told you about going back to school?”

“For social work? Yes, he has. I didn’t say anything because I thought he would want to tell you himself.”

“Of course. That makes sense. I can’t say I understand, but I let him know that I support him.”

“I’m sure that means a lot to him.” For a few minutes, we just look at each other and smile, trailing soft touches over each other’s faces and arms. Then Quinn says, “It made all the difference to have my friends around me tonight. Thank you for calling them.”

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