Page 154 of The Reluctant Hero

“If I could prove her innocence-”

“Leave it alone, Jake. I’m not listening,” Cade interrupts me, his deadly tone returning. “I’ve had all I can take.”

“All right, Cade. All right.” I hang up and redress more comfortably.

The suit fits like a second skin. It always does. I haven’t worn this since we moved to this town. It’s like greeting an old friend. I stash my weapons in familiar locations and pull on my work boots. They’re exotic enough that they fit well with the suit.

I call for a ride and leave home, walking down the driveway to be picked up. I won’t take any of the vehicles here. I planted tracking devices on them all. And I’m not in the moodto drive one oftheircars as I never chose one for myself to purchase. I’ll rectify that soon.

A stranger pulls up, and I slide into the backseat with a wide smile.

“Anders Spring Police Station, please.”

The man blinks at me in the rearview mirror and says, “No problem, man.”

A few moments go by in silence while I pull the app up again. The papers. It was proof enough for Ace to believe. What were they? Amanda certainly didn’t look at them.

“Uh, are you a spy or something?”

I catch the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror and give him my friendly smile.

“No,” I scoff. “I’m in a hurry to see if a rumor is true. I forgot to change my work clothes. My boss supposedly called the police on a coworker of mine.”

“Oh shit, office drama?” The driver goes back to his job, and I go back to the video, making up things on the spot to entertain the man. I weave a tale of a woman stealing highlighters and her subsequent arrest. We debate on the idiocy of it. This explains why I’m stopping at the station to see if my friend was really arrested for something like this and bail her out if needed. An interesting story he can tell his significant other over dinner tonight. Nothing important.

There. I tap pause.

Friday afternoon, while we were all busy bees, the same man who destroyed her apartment broke in and left behind the paperwork and two tickets—in full view, as if Amanda wouldn’t see them.

I’m certainly going to enjoy our chat later.

We pull into the station's parking lot, and I ask the driver to wait in case this is a false alarm. He happily agrees in the hopes of having an ending to his story. Inside, they tell meAmanda left a few hours ago. It seems no one can remember why she was here in the first place.

I keep my expression even as I straighten my tie and pace away from them.

Cade seems to think she’s still here waiting. She simply walked out and disappeared.

This mystery smells like Shade’s expensive cologne. I don’t have his number or location to verify.

I get back into the car and mutter explanations to the driver as he drives aimlessly, giving me time to collect my thoughts and advice on quitting my job. Strangely, executing the boss and his henchmen is not on his list. It’s quickly moving to the top of mine.

He drops me at a diner with a pleasant farewell. I order food as I scour through any police feeds for the front of the building. None of the cameras out front are working. All I get is white fuzz. It begins at precisely 20:13.

I double-check my times.

At exactly 21:23 every single camera I set in the apartment shorted out.

An hour and ten minutes. If Amanda was released and she took a taxi, it would take less than that to get home unless she wandered a bit first. Or she’s walking and hasn’t made it there yet. If Shade is involved, he wouldn’t let her walk.

The cameras shorting can’t be a coincidence. I don’t believe in them.

Why didn’t Shade set them on a loop? He’s getting sloppy.

My meal arrives as I toss cash on the table with an apologetic smile. I make sure to leave a tip and make up an emergency call as an excuse. I can’t eat while she’s missing. The only reason I ordered anything was to keep up my normal facade.

She’s in danger. It isn’t Shade’s place to guard her. It’smine.

I call for another ride. Even if I don’t find anything in the apartment, I will definitely find the man who broke in and his accomplice. If Amanda is still in the wind, it will give me time to question all of Gabe’s oh-so-smart techs.

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