Page 89 of Petty's Crime

“Honor’s got a couple of likely looking suspects,” Keys says excitedly, his words stopping all other conversation. “There are a few he was able to rule out. One’s in New York, and one’s in Chicago, but there are two whose last known locations were in Vegas. A man called Phil Catoroise, and one named Thorne Baker.”

“Pics?” Prez demands.

“Sure.” Keys turns the laptop around.

From the glimpse I manage to see, both men look fairly similar, and both could be equally likely.

“Any more details? Addresses?”

“Phil Catoroise is recently married. Works on a construction site.” Keys grimaces. “Must admit he doesn’t sound likely. Not likely he’d forget his marriage vows so quickly.”

“We don’t know the reason he’s taken her, Brother,” I remind him. “Could be for anything. Can’t rule him out on the basis he’s got a ball and chain.”

“Agreed.” Red raises his chin. “But what about Thorne?”

Instead of answering, Keys looks down at his laptop, and checks something. He shakes his head. “Can’t find much out about him. Duty and Honor are trying to dig deeper than I can.”

“Fake name?” I suggest, sitting as forward as my ribs will allow. If so, this could sound promising.

Keys has his eyes glued to his screen, but Red catches my eye. If the glint in his eyes resembles mine, then he thinks this is a lead as well.

“Why don’t we just go pay the fucker a visit?” Twister demands, rubbing his hands together as though in anticipation. “I can think of ways to rule him out or in, wherever he stands.” The enforcer’s suggestion sounds like a way forward.

“And if he’s an innocent civilian?” Prez raises a brow. “Or what if we head off hunting a wild goose and miss the person we should be chasing?”

That brings me to my senses. We’ve got to find RoseLyn and before whoever’s got her has time to do whatever he plans with her. Chills rack my body as I think of her in his overpowering arms.

Suddenly Prez’s brow furrows and he takes out his phone which is buzzing in his hand. He’s the only one allowed to bring such a device into church, so the interruption isn’t normal. He glances at the screen, then answers.

“Snatcher?... Uh-huh… I’ll put him on speaker.” He glances at me, then places the phone down. “Floor’s all yours, Honor.”

The voice of the member from Utah fills the room. “Once we managed to find sealed juvie records for Thorne Baker, thought it was best to talk you through what we found. Could be something or nothing, Brothers.”

“Go ahead,” Red says tersely, while the rest of us stay silent.

Honor doesn’t keep us waiting. “Thorne Baker was adopted as a baby. Seems like his wasn’t a particularly loving home. Hospital visits suggest he was abused as fuck.”

“He was left in an abusive home?” Rope’s brow is furrowed.

“His family moved around. Looks like no one connected the dots, or could be bothered to.” Honor takes a breath. “His family were carnies, never stayed in one place for long. When he was ten, he pickpocketed the wrong man, ended up in juvie for a few months.”

“Any known connection to RoseLyn?” The man’s history is something I’m not particularly bothered about, though it certainly doesn’t give me a good feeling. He’s probably not had a good life, and has been exposed to violence since he was a child.

I don’t know what I’m expecting, but I don’t expect what Honor says next. “Certainly is. Well, not known, but possible to find if you dig deep enough. Thorne was born a twin, but they were adopted by different homes.”

For a moment I can’t compute what he’s saying, then a light bulb goes off in my mind. “Thorne’s RoseLyn’s twin? Show me that picture again, Keys.”

As Keys taps at his laptop to comply, Honor continues, “That’s what I’m saying, Brother. RoseLyn was born fifteen minutes before him.”

“And they were separated?” Cuffs eyes open wide. “Why the fuck not keep them together?”

But for this Honor only has a suggestion. “Maybe the families only wanted one child.”

“That’s sick,” Shadow states. “Twins have a bond and should stay together.”

Sarge’s eyebrows draw down into a V. “I had a twin,” he starts. “Lost him to leukaemia when I was a child. Non-identical.” He nods toward the phone. “I drew the lucky straw, but always felt part of me was missing.”

“So you’re saying Thorne wants to reconnect with his missing part? Could it have been him, and not Saul, leaving some of those notes for RoseLyn?”

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