Page 39 of Smoldering Nights
Jayson moved the slider back five minutes in the video.The side alley camera caught the moment the back door clicked open.No break-in.No forced entry.
“He had a key.”Mitch’s voice went quiet.“Or a copy.”
Jayson whistled low.“That narrows the pool.”
Mitch’s stomach turned.“Ms.Jillie, Izzy, Sadie, Travis…” He trailed off.Ms.Jillie certainly wouldn't do something like this.Sadie wouldn’t, at least, he didn’t want to believe she would.But Travis?
Jayson kept working.“Want me to cross-reference the footage with the hotel exterior cams?”
“Yeah.He left through the alley.If we’re lucky, the hotel caught him heading north.Then cross-reference it with the security cams on the courthouse.We may see which way he heads on Main Square.”
While Jayson tapped away, Mitch’s eyes drifted to the forged slip resting on the table beside him.His thumb brushed over the edge.Whoever had done this wasn’t just playing games; they’d walked into Izzy’s sanctuary.Left a fake trace.Threatened her livelihood and her life.
His jaw clenched.
“Got something,” Jayson said.“He left the alley, walked past the post office, then turned into the lot behind Mae's Bakery.Out of view after that, but wait, hold on.”
Jayson flipped to a new angle, caught by the camera in the back of Mae's.
“There.Boom.Tan SUV.No plates on the front, but we’ll get the rear.Zooming now.”
Mitch’s pulse quickened.“Can you run it?”
“Already doing it.Give me an hour.”
Mitch nodded and leaned back, exhaling slowly.
It was happening.They were closing in.And it was time to get serious.
He turned his head to see Izzy staring at the screen from the kitchen.Her eyes moved to his, and they stared for a moment.He loved looking into her eyes.He'd prefer to do it on a date or while they spent time together, not looking for criminals.
"Did you hear all of that?"
"Yeah."
"We're narrowing it down."
She nodded in reply, her eyes leaving his and staring at the computer screen in front of him."I know."
Just two words, but they told him everything.She looked into his eyes again."I trust you.I know you're doing everything you can."
His heart swelled with pride and the newfound trust she'd bestowed on him.To have her trust meant the world to him.He'd work day and night to make sure that trust wasn't misplaced.For the first time in years, he wanted to get to know a woman more.No one had piqued his interest in a long time.But he felt a pull to Izzy, and he wanted to know everything about her.He wanted to have dinner with her and wake up in the morning with her.He liked being in her presence.He liked having her in his space.All of this made him a bit scared and excited all at once.He needed to wrap this up to protect her so she could be in his life in a real way, not as protector and client.
Whoever was behind this had made a mistake.
They came after the wrong woman.
He stood and sauntered to where Izzy stood a few feet away.The instant he was close, she leaned into him and her arms wrapped around his waist.His arms pulled her into his body and held her close.He rested his head on hers, inhaling her sweet scent, enjoying how she felt pulled tightly against him.She felt as if she were made for him.A feeling he'd never felt before rushed through him at the speed of light.A calm came over him as thoughts settled in his mind.She was brought here for him.
Later that evening, after dinner, dishes, and time spent together watching some silly romantic comedy which made Izzy laugh more than him, Mitch stood on his patio, the night thick around him, phone pressed to his ear as he waited for Jayson to answer.The moonlight cast long shadows across the parking lot, but Mitch wasn’t watching the trees or the sidewalk.His focus was razor-sharp, his body still riding the electric current of adrenaline that shot through him every time he thought about someone hurting Izzy.
Finally, the line clicked.“Got a hit,” Jayson said, his voice clipped and focused.“Ran the rear plate.It’s registered to a Samuel Briggs, P.O.Box in Bowling Green.That’s a dead-end shell if I’ve ever seen one.”
Mitch swore under his breath.“What about the vehicle?”
“Tan, ‘09 Trailblazer.No traffic violations, no service records under that tag for the past three years.Either someone’s keeping a low profile, or it’s a burner.”
“Anyone local tied to it?”
