Page 46 of Smoldering Nights
Chapter23
Mitch crouched by the back door of Petal Pushers, his tools spread out on the concrete, while Jayson held the flashlight steady overhead.The late morning sun filtered through the alley, but it wasn't enough light for installing locks.
"Old locks are trash," Jayson muttered, rattling one loose in his free hand."Anyone with a bump key could get in.”
“Or someone who had a real key,” Mitch said tightly.
Jayson gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing.They didn’t need to say Travis’s name again.It hung heavy in the air, just like the tension between the bricks.
Mitch slid the new deadbolt into place and tightened the screws.He moved on to the doorknob, hands practiced but mind spinning.He kept seeing the empty hook in the greenhouse.The skewed mat.Izzy’s pale face when she’d whispered,“He came back.”
Damn it.He should’ve anticipated another move.That’s what pissed him off most, being one step behind.He prided himself on always being ahead of threats.But this time, the enemy knew the layout, the schedule, the weaknesses.
“You okay?”Jayson asked, brow raised.
“Not until this guy’s in cuffs,” Mitch replied, voice sharp.
Jayson nodded.“Fair.But we’re close.Too many coincidences stacked together.We just need a little more to push it over the edge.A confirmation of who it actually is.His face as he enters.”
Mitch finished the back lock and stood, rubbing his palm across the back of his neck.“Did you hear anything back on Travis’s work history?”
Jayson tapped his phone.“Yeah.Spotty employment.Mostly under-the-table stuff.He worked at his cousin’s auto shop for a few months after high school but left after a disagreement.Couple of cash gigs, construction, odd jobs.But nothing steady in the last year.Guess where he was fired from a few months ago?”
Mitch’s jaw tightened.“No clue.”
"He worked as night security at a warehouse in Summerville."
Mitch nodded."That's why he decided to freelance as a security agent."
“Bingo.”
Mitch blew out a breath, gears turning.“Why’d he get fired?”
“According to the notes HR kept, he missed shifts, got confrontational, then would show up at odd hours when he wasn't scheduled.”
"Doing what?"
Jayson shrugged."No notes on that."
“And Sadie never mentioned anything about Travis' spotty work history to Izzy.”
“Maybe Sadie doesn't even know.He started his own company.Sadie could think he's entrepreneurial.”
Mitch shook his head.“True.Or she might know more and is embarrassed.”
Jayson shrugged.“Everybody’s hiding something.”
Mitch reached for the new lockset for the front door, frustration humming beneath his skin.“Let’s get this done.”
They worked in silence for a few minutes.Then Jayson said, “You know, he was seen by that courthouse camera again, last night.Just standing across the street from the shop.Not doing anything.Just watching.”
Mitch’s blood turned to ice.“Stalking her in plain sight.”
“Yeah,” Jayson said.“Like he’s daring us to catch him.”
Mitch’s grip tightened on the screwdriver.He finished the install, then stood and faced Jayson.“We lay the trap.We stop waiting for him to strike.We get ahead of him.”
“You thinking bait?”
