Page 6 of Run for Her Life
His face was grim. “In that case, we’re looking at someone dangerous. Sending a lock of hair and a riddle to the FBI… this is a game to them.”
She cleared her throat. “I’ll check if there’s anyone called Annabelle missing in Seattle.”
He nodded. “Check at the state level.”
Three hours later, Zoe was hunched over her desk with her hands tangled in her curly hair. She had combed through all the databases from Washington State Identification System to the Washington State Patrol Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit. But no one named Annabelle had been reported missing.
Perhaps this was a sick joke. A deranged person with too much free time on their hands had decided to yank Zoe’s chain. But who? Who would do this? From the corner of her eye, she saw a colleague sipping on a hot chocolate. Her mouth flooded with saliva. Only sugar could help her think straight.
“Agent Storm!” Simon stuck his head out of his office and beckoned her over.
She took a steadying breath, got up, and walked to his office, closing the door behind her. “I couldn’t find anything. Did you?”
“I did.” He straightened his tie before sitting. “I made some calls to a few counties. Heard of Pineview Falls?”
“No, I’m from Chicago.” She glanced at the lush green view from Simon’s office and winced, muttering under her breath, “I have no idea what I’m doing here.”
“It’s in Lewis County. They didn’t file a report as Annabelle has been missing for less than twenty-four hours and no foul play was suspected.”
Damn it. “So this is real.”
Before Simon could reply, there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”
Zoe felt it first—a familiar woodsy scent and a looming, grating presence. And then his voice, which made her nerves sizzle.
“Storm.”
She sighed. “Simon, what is he doing here?”
“Nice to see you, too.” Dr. Aiden Wesley appeared at her side in his crisply tailored suit, gelled black hair that swooped over his head, and thick glasses concealing eyes that twinkled at her oddities.
“He’s the best profiler in the country,” Simon muttered. “And the only one who was available to take the case.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Zoe crossed her arms.
“Is there a problem?” Simon’s eyes bounced between them. “You worked well on the last case.”
“Ihave no problem.” Aiden shrugged.
“Z?” Simon raised his eyebrows. “I mean… Agent Storm?”
From the corner of her eye, Zoe saw Aiden’s jaw clench and unclench at Simon’s slip. After her long, deep undercover mission, Zoe had been dispatched to Aiden so that he could help her process her experience, unspool her thoughts, and decide whether she was fit to return to duty. That was the first time Aiden had gotten dangerously close to what Zoe was hiding. The second time was when they worked a case together and Aidensensed that Simon had lingering feelings for Zoe—and she was aware of them.
“Fine by me.” She plastered on her best professional smile. “Is this our case though? What did the sheriff say?”
“Lisa Gray. She’s out of her depth on this one. It’s a small town and a small county. They’re more used to dealing with farm disputes and meth labs. Either way, this evidence was sent to us. This is our jurisdiction now.”
“To this office?” Aiden craned his head.
“To Zoe specifically,” Simon said.
Zoe felt Aiden’s curious gaze and wanted to wilt. If there was anyone who could unravel her meticulously crafted cheerful mood, it was Aiden Wesley.
“Hot chocolate?” Aiden offered Zoe a cup when she climbed into his car. She narrowed her eyes at it. “It’s not poisoned.”
“When did you get so funny?” She huffed and reluctantly accepted the hot chocolate. Aiden’s car was exactly as she thought it would be—slick, well-proportioned, and spotless. She scoured for some imperfection. A wrapper or a parking ticket or a coffee stain. But the car looked and smelled brand-new. It irked her. “I should get my car back in a week or so.”
“What’s wrong with it?” he asked as he backed out of the parking spot.
