Neither had Logan. “Well, I think we’ve at least confirmed the fact that this is more than just a wife with second thoughts.”
“She
Instead of answering, Logan asked, “Were you able to learn anything from the stuff I sent?”
“I did a rough background check on Diana Stockley.”
“And?”
“To start with, that wasn’t the name she was born with. She changed it a little over two years ago. Before, it was Diana Baudler.”
There was that time frame again. “Why did she change it?”
“Don’t know, but she’d been arrested a few times as a teenager. Maybe she decided it was time to start over.”
“She was in her late twenties then,” Logan pointed out. “Seems a little late to be changing your name because of a troubled childhood. Any record after she became Diana Stockley?”
“No.”
Logan took a moment to think. “Where’s she originally from?”
“Oklahoma. Her dad left when she was young. She and her siblings ended up getting sent to live with an aunt in Des Moines.”
“Anything else?”
“I’ve pieced together a partial employment history, but I’m still working on it.”
“What do you have so far?”
He could hear the clicks of a keyboard over the phone, then Callie said, “As Diana Stockley, she’s been in Braden just short of two years.”
“So right after she changed her name.”
“Pretty much. Before that, as Diana Baudler, she worked at a place called-”
“Let me guess. Harkin Services in El Portal, California,” Logan finished for her.
“Right,” she said, surprised. “How did you know?”
He told her about obtaining Diana’s rental application from Mark Hackbarth.
“But her name was different. Why would she put that down?” Callie asked.
“Because she had to put something down. My guess, with the way the economy is here, she probably didn’t think anyone would ever check.”
“You could make a living at this if you wanted,” she said, impressed.
“Yeah,
“For about a year, she seemed to be making the rounds of bars in Reno and Carson City. Prior to that she worked in Flagstaff, Arizona, for almost four years at…” She paused. “Harkin Services.”
“Again?”
“Same employer, different location.”
Flagstaff was only a three-hour drive from Braden. If Diana had lived there for four years, she’d know the town pretty well. It might feel safe.
“Did you find her address in Flagstaff?”
“Hold on.” More keys clicking. “Yeah, I’ve got it, but that was a while ago.”
“I know, but give it to me anyway.”
She read it off to him. As she finished, Logan’s phone beeped with an incoming call.
“Just a second,” he told her, and switched to the other call.
“I think they’re getting ready to leave town.” It was Dev.
“Why do you think that?”
“A few minutes ago, the woman and her friend came back in a hurry. The two who were chasing you met them in the parking lot. They had a conversation and then they all went into different rooms. Less than a minute ago, each came back out carrying a suitcase. They’re putting them into their car now. What do you want me to do?”
“Follow them,” Logan said immediately. “Let’s see which way they go.” He switched back to Callie. “Sorry about that. Anything else?”
“That’s all I have for now,” she said. “If I find more, I’ll let you know.”
“Hold on,” he said. “I have two names you can check. Paskota and Frisk. Paskota’s a female and might be a doctor. Frisk is male, no known occupation.”
“First names?”
“The woman’s first name might start with an E, but that’s all I got. Don’t have anything on the man’s.”
“I’ll get on it.”
“Thanks, Callie.”
“Logan?”
“Yeah?”
“Stay safe.”
Ten minutes later he got a call from Dev. “They’re headed east on the interstate, just about to pass into Arizona.”
Northern Arizona was a collection of small towns separated by large areas of nothing. Small towns, and one that was a bit larger than the others.
Diana had left Braden, and now her friends were heading out, too, in the direction of a town Diana had once lived in. Were they meeting up with her there? Maybe even with Sara? The possibility seemed too great to ignore.
“Stay on them,” he told Dev. “I’ll catch up with you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Sara had been trying the number for hours, but every single time she’d been greeted with the same message: “The caller you are trying to reach is not currently within our coverage area.”
Her panic had been caused by a call she’d received from Diana four and a half hours ago.
“Sara…Sara, can you hear me?”
“Yeah. You’re breaking up a little, but I can hear you,” she’d replied.
“Can you hear me? Sara?”
“I’m right here. I hear you.”
“Oh, good. There you are.”
“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” They hadn’t been scheduled to talk again until the next day.
“I screwed up.”
Sara froze. “What…what are you talking about?”
“Have you seen anyone? Anyone at all?”
“No,” Sara said. “Not since Richard came by two weeks ago. Why?”
“Stay inside. Don’t go out.”
“Diana, what’s going on?”
“I’m taking care of it. That’s all you need to know. Just hold tight.”
“I’ll call you later.”
“Diana! What happened?”
Dead air.
“Diana? Diana?”
Nothing.
