“Help…” the voice was scratchy, hard to understand.
Shay’s hands trembled as she reached for the phone. “Renee?”
“Help me…” There was panting, as if she was running. “Help me. He’s…”
Shay turned to Cody, her eyes wide with fear. “Renee, where are you?”
Everyone crowded in, listening, as heavy, rasping breaths filled the hallway. “He’s coming. Oh God. Forgive me… the letters. I was wrong. I hid the… No!” she shrieked. “No!”
Shay’s fingers dug into Cody’s arm as they listened to the screams and sickening thuds. There was a loud noise, as if she dropped the phone, and then silence. After a few seconds, they heard even breathing, not Renee’s panting.
Tears trickled down Shay’s face. “Who are you?” she screamed, but the call disconnected.
Cody looked at the screen. “Try calling her back,” he said, handing the phone to Shay. He pulled out his own cell phone.
Shay swiped her eyes and redialed. “It’s busy,” she said, staring at the phone as if it were a bloody knife.
Cody punched in a number. “Sam, can you get a location on a cell phone? Shay’s friend is in trouble. I’ll owe you another one.”
“I don’t know what Shay’s messed up in, but there’s no end to this mess,” Sam said. “There’s been another murder, someone Shay knew.”
Cody moved a few feet away so he could hear the details. He listened grimly. “The police in Scotland found another body,” he told the others after he hung up.
Shay wobbled like she might collapse. Cody took a step closer, but Jamie was already there. Bree stood on her other side, holding Shay’s hand.
“One of my clients?” Shay asked.
“No,” Cody said. “A guy named Nick Deet.”
“Nick? From the pub?” Jamie asked, still touching Shay’s arm.
“You knew him?” Cody asked, not bothering to hide the suspicion in his voice.
“We stopped there in the evenings sometimes,” Jamie said.
“How was he killed?” Shay asked.
“Stabbed,” Cody said.
“Any suspects?” Marcas asked.
Cody nodded. “Yeah.”
“Who?”
“Shay.”
***
“Me? They think
“Your number was the last one he called,” Cody said, staring at Jamie’s hand on her arm. Cody had just told him Shay was his mate, and he still couldn’t keep his hands off her.
“He called me? We weren’t even friends. We chatted in the pub, but that was it,” Shay said.
“Sam wanted to give us a heads up,” Cody said. “The police in Scotland want to question you.”
“There must have been more than just the one phone call,” Marcas said.
“Try twenty-five over the past month,” Cody said.
Shay’s eyebrows rose. “Nick called my house twenty-five times? He must have been the person who kept calling and hanging up. The number was blocked.”
“Could he be the one who broke into Shay’s shop?” Lachlan asked.
Faelan shook his head. “I doubt it. When I was in Scotland keeping an eye on Shay, the bartender at the pub said Nick had missed work the day before without calling, so he was probably already dead when the intruder broke into Shay’s shop.”
“Maybe the intruder killed Nick,” Shay said, “but why?”
“No idea, but we’ll need to leave as soon as possible. You’ll have to go to Scotland and talk to the police,” Cody said. “Marcas, see how fast the jet can get here. You, Lach, and Jamie can stay here and look for Renee. You know the area, and you know Renee.” He suspected Renee was past help. “The rest of you can escort us to Scotland.”
Jamie shook his head. “I go with Shay. She still needs to be protected.”
“I can’t leave Renee,” Shay argued.
“You have to.” Cody’s voice was soft, but firm.
“You can’t stay. It’s too dangerous here,” Jamie said.
Bree looped her arm around Shay’s back. “They’re right, Shay.”
“Another metal bird,” Faelan groaned.
