Some of the fear in Julie’s eyes receded. “He trusts you. So do I.”
“We have to hope he stays calm, does what his father says, and waits for us to find him.”
Julie nodded.
“I’ve got a call to make.” Lissa pulled out her phone. “I’ll be right back.” Heading into the kitchen to use her cell, she phoned Tabitha Love. Tabby worked freelance for Maximum Security. She was a genius at tracking down information on the internet.
“Hey, Tab, I need your help.”
“Sure, Liss. What can I do for you?” Tabby was in her midtwenties, black hair cut super short on the sides and moussed on top. She had tats and a face full of silver: studs, hoops, anything that sparkled.
“I’ve got an emergency. Young boy abducted by his father. The guy has a history of abuse and he’s been gone eight years without a trace. We need to know where he’s been and what he’s been up to.”
She went on to give Tabby all the info they had on Ray Spearman, hoping she could come up with something they could use to find Tim. “First, I need you to ping Timmy’s phone.”
“What’s the number?”
She pulled the sticky note Julie had given her out of her black jeans pocket. “469-555-1238.”
“I’ll call you back.”
Ignoring the fading aroma of spaghetti growing cold on the stove and glancing wistfully at the Chianti bottle on the table, Lissa pocketed the phone and walked back into the living room. “Tabby’s going to call me back.”
One of Colt’s dark blonde eyebrows went up. “Tabby?”
“Tabitha Love. She does forensic computer investigation for The Max. Tab can find out just about anything.”
“Let’s hope she can come up with something on Spearman,” he said darkly.
Lissa used the time to fill Colt in on the background check she had done, including Ray’s criminal record. It was ten minutes later when her cell phone rang.
Tabby. She put the phone on speaker and set it on the coffee table, and they all clustered around.
“The call made to Julie’s cell pinged off a tower twenty-five miles out of Dallas on I-35E, a little south of Red Oak.”
“Wait,” Lissa said. “He was already on his way out of town when Julie went to pick up Timmy?”
“I don’t understand,” Julie said. “Why would he be calling from Red Oak?”
“Another call was made farther south,” Tabby said, “on the interstate near Forreston, also to Julie’s cell, but it wasn’t picked up.”
Julie grabbed her phone, saw a missed call from Timmy’s number, but the call must have ended before there was time for it to ring.
She held the phone against her heart. “Timmy must have tried to call me but Ray stopped him.”
“No calls after that,” Tabby said. “The phone was disabled, either turned off or the battery removed.”
Lissa flashed a glance at Julie, whose face was pale, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“What about Spearman?” Colt asked. “Come up with anything on him?”
“Tabby, that’s Colt Wheeler,” Lissa said. “Colt’s former Army Special Forces. He’s a friend. Timmy’s mom, Julie, is also here.”
“Good to meet you both. I’ll be focusing on Spearman, Colt. I’ll also keep an eye on Timmy’s phone.”
“Appreciate it.” Colt’s deep voice rumbled across the living room.
“Thank you, Tabby.” Julie fought to collect herself as the call came to a close.
When Lissa looked over at Colt, he was working his cell, bringing up Google Maps.
“I’m not familiar with the area,” he said. “What’s in Red Oak?”
“Nothing,” Julie said.
“How about Forreston?”
“Not much out there until you get to Waco,” Lissa said.
“Just a lot of open country,” Julie added. “Ray could be anywhere.”
“We need more intel,” Colt said. “Ray’s traveling south on I-35. He’s got a destination in mind. We just need to figure out what it is.”
“He was raised in Houston,” Lissa said. “Maybe he’s headed home.”
Colt looked down at the map on his phone. “Doesn’t look like the fastest route. Maybe he’s taking a detour. Any chance he could be taking Timmy to meet his parents, a high school friend, something like that?”
Julie shook her head. “I don’t think so. His father and mother divorced while we were together. His dad remarried a girl twenty years younger. Ray was furious. I’m not even sure Paul Spearman still lives in Houston.”
“What about his mom?” Colt asked.
“Last time Ray mentioned his mother, she and the man she remarried were living in Florida.”
The phone rang again and Lissa checked the screen. Tabby. She hit the speaker button. “What is it?”
“The odds of a guy like Spearman staying completely off the grid for eight years are slim and none. I checked Interpol. Ray Spearman was arrested in Mexico in 2012 for drug smuggling. He spent five years in a Mexican prison. Got out two years ago.”
Lissa’s glance shot to Colt. “You were right about prison.”
“No sign of him in the States until now,” Tabby said. “I’ve got feelers out. I’ll have more for you soon.”
Colt’s gaze went back to the map on his phone. “Mexico,” he said, grimly. “The son of a bitch is taking the boy back to Mexico.”
CHAPTER FIVE
COLT LOOKED DOWN at Julie, who sat next to him on the sofa, fighting to hold back tears. He cupped her face in his palms, forcing her to look at him. “I’m going after Tim. I’ll bring him home. I won’t come back without him. I promise you, Julie.”
He let her go, and she took a shaky breath. “What about the police?”
“I’ll call them,” Lissa said, bringing Colt’s attention back to her. “I’ve got friends in the department. They’ll get things rolling, put out a BOLO and an Amber Alert. They’ll stop him at the border if he gets that far.”
“My stuff is still in the car,” Colt said. “I’m ready to leave right now. I’ll stay in touch, let you know what’s happening.” He kept his gaze on Julie. “You can count on me to take care of this.”
Julie managed a shaky nod.
Colt turned to Lissa. “Stay on your friend Tabby. Anything she gives you,
