She dialed Dane. There wasn’t anyone else she was willing to talk to. She’d worked with Dane for over five years now. He was one of the smartest cops on their small force. “Dane?”
“You okay, Ryan?” His voice was muffled, like he was half asleep.
“Liv’s gone.” Ryan paced, then headed back to her patrol car. “Where can you meet me?”
“I’ll meet you outside the department in ten.” He hung the phone up.
Ryan tossed her cell onto the passenger seat and started her car, heading straight to the station. Speeding tickets were worth it, because every second mattered in a possible abduction.
When she got to the station, Dane’s patrol car was parked off to the far side of the employee lot. Ryan pulled up next to him, casting a glance around the parking lot. It was late enough and dark enough that no one could see or overhear them. That would be useful.
“What happened?” Dane asked, concern in his face and voice.
Ryan showed him the SOS text from Liv. “When I arrived, no one was there.” Her face was grim. “I think someone’s been targeting Liv.”
“What?” Dane blinked, then it dawned on him. “The break-in?”
“Yeah.” Ryan sighed. “What do we know?”
“About what?”
“The cases.” Ryan exhaled in a rush. “Steven’s got an alibi for Charles’s murder but not for Cairo’s, and vice versa. Of course Charles has an alibi for his own murder.” She made a face at herself. She was starting to get senseless with worry.
Then it hit her. “He said he was scared of Steven.” The words were almost a whisper.
“What?” Dane looked at her, curious.
“I talked to Ross and he said he was scared of Steven, that Steven was dealing drugs in his bar.” There was triumph in her voice now. “How would he have not noticed Steven in the bar that night?”
“So who’s lying?” Dane frowned. “Or are neither of them lying?”
Some of the air deflated out of Ryan’s sails. That was a good question. “Let’s go to the bar.”
They took Dane’s car, and were quiet on the drive. All Ryan could do was turn the cases over and over in her head, trying to look for anything she had missed that would potentially bring everything together. No matter what details she had, her gut was telling her that the bar was at the middle of it.
The bar was oddly quiet when they got there. It should have been open and booming. It sent uneasiness through Ryan’s skin.
“Should we go inside?” Dane asked, sounding as uncertain as she felt.
There were a couple cars in the parking lot. “Let’s run the plates.” Maybe she would get lucky and they’d find Steven or Ross. Or even better, Veronica.
One car was Steven’s. One was Ross’s. Yet, when they got to the front door to the bar, there was a large piece of paper on it.
Bar closed due to family emergency.
No sign of who had written it, and the handwriting was blocky printing that could have belonged to anyone.
“Damn,” Ryan muttered, slapping her thigh with a hand. Was she wrong? No, she couldn’t be wrong. She opened the door, and was greeted not with hidden people, but an empty, dark bar. There was no noise, nothing. No one was there, despite the cars.
What if Liv was part of the operation? What if she had been strung along the entire time?
No. Ryan was taking a huge risk and she knew it, but she wasn’t going to let the doubt paralyze her. “We’re going to Ross’s,” Ryan declared. If he wasn’t at the bar, that was the most logical place for him to be.
Dane saluted with a grin on his face. “Aye aye, Chief.”
If Ross wasn’t there, they could check Steven’s place. Then Veronica’s. Someone had to be there.
Liv didn’t let herself cry this time. Hearing Ryan’s voice had almost broken her, but she had remained strong. She was sitting in the corner of the basement in the bar, a gun pointed at her face. What had happened to Mocha? Veronica had forced her to let go of the lead. Was Gram okay? She was recovering, but still going through a lot of physical therapy.
Liv wasn’t going to cry, but it was a lot more difficult than she expected it to be. She was going to be strong. She was going to get out of this terrible situation.
Then Ryan’s voice faded, and so did Liv’s resolve. She sat there, legs folded underneath her and her head bowed. She could hear the sound of Veronica’s heels clicking against the wooden floor as she paced, the quiet sound echoing loudly.
Liv focused on her breathing. In and out, in and out.
“Stop moving,” Ross hissed.
Veronica’s pacing came to a halt, but it almost stopped Liv’s heart. Who had he been talking to?
The gun moved away from her face, but Ross kept it in his hand. He was sitting sprawled out in a chair by what she assumed was the entranceway, irritation plain on his face. What was he irritated at?
The possible list was endless.
“How do you know her?” Ross asked, turning his attention to Liv.
Liv blinked, then frowned slightly.
“The cop.” Ross gestured with his gun. “Ryan, or whatever her name is.”
Liv opened her mouth and then stopped, hesitating. Was it a trap? Was he trying to get her to speak for some nefarious reason?
“Just answer.” There was the hint of irritation again.
“We dated in high school,” Liv answered carefully.
“Lesbians?” Ross seemed amused by this. “You don’t look the part.”
Liv pressed her lips together, keeping herself from making a retort. “Not all of us wear flannel.”
Ross rolled his eyes. “You’re dating again?”
“Yes,” Liv answered.
“What does she know?” Ross fixed his gaze on her again.
“About what?” Liv frowned.
Ross waved the gun again. It made Veronica nervous, at least Liv guessed it did, based on how much flinching she was doing. “Cairo’s death.”
Liv wracked her brain. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
Ross looked at her with his eyebrows raised. “I’m not stupid.”
Liv sighed. “We haven’t talked about the case
