Emalia nodded. “The disguise is to hide his identity, but the choice he made when selecting it supports your assertion, Avery. When did your sister and Nana decide to assist with the funeral?”
“They’re part of the decoration committee for the church. It’s standard for them to be here for a funeral.”
“The problem is Tom doesn’t fit the profile.” Emilia squinted at the television screen. “He’s mild-mannered. Other than the drug arrest, he has no criminal history. He’s never physically abused any of his girlfriends. His boss described him as awkward and not prone to independent thinking. Tom’s a follower, not a leader.”
“So what are you saying?” Weston rocked back on his heels. “We have the wrong man?”
“No.” Emilia frowned. “Profiling isn’t an exact science, but personalities are important—”
Avery’s cell phone rang. Weston’s gaze shot to her as she pulled it out of her pocket. The caller’s ID had been blocked. She answered, hitting the speaker option. “I’m going to lock you in a jail cell and watch you rot.”
The Chessmaster laughed. With the voice distorter, it sounded mechanical and cold. “You have to catch me first. Your sister is my insurance policy. Theater building. Five minutes. No cops.”
“I—”
“Do as I say or I’ll kill both Savannah and Rachel. Ditch the ranger, Avery. You have five minutes.”
Nineteen
It took four minutes to get back to the university. Weston and Avery spent it coordinating with Grady via cell phone. They needed to trick Tom into believing they were following his instructions. Undercover officers, dressed as students and faculty, were being mobilized.
“Priority number one is keeping civilians safe,” Avery said. “There’s no telling what Tom has planned, and I won’t put innocent lives at risk. The second is capturing Tom alive. The third is me.”
She didn’t want any confusion about what the goals of this operation were. Police officers, no matter their uniform, were a family. They would try to protect Avery, and Tom might get away in the process.
“Understood,” Grady said. “I’ll make sure they know. Avery, there isn’t time to wire you with a camera and microphone.”
“I know. Tom designed it this way.”
Noise came over the truck’s speaker. It sounded like Grady was walking. “Weston, a change of clothes will be waiting for you in the music building. First floor, men’s bathroom. An earpiece as well, so you can hear what's going on.”
Avery couldn’t imagine where Grady located an additional pair of clothes to fit Weston so quickly. She prayed the disguise would fool Tom into believing she’d ditched Weston as ordered.
Weston turned into a faculty parking lot. “Avery will be in the theater building on time. Thanks, Grady. Stay safe.”
“You too.”
Avery undid her seat belt with a snap and reached for the door handle, but Weston gently grabbed her elbow, halting her exit from the truck. The look in his eyes crushed her. Worry mixed with love.
“I’m counting on you to come out of this in one piece, Avery. Do you hear me?”
She kissed him, quick and hard. “Yes. Rumor has it, there’s a candlelight dinner in my future.” Avery took his hands in hers. “Can you lead us in prayer?”
Weston bowed his head. “Lord, wrap us in Your strength and wisdom. Help us do Your bidding. Protect those that are innocent, especially Rachel and Savannah. In Your name, we pray.”
“Amen,” Avery said. She took a deep breath. The heavy weight of responsibility bearing down on her shoulders wasn’t gone, but it did feel lighter. “Let’s do this.”
She exited the truck and ran down the walkway. Weston veered off, headed to the music building. Avery slowed to an easy walk as she approached the theater building. Five minutes on the dot. Her hands were clammy, and she shook them out before tamping down on her jitters. There wasn’t any room for self-doubt. The Chessmaster would use it against her.
Shoulders back and spine straight, Avery pulled open the door and stepped inside. Music and a cacophony of people greeted her, far more expected on a Saturday afternoon. The scent of pizza drifted in the air. Where had all these people come from?
A corkboard hung on the wall and she scanned it. A flyer caught her attention. Open House Party. Free food. It wasn’t one of the scheduled events.
Her phone rang and Avery glanced at the caller ID. Blocked.
She answered it. “You arranged for a crowd.”
“I thought it’d be better that way.”
It was. Easier for the Chessmaster to get lost during his escape. Her gaze swept the lobby. “And I was so hoping it would be just you and me.”
“Soon it will be.”
A shiver raced down her spine. The voice distorter only made his words creepier. She scanned the lobby again. There were so many people, it was hard to keep track.
There. A flash of blue on the second-floor landing caught her eye. The man was standing perfectly still in a sea of moving people. His back was to her, and a blue hat covered his hair, but Avery recognized him. He was still wearing the same shirt and jeans from earlier. Tom Belvin.
She stepped toward him, but a crowd of rowdy college men got in her way. She lifted her gaze back to the landing, but Tom was gone. Had any of the undercovers seen him?
“Go down the hall on your left,” he ordered. “Quickly.”
She followed his instructions, keeping to the center of the hallway. Victor’s attack from a few days ago—was it only a few days?—was fresh in her mind. “Where is Rachel?”
“You’ll see her soon. Go out the door at the end of the hallway, down the walkway, and into the athletic center.”
Her footsteps faltered. The athletic center was under construction. It was closed off from the public. No one would be able to follow her inside. “I—”
“Now, Avery.”
A click punctuated the order. He’d hung up. Avery
