“And then?”
“She disappeared. One minute she was here, the next she wasn’t. Then the fire alarm went off and everyone panicked.”
Weston had entered the building, dressed in his undercover clothes, in time to witness the stampede. Frantic minutes were spent getting everyone out. It was a miracle no one had been seriously hurt.
Except for Avery.
No. He wouldn’t go down that road. Weston needed to keep his attention on finding her. “Anything else you can think of, Hank? Anything that might help?”
“No, sir.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, sir.”
Weston’s heart was breaking, but he recognized the self-recrimination in the other man’s voice. He clapped Hank on the shoulder. “You did your job, Officer. This isn’t your fault. Chief Madison—”
His voice broke off, and Weston swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Chief Madison understood and accepted the risks of this operation. Now, join the rest of your team, and let’s make sure she’s not in the building somewhere.”
“Yes, sir.”
Weston glanced at the second-floor landing. He jogged up the stairs and circled to the point Hank had indicated.
He could see the entire lobby from here, including the door Avery would’ve used to enter. Had she spotted Tom? Or had something else gotten her attention? Weston scanned the immediate area, but there wasn’t anything other than discarded pizza slices and soft drink cans.
Luke joined him. “The parking garage attached to the building is clear. No sign of Tom’s SUV or a white van.”
“That doesn’t mean they weren’t there.”
“No.” Luke blew out a breath. “It only takes fifteen minutes to drive from the church to the university. Tom would’ve had plenty of time to park in the garage and set things up to grab Avery. In the hysteria caused by the fire alarm, he could’ve slipped out with her. We’re interviewing witnesses, but no one spotted a man lugging something or pushing a cart of any kind.”
Weston frowned. How had Tom managed to get Avery out of the building? She wouldn’t have gone quietly. And carrying a police officer out would’ve attracted some attention, even in the rush of a fire. He leaned against the railing.
Luke’s brow wrinkled. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m not sure.”
Weston went around his friend and jogged back down the stairs. The tennis shoes he was wearing as part of his undercover outfit made the job easier. Luke followed.
“This is where Hank last saw Avery. He said she was here one minute, gone the next.” Weston turned in a circle. A hallway shot off to the left. He pointed to it. “Maybe that’s why.”
They ran down the corridor, clearing each room as they passed. No Avery. At the end was a door, sunlight streaming through the glass. Weston glanced out. Another building was a short distance away.
His heart jumped. “Luke, this way.”
Weston raced across the walkway to the next building. It was locked, and signs hung on the doors announcing it was closed for repairs. He circled around the side and spotted cars. “Tom may have led Avery here. There’s another parking lot in the back.”
Luke grabbed his cell. “I’ll get the code to unlock the door.”
Weston paced outside the door, his stomach aching. He’d promised Avery a candlelight dinner. They were falling in love. Those few precious moments couldn’t be all they would have.
Please, Lord. Keep Avery safe. I don’t want to lose her.
Luke ran over to the panel and typed in a code. The door clicked open, and Weston grabbed it. He raced through the lobby yelling Avery’s name.
She didn’t answer. Music came from the rear of the building. Weston followed the sound, and a pool appeared. Someone was lying on the tile, long dark hair spread around her head.
Rachel Long.
Weston dropped to his knees beside her, and water saturated his pants. Rachel was soaking wet and unconscious, but breathing. “Luke, call EMS.”
The woman was dressed in a long white gown. Weston shrugged off his jacket and placed it over her, his gaze already surveying the rest of the area. A pile of discarded objects caught his attention. His hands started shaking.
Weston rose and, on hollow legs, crossed to the other side of the pool. The gun, duty belt, and cell phone were immediately familiar.
They were Avery’s.
Twenty
Weston stood in the corner of the emergency room waiting area. A television played softly, and several individuals were clustered on the plastic chairs. One looked to have a broken hand, another was nursing the flu.
An ambulance drove up. EMTs raced past with a gurney. Weston was half-tempted to join the group, muscle his way back with a flash of his badge and talk to Rachel.
But she was unconscious. Or at least, she had been when they’d arrived two hours ago.
Weston blew out a breath and raked a hand through his hair. He turned toward the window, lifting his gaze to the sky and said another prayer. He tamped down the voice inside his head reminding him that prayers hadn’t saved Melissa. Those thoughts wouldn’t get him anywhere except broken. His faith was the only thing keeping him on his feet.
Weston’s phone rang and he answered it. “Donovan.”
“We’ve located Tom’s SUV,” Grady said, skipping any pleasantries. “It was tucked between two dumpsters at the university. No sign of Savannah but Tom was in the rear. Strangled to death.”
Weston closed his eyes. He pitched his voice low enough no one else in the emergency room could hear him. “So Emilia was right. Tom wasn’t the Chessmaster. He was working with someone.”
“Appears that way. There’s more. The entire SUV was wiped clean, but the killer missed a spot. Under the passenger side seat. We got a good print. It belongs to Mike Steel.”
Weston’s mind raced. “That’s an unlikely partnership.”
“Not necessarily. They both had an ax to grind with Avery.” Grady’s tone was clipped. “Mike was angry he’d lost the Chief of Police position to her. Tom blamed Avery for his father’s death. And the two men know each other.”
“Mike arrested Tom and Nolan when they
