I jotted the address Ryan was repeating.
As I finished, Harry’s voice buzzed from my cell. I ignored her.
“Pierrefonds to Cherrier. Left about a mile after Montee de l’Eglise.” Ryan looked a question at me. I read the directions aloud.
“Below the golf courses and nature preserve. Got it.” Ryan clicked off.
“Pierre Malo lives outside Montreal?” I asked, scribbling the last bit of information.
Ryan nodded.
“Holy hell, Ryan. That’s probably the house Kelly Sicard described.”
“Good possibility.”
“And remember how vehement Bastarache was when he told us to look in our own backyard?”
“I took it as his way of saying fuck off.”
“Obeline said Malo and her husband had some sort of working arrangement. Said they needed each other. Think Bastarache could be going to hook up with Malo?”
“He was pointed toward Montreal.”
I reread the directions.
“What nature preserve?”
“Bois-de-L’Ile-Bizard.”
I felt the wings of my throat constrict.
“The boat ramp!”
“What?” Ryan switched lanes to pass a Mini Cooper.
“Suskind’s diatome analysis tied the Lac des Deux Montagnes body to the Bois-de-L’Ile-Bizard boat ramp.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes!”
“That ramp’s practically in Malo’s backyard.” Ryan’s jaw muscles bunched, relaxed.
A terrible thought. “If Malo somehow got Phoebe Quincy through Cormier, the same way he got Kelly Sicard, he could be holding her at that house.”
A sharp whistle came from my cell.
I’d forgotten Harry was still on the line.
“Yo!”
I picked up my phone. “I’ve got to go.”
“You really figured out who snatched that little girl?” Harry sounded as excited as I felt.
“I can’t talk to you now.”
“Look, I know you’re mad. I was thoughtless. Let me do something to make amends.”
“I’m going to hang up now.”
“I want to help. Please. Wait. I know. I can go there and keep an eye on the place—”
“No!” It came out more of a shriek than I’d planned. Or not.
“I won’t
“Absolutely not.”
Ryan was throwing me questioning glances.
“I’m not stupid, Tempe. I won’t go ringing this guy Malo’s bell. I’ll just keep him in my sights until you and Monsieur Marvelous land.”
“Harry, listen to me.” I forced calm into my voice. “Do not go anywhere near that house. This guy is deadly. He is no one to play around with.”
“I’ll make you proud, big sister.”
I was listening to dead air.
“Holy mother of God!” I hit
“What?” Ryan asked.
“Harry’s going to stake out Malo’s place.”
“Stop her.”
Harry’s phone rang and rang, then went to voice mail.
“She’s not picking up. God, Ryan. If we’re right about Malo, the guy’s a monster. He’ll kill Harry without breaking a sweat.”
