Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2), Candle Sutton [dar e dil novel online reading txt] 📗

flip-flop clad feet. “I wasn’t really paying attention. I mean, her car’s in the opposite direction of the exit. It was late, I was tired, and I wanted to get home.”

They really needed to speak with the other bartender. Maybe he’d witnessed something.

Although, if he had, wouldn’t he have called the police last night?

The detective asked a few more perfunctory questions before releasing the night manager, who scurried over to join the owner in front of the building.

Probably planning coverage for the bar. As much as it chafed, life and business continued.

A uniformed officer approached the group. “We’ve reached the other bartender. He’s going to come to the precinct.”

The detective nodded. “I’m done here anyway.”

“Mind if one of my team tags along?” Dak asked.

Not that he needed to ask. This case would almost certainly be taken over by the FBI. Still, it was nicer than demanding that they be included.

The detective scowled slightly. “Yeah, sure. Why not? But you watch from outside the room, got it?”

“Sure thing.”

Even though she understood why Dak played things like he did, part of her wished he’d force the issue. Being ordered to stay outside the room? Like they had nothing of value to bring to the investigation?

Dak turned to JD. “You wanna take this one?”

JD nodded, then headed for his car, parked outside the police line.

“Excuse me.” A man’s voice came from behind them.

Kevyn turned to find the owner approaching.

The man twisted his fingers as he scanned their faces. “Um, is this going to be cleared up soon?”

He gestured at the police tape and the abandoned car with a jerky hand.

“Customers start showing up around eleven. I don’t want them to see all this.”

The detective pulled himself up taller and stepped forward. “I’m sorry the abduction of one of your employees is such an inconvenience. We’ll be done when we’re done.”

The man nodded, his head bobbing like a toy dog on a car’s dash. “Well, yes, obviously. It’s a terrible tragedy and we’re all upset by it. But I still have a business to run and this, well, it sends a bad message to our customers.”

“Like I said, we’ll be done when we’re done.” The detective paused, his glare causing the owner to fidget. “It’ll go a lot faster if you leave us alone.”

The owner hesitated only a second before whirling and stomping off.

The detective assessed the crime scene technician and uniformed officers. “Keep me updated.”

As the detective strode for the unmarked sedan, Dak turned to her and the rest of the team. “Let’s reconvene at the office. I’m going to see about getting a copy of that surveillance video.”

Dak headed toward the owner while Sid and Felicia returned to their vehicles.

Kevyn moved in for a closer look at the victim’s car, being careful to stay back far enough to be out of the way.

A wallet and cell phone sat in the cupholder. The car keys rested on the floor mat.

It was a small miracle the car hadn’t been looted or stolen during the night.

A cardboard takeout container lay open on the ground by the driver’s door. The box was smashed, as if it had been stepped on during the struggle. The lack of food and the way that the few remaining pieces of rice were scattered made her think birds or animals had already scavenged the leftovers, but forensics would tell them for sure.

The dome light inside the car wasn’t on, in spite of the door hanging open. Had the battery run down? Or had the light been disabled so the kidnappers could avoid detection?

The crime scene should answer that one. Not to mention the surveillance video.

Well, there was nothing more to do here. She turned and headed for her car.

Looked like Sid and Felicia were already gone.

As she slid behind the wheel, her attention returned to the abandoned car.

Another victim.

Would she turn up within twenty-four hours as Noelle Orson had? Or would she join Jason Boggess and Wes Andrews wherever they were?

₪   ₪   ₪

Dak started the surveillance video and felt the attention of his team shift from him to the monitor.

The parking lot was better lit than most. Albeit grainy, the video clearly showed a woman approaching her car. No one else was in sight. As she reached her car, a stealthy form rapidly approached from behind.

It was like watching a b-grade horror movie. Part of him wanted to tell her to turn around.

Instead, she opened the driver’s door and deposited her phone and wallet in the cupholder before backing out and reaching for something on the hood of her car.

Probably a paper under the wiper blade. Just like the other victims.

A man rushed her from behind, pinning her against the open driver’s door.

The takeout container in her hands hit the ground, popping open. The attacker stepped on the container as he struggled with the victim.

The video was too far away for them to make out the details of what happened next but after a few seconds of struggling, Cummings went limp.

Since the detective had said Cummings was injected with something, Dak guessed that the restaurant’s surveillance system was high-end enough that they’d been able to zoom in to see what happened. As soon as they finished watching this, he’d try to enhance the image to see if they could do the same.

 A van zipped up, jerking to a stop beside Cummings and her assailant. The man pulled open the back doors and deposited Cummings inside before climbing in after her.

The van was in motion before the doors were even completely closed.

He looked at the timestamp. The whole thing took only fifty-seven seconds. Impressive, in a disturbing sort of way. These guys were good at efficiently abducting their victims.

Too good.

Backing the