39. Kali

CHAPTER 39

Kali

“Kali, we don’t know if this has anything to do with you,” Martinez says, his eyes following my anxious pacing around his office at the Texas Rangers headquarters.

A sense of déjà vu looms overhead. I’ve felt this icy fear in my heart before, and then a woman was found dead. Martinez called the police department to start a missing person’s report when she didn’t show up for work. They questioned everyone and let Mac, Jay, and the other pilot leave.

They said I could leave. No way. Not this time. This time, he’s made it personal.

“He was on the plane,” I insist. “He knocked for god’s sake to let me know, too. Then he followed me to our crew hotel, which isn’t a secret. How does this have nothing to do with me?” I clip, my voice trembling as tears threaten to fall.

“We’re getting the plane’s roster right now. If—and that is a big if—he was on the flight, our suspect list just went from millions to less than a hundred.”

A glimmer of hope swirls around my spine as I freeze, struck by a realization. “No, it’s less than that. There were only a handful on the flight continuing on to Austin.”

Martinez points at me, nods, and then picks up his phone. “Get me the names of people flying on to Austin that were on that flight.” What are the odds he was on my flight? Was it a coincidence, or did he find me knowing I worked that flight? Paxton figured out where I was going to be . Maybe it’s easier than I thought. He hangs up, and I stop walking. “Still not on board that we’re dealing with your guy. Last time, he made it clear it was him, and so far, nothing. I had the local cops go out to the place Paxton found you, assuming he’d send a message if it was him, but…” He shakes his head.

“I understand. As much as I feel it deep in my bones that he has something to do with this, I need the focus to be on finding Ari. She might be hurt somewhere.”

Or worse, buried alive.

A text ding goes off on his phone, and he glances down at it. “Got it,” he says, reaching for his mouse. I walk around his desk, not caring if I’m breaking some sort of privacy law. He says nothing, so I lean over and read the list over his shoulder. The first list is the plane roster from Hawaii.

“Look at seat 55B. There was just something off about this guy.” He scrolls down, and the seat is unoccupied.

“No one was sitting in the entire row.”

This is the reason we hate when people move around. The row was empty, and he probably wanted more room, so he changed seats. Martinez opens the next file. Thirty names are on the list who were continuing to Austin. He scrolls as we read the names. None look familiar.

Until my eyes stop at one that grabs my attention.

Oh my gosh. She was on my flight, and I never even saw her.

“We’ll start working on researching the guys on the list,” Martinez says as I grab my purse.

I didn’t tell him I saw a friend’s name on the list. She’s not who they’re looking for, and their focus should be one hundred percent on researching the men on the plane. His dark eyes narrow at the purse in my hands, and he tilts his head. “If he is back, I’d rather you not go anywhere by yourself.”

“I’m not worried about me. Focus on Ari.”

He sighs. “This is a long shot, and it could lead nowhere, but just in case there is something with the guy in 55B, the police are wondering if you’d be willing to work with a sketch artist? Since he’s fresh in your head.”

“Of course. Anything that might help.”

“I’m going to have one of our guys walk you over to the police station.” Of course he is. “One question before you leave…did Paxton know you were coming to town?”

This again? What is with his blatant disapproval of Paxton? I can’t help the snarky tone when I reply, “No. We haven’t talked in a year. And I wasn’t even supposed to be here.”

It stings to think about us growing apart. We were perfect for each other. But Paxton’s world is rooted here, and I can’t have that life. I needed to find my own path, and he needed to stay on his. It’s a truth that still hurts after all this time.

But I’ve accepted it.

He raises his palms in a defensive gesture. “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask.”

I bite my tongue, wanting to argue that they cleared him. So why keep poking at a dead end?

As we walk out the front doors of the building, I blow out a long-winded breath. The scorching August sun beats down on me, its heat clinging to my skin. It’s been a long time since I needed to shower from just walking outside.

When we pass a homeless man, sitting against a building, he’s not moving, and I wonder if he died from heat exhaustion. But then he coughs once and opens his eyes. His weary eyes lift when he grins at me, showing off his toothless smile. I smile back and then dig into my purse, pulling out a hundred-dollar bill. I fold it up and hold it out for him. He holds his calloused and weathered hand up. I imagine those hands have lived a couple of lifetimes.

He glances at the Ranger and then back to me. “God bless you,” he says as he unfolds the single bill and notices it’s a hundred.

“Keep that safe,” I whisper, glancing around to double-check no one is watching us.

His grin grows devilish as he nods and sticks the money down his pants.

“Don’t you worry, nobody will try to get it now.” He laughs at my wrinkled nose. I guess if that’s what works. But, gross.

“You really shouldn’t be doing that if you’re carrying around large bills,” the Ranger warns. “There’s people always looking for their next target.”

I nod, realizing he’s right. I just felt sorry for the guy in this heat. The distant hum of cicadas fills the air, blending in with the city sounds—occasional honking and the construction happening across the street. I’ve found it interesting that each city has its own sounds. Something I never would’ve thought about before all the travel I’ve done during the past year and a half.

I blow the hair out of my face when I make it to the building and push through the front doors to the busy lobby, the scent of coffee from the street vendor following me in. It feels weird being back here, and memories creep in. A couple late-night dinners I brought Paxton when he was busy with a case. Just so I could see him that day.

“Ma’am?” the Ranger prompts, shifting my attention back to him. “We need to go through the security line.”

Once through, the Ranger tells the lady at the front desk who I’m here to see.

She gestures to the bench. “They’ll be right out.”

An hour later, I’m being walked out by the sketch artist. It was almost impossible not to think of Lurch as I was describing the guy. At times, I wondered if I was mixing them up. Describing someone in enough detail to create a perfect picture is challenging. I didn’t remember anything distinctive about him, so the picture looks like any other guy. In the end, the only thing I was certain of were his hollow eyes.

“Thanks for coming in,” he says, holding his hand to shake mine.

When I reach for his hand, a bark stops me. Lots of barks follow. The guy looks past me to see where it’s coming from. I close my eyes for a beat, and my lips twitch.

“He must’ve found something,” he says.

Yeah. He found me.

I spin around to find Riggs leading a confused Paxton right toward me. When he sees me, I see the confusion play out in his handsome features. Riggs trots over and sits perfectly still next to me as if telling his handler, look here. I laugh, bending down and wrapping my arms around Riggs.

He doesn’t hate me for leaving.

“Kali.” Hearing him say my name kickstarts the beat of my heart. I stand back up, and his eyes bounce between me and the sketch artist. He’s dressed in a blue suit, his badge on his hip, and damn does he look good. “Wha…what are you doing here?”

“Ms. Stevens, it was nice to meet you,” the guy says. He gives Paxton a quick nod and then turns to leave.

He points to the guy. “And why were you meeting with Dante?”

The question stabs me in the heart, reminding me why I’m here. My vision blurs with tears. “My best friend’s missing. And I think he took her.”

His entire body hardens. The uncertainty of my visit, of us , vanishes, and he morphs into Officer Turner.

“What? She’s missing from Austin? When did you get back in town? Have you filed a police report?” He takes a breath, slightly irritated. “I need you to start from the beginning.”

I exhale sharply and blink back my tears. I need to keep it together for Ari.

“Our flight was diverted to Austin. Ari never came back to the hotel after going out. There was a creepy guy on the plane, someone knocked three times, and now she’s missing. I know it’s him.” The words fall out quickly, and I can see he’s trying to keep up. “I just left Martinez, and he called the cops. Her name is Arabella Lancaster.”

He quirks his head to the side. What part is confusing? “We had a meeting this morning about her before I had to go to court. They never said this was linked to you.”

“Martinez said they’re treating it like a typical missing person because he hasn’t left his signature anywhere. But I know it’s him.”

He bobbles his head left and right. “I kind of agree with Martinez. Most perps don’t stray from their MO, especially if this is your guy. He’d want you to know he still has the upper hand.”

Why can’t everyone see that he’s made himself known? Three knocks. Ari. He couldn’t be any more obvious. I think about the name on the list. Maybe she saw him. Maybe she got a better look at him and can help with the sketch. “I have to go. I’ll catch up with you later?”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go to Blackburn.”

His eyes roam past me, scanning the precinct. “You’re by yourself?”

I nod, and his mouth turns down and his jaw tics.

“How do you plan on getting there?”

“I was going to call a rental car company.”

He shakes his head. “You can tell me in detail everything while I drive you there.” I open my mouth to object. “That wasn’t a question,” he states, taking a step closer to me. Bossy Paxton is in the building . “Let me get my keys and tell my boss.” His eyes flicker up and down, and he shakes his head as if still in shock that I’m standing in front of him. “It’s good to see you.”

My heart falters when there’s not an ounce of heat in his words. They’re words you tell a friend that you haven’t seen in a while. Not a woman you love. He’s moved on. He’s no longer mine.

But I answer him honestly, as I’m not sure I’ll ever stop loving this man. “I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances.”

He nods with a tight smile. “Riggs, stay with Kali.”

Riggs moves from a lying position to a sit, and he hands me his leash. I narrow my eyes at Paxton. Dirty move. He did that on purpose, so I wouldn’t leave without him.

“I’ll be right back.”

The first half of the drive went by in a blur as I spilled the details of everything that happened up to that point. Now, silence hangs between us, and everything is sharply defined, every passing mile stretching the quiet tension that lingers in the air.

“I like your new truck,” I say, breaking the silence. The lifted black Ford F150, blacked out in every detail, fit him and his dark, rugged style perfectly. He smirks, glancing at me before returning his focus to the road.

The soft leather seats embrace me, and I draw in a whiff of the new leather scent. The afternoon sun casts warm hues on the dashboard. Despite the seriousness of everything, there’s an unspoken comfort in being around him.

“I got it a couple months ago,” he replies. “How have you been? Fly to any new places?”

“Too many to remember. Ari and I started doing international flights eight months ago.” I start to tear up again. Will we ever get to experience another city together? I try to talk through my emotions. “The cherry blossoms in Japan were the most magnificent thing we’d ever seen.” I start to ugly cry. “I can’t do this. What if we can’t find her? What if I never see her again? She’s my best friend.”

He reaches over and grabs my hand and squeezes it once. “I remember Ari, and she’s pretty feisty. I imagine she’s a fighter. Just hold on to that.” That she is.

I sniff, remembering the times I felt uncomfortable when we were on dark streets in foreign cities and how she would always show off her wannabe jiu-jitsu moves, saying she would protect me. It’s not that it made us any safer, but our laughter would always settle my fear.

We pass a sign that says we’re ten miles away. Paxton turns to me, his eyes curious. “What’s in Blackburn?” I can’t believe it took him this long to ask.

“Remember when I talked about Pearl?”

He nods. She’s the only person I ever talked about.

“Well, her name was on the passenger list. I didn’t see her, which isn’t uncommon because I was working the galley during boarding and deplaning. But maybe she saw the guy. He was hard to miss. It’s a long shot, but I need to do something.”

“Do you remember any of the guys’ names?”

I try to recall any of them, but I scanned them too quickly to memorize any. Once I saw Pearl’s name, I somewhat expected Chip’s name to be there. But it wasn’t. I shake my head. “I didn’t recognize any. Only Pearl’s name.”

“I’ll ask Martinez to send me the list.”

“Thank you for helping. I can’t imagine helping your ex was on your to-do list today.”

“That it wasn’t,” he says, staring straight ahead. And then adds, “But I’m glad you came to me.”

As we roll into town, Main Street comes into view. The diner appears unchanged, except for the new specials sprawled across the window in bright red and baby blue letters. Whoever handles the display has much better handwriting than I ever did.

Paxton parks and unbuckles his seat belt. I stare at him, debating if he should come in.

“What?” he asks, confused why I’m not moving. “Why aren’t we going in?”

I shift in my seat. “It might be better if you stay out here. If Pearl catches sight of me with a guy, she’ll think we’re together and bombard us with a million questions. I don’t want to be here for very long. Plus, you wanted to text Martinez anyway, right?”

His expression says that wasn’t his immediate plan.

“Don’t take long, or I’m coming in.”

I swing open the truck door, hopping out with a quick, “Be right back,” tossed over my shoulder.

Riggs barks once, and just before I shut the door, I hear Paxton mutter, “I don’t like it either.”

A surge of curiosity has me looking down the sidewalk, wondering if I’ll run into someone. The realization hits me—this is how Ann felt coming back to this place. Shaking out of my thoughts, I refocus on my purpose for being here because I’m not here to prove I successfully moved on. I don’t care what any of these people think of me. Then or now.

As I reach for the door, I wonder if Pearl still works here. Are she and Chip together? Or did she meet a wealthy man passing through and chased him around the world? It could explain the expensive trip to Hawaii.

It’s different, yet the same, as I pull open the door. It’s an unsettling sense that I’m home, which makes me think I haven’t found one outside Blackburn. And that irritates me even more.

“Well, poke me done and turn me over. Look who’s here,” Pearl squeals, darting toward me and throwing her arms around my neck. I inhale a whiff of her familiar scent. It doesn’t seem like two years have passed. She pulls back, holding me at arm’s length, her eyes moving up and down. “You’re looking like a hot summer night.” She whistles, making me blush. “You’ve finally glowed up.”

“Stop.” I laugh, appreciating her attempt at using teen lingo. “Look at you, looking all tan and sexy.” Her hair is swept up in her typical bun and lips painted bright red to match her hair. I can’t recall ever seeing her with a tan; she’s ghostly white or sunburned white.

She waves off the compliment. “I had a staycation at the house. Blew up a swimming pool and made me some of those fruity drinks with the little umbrellas. It was perfect.”

That’s bullshit. My smile slips. Why is she lying?

“Are you sure it’s not a Waikiki tan?”

Her eyes narrow with a questioning glance around before she grabs me by the arm. “Shhh,” she says, dragging me outside the front doors to the sidewalk. She releases me. “How in the world did you know that?”

“I was on the same plane. I’m a flight attendant.” Fear flickers in her eyes for a second before her lips break into a wide smile. I tilt my head. “Why the big secret?”

She crosses her arms, scanning both directions down the strip. “So soon you forget. If those nosey people in there”—she points to inside the restaurant—“find out, they’ll all be questioning how I can afford to go to Hawaii. They’ll all tip less.” Her lips purse as she rolls her eyes. It’s a valid reason. Hawaii isn’t a cheap vacation. “I met a man there, so I’d like to keep this between us. I can’t believe I didn’t notice you. The plane ain’t that big.”

“I was working first class the whole time.” Except for the one time I ventured out to help someone. “But that’s why I’m here. Did you by chance see a guy sitting by himself, dark hair and dark brown eyes, but his eyes were…” I take a moment to think of the perfect word. “Hollow. Like there was no life behind them.” A chill runs up my spine with the recollection.

A car door opens in the parking lot, diverting both of our attention in that direction. Paxton steps out, his intense eyes bouncing between the two of us, and his mouth in a hard line of pissed off. Pearl gasps beside me. Now, my eyes are darting from him to Pearl and back to him, waiting for someone to say something. Why is Paxton mad, and why is Pearl surprised?

“Mom. What the hell are you doing?”

Mom? Wait, what?

That is not what I was waiting for.