CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

Jessie was getting anxious.

It was well after six at night and they'd been driving around the neighborhood for ten minutes now without any luck.

Jamil had sent them the details for the car registered to Charlie Warner, a 2008 silver Kia Sportage. But so far, they hadn't come across it. They'd gone to the house of his most recent dog-walking client, The Lerner family, who had a 5:30 appointment for a half-hour walk and knocked on the door. But all Burt Lerner could tell them was that Charlie had left immediately after returning their dog.

With no other appointments scheduled for the day, they didn't have any leads to follow, so they'd begun driving the streets near the home, slow working their way out. They were still only half a mile from the Lerners after traveling down more than ten streets.

"We still have Susannah and Sam headed to his apartment?" Ryan asked unnecessarily, referring to the detectives who he'd personally asked to go there.

"They promised they'd call as soon as they got there," Jessie reminded him, "but we both know that's not where he's headed."

"Do I really need to be here for this whole manhunt thing?" Emilio Vega complained once again from the back of the car. "You can drop me off anywhere and I'll just walk back to my truck."

One scowl from Ryan shut him up. The car's clock had just flipped from 6:13 to 6:14 when Jessie saw it.

"Look!" she shouted, pointing.

The Kia was parked along the curb near a green belt set a good distance away from any homes. It was empty. Ryan pulled up next to it, and Jessie hopped out. She rested her hand on the hood.

"Still hot," she said. "He can't have parked that long ago."

"But where would he go?" Ryan asked, looking around. "The closest house is a hundred yards from here. He could have picked any of them."

"I think that's the point," Jessie said, getting back in the car. "He knew it was only a matter of time before we honed in on him. This gives him extra time for whatever he has planned."

Ryan looked at his phone, and Jessie knew why. Jamil had sent them a screenshotted map of all Warner's dog-walking clients in the neighborhood.

"None of his clients are on this street or any adjacent ones," he said. "So why stop here? It can't just be because it's not in front of a specific house."

"No," Jessie agreed. "Whoever he's after is close by. If they don't live here, we have to figure out why he picked this area. Can you drive up the street again?"

Ryan obliged, slowly working his way to the end of the cul-de-sac and then turning around. They passed by the green belt a second time and continued toward the intersection again. They were halfway there when Jessie noticed something she hadn't picked up on before.

"Stop here, please," she said.

Ryan hit the brakes right in front of a giant mansion on the upslope of a hill. It was styled like a French chateau and rose upward a good five stories, all built into the hillside. But none of that was what mattered to Jessie.

"What is it?" Ryan asked.

"Look," Jessie said, pointing at the "for sale" sign in the yard. It read: Howell Realty Advisers, viewing by appointment only.

"Isn't one of Warner's clients named Howell?" she asked.

Ryna looked at the message from Beth that listed all of them.

"Yes," he said excitedly. "Margot Howell. She's got a miniature schnauzer named Welker."

"This is it," Jessie said, beyond certain. "It's perfect. He calls her up for a private showing using a fake name and gets her alone in an isolated home where no one can hear what's happening. We have to get in there now."

"How do you know he's already there?" Emilio asked from the backseat.

Jessie pointed at the house.

"The lights are on."