Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2) by Candle Sutton (best motivational novels txt) 📕

hospital following Noelle Orson’s abduction. He was sure to be thrilled to see them.

She stepped out of her car and assessed the area.

The large restaurant, situated on the edge of Lake Union, gleamed in the morning sunlight. Windows lined the front and back of the building, allowing her to see straight through to the lake that sparkled as if diamond encrusted.

The officer guarding the perimeter granted her access and she joined the team. “What do we have?”

“Stacy Cummings. Works here as a bartender so she was one of the last ones out. The cleaning crew found her car like this when they arrived this morning.” Dak gestured to the car parked a few feet away.

“No one else left at the same time last night?” Seemed unlikely that a restaurant like this would only have one person closing. Wouldn’t there have been at least two, for security reasons if nothing else?

“Should have been a night manager and one other bartender. We’re still waiting on the night manager to arrive. They’ve left a message for the other bartender.” Dak’s lowered eyebrows said he wasn’t at all happy about the delay.

“How do we know it’s connected to our case?”

Dak nodded at a man in khakis standing at the edge of the scene. “The owner. The cleaning crew called him, he pulled up security video and called the police. When the vic left, a man snuck up on her from behind and injected her. A white van pulled up and the man dragged her into the van. It all took less than a minute.”

Injected her. Unlike Noelle.

Their theory was that Noelle hadn’t been drugged because they didn’t see her as a threat. If that was the case, why did they drug Stacy?

Something wasn’t adding up, but there were a lot of details Kevyn didn’t know. “Have you seen a picture of the vic?”

Dak nodded as if expecting her question. “She’s five two, a hundred and fifty pounds.”

A little heavier than Noelle, but still completely manageable by the two men they’d witnessed abducting the others.

A car pulled into the parking lot and they watched as a large man wearing jeans and a slightly rumpled t-shirt stepped out of the vehicle. His hair was unkempt and stubble shaded his jawline, evidencing that he likely hadn’t taken much time getting ready before coming down here.

“Let’s join the detective.” Dak turned, striding across the parking lot with a purpose few would challenge.

A red head bobbed toward them as Sid jogged to catch up.

Kevyn slowed her steps slightly. “‘Bout time you got here.”

Her light tone earned her the smile she’d hoped to see.

He held up his hands, palms out with fingers spread. “Hey, some of us have a longer commute. Traffic was a bear this morning.”

“That’s what they all say.” She shook her head with exaggerated movements.

“Bring me up to speed?” His sobered expression matched his tone.

“Abduction. Bartender leaving work last night. She was drugged and pushed into a white van that had parked near her car. Night manager just arrived.” That last part was an assumption, but a logical one given that she doubted many employees would be reporting to work at this time, in such a grungy condition.

They caught up with the rest of the team, who had reached the detectives. A uniformed officer led the night manager toward the group.

After introductions were made, the detective barely glanced at them before steamrolling ahead. “Tell me about last night?”

The territorial implication was clear.

His case. Stay out.

Too bad for him that the FBI would likely be taking it from him, if the information they received was what she expected to hear.

The man ran his hands through his dark hair, causing it to stand on end in random places. “It was a normal night. We were busy, good tips. No one causing any trouble. Heck, we didn’t even have to cut anyone off last night, so it was a really good night, actually.”

His eyes traveled across the group, assessing. “You’re sure? That she was taken and didn’t just catch a ride with someone?”

“You tell me.” The detective crossed his arms over his chest. “Video shows her being drugged and loaded into a van.”

A pasty hue turned the manager’s face gray. “Who would do something like that?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” The detective narrowed his eyes on the manager. “You didn’t see anything strange when you left?”

The man’s head wagged emphatically. “No. The other bartender and I parked around that side of the building, though,” he pointed to the opposite corner of the building, “so we couldn’t see her car from where we parked.”

Kevyn followed his pointing finger.

While the front and back of the restaurant were covered with windows, the sides of the building were mostly brick. It was plausible that they wouldn’t have seen a thing from there. “So you didn’t notice a white van in the lot?”

The detective glared at her, but she didn’t care.

The primary goal was finding Stacy Cummings, not establishing dominance.

The manager shook his head. “But I really wasn’t looking. It could’ve been parked outside the lot or around the other side of the building and I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Was there anyone who seemed interested in Stacy last night? Customer who hit on her or something?” The detective slanted a sideways glance at her as if daring her to interrupt again.

“No. I mean, no more than usual. Bartenders get hit on regularly, but there wasn’t anyone persistent or aggressive last night. Stacy seemed fine when we left.”

Yeah, until some guy jabbed a needle into her neck.

“What about when you left? You had to notice that her car was still in the lot.” The detective’s mild tone lacked the traces of condemnation Kevyn saw in his eyes.

The man looked down at his