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

fact, to me it looks like she climbs into the van on her own, don’t you think?”

He backed the video up and watched it again. Possible, although it’d never hold up in court. “Why?”

Kevyn lifted her shoulders. “That’s the big question, isn’t it?”

Orson had repeatedly told them that she didn’t know her attackers. That she’d had no idea why they had taken her.

This video, if Kevyn was interpreting it correctly, indicated otherwise.

“Should we go talk to her again?” Kevyn’s question brought his attention away from the video.

“Not yet. Let’s do a little digging first. See if we can’t figure out why she would lie about her abduction.”

They were missing something.

When they went to talk to Noelle Orson again, they needed more than a grainy, vague video. They needed something concrete to back it up.

He sighed. “I could use a strong coffee.”

“I’ll go. The fresh air clears my head.” She paused. “Besides, I keep hoping Mitch will show up there again.”

A sour taste filled his mouth. “What will you do if he does?”

She pressed her lips into a thin line. “I’ll handcuff him to a table and ring you. He’s not going to deceive me again.”

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Tio sipped the strong blend and looked at his watch for what had to be the tenth time in as many minutes. Almost 1:45.

Maybe she wasn’t coming.

Or maybe she’d come early and he’d missed her.

He pulled up his email on his phone and scanned for anything new. Nothing since he’d last checked two minutes ago.

A sigh built in his chest.

How much time did he waste before bagging the whole thing?

The bell above the door dinged.

A trim woman with blonde hair pulled back in a loose ponytail stepped through the door.

He pulled up the photo Zane had forwarded to him.

It was her!

He quickly threw out the remaining coffee and got into line right behind her.

Now. How to start a conversation without being too weird and drawing suspicion?

He could mention Mitch’s name, but he didn’t want to attach himself to his former business partner if he didn’t have to.

Mistaken identity was his best recourse.

“Angie? Is that you?”

She turned, assessing him with open suspicion. Large eyes studied him for a moment, probably trying to determine the threat level.

Offering his most charming smile, he shook his head. “I’m sorry. From the back, you look like my good friend Angie. I thought you might be her.”

A smile froze on her full lips but didn’t reach her eyes. “No worries.”

She turned to place her order.

Thoughts crashed through his mind with the intensity of waves pounding the rocky Washington coastline during a winter storm. Those eyes. Just like Mitch’s. Just. Like. Mitch’s.

There was no way she wasn’t related.

A sibling? Maybe one Mitch only recently discovered?

Possible, but there was a big age difference.

In fact, he’d put this woman in her late twenties. Maybe early thirties, if she wore her age extraordinarily well.

That would put twenty to thirty years between her and Mitch.

A daughter?

He’d seen pictures of Mitch’s kids. They were younger than this woman, with dark hair.

Could Mitch have another daughter? Maybe one Tio hadn’t known existed?

And that accent. Australian, unless he missed his guess.

How would Mitch end up with a daughter in Australia? To his knowledge, Mitch had never traveled there.

“Sir? Did you want to order?”

The barista stared at him as if he was crazy. He probably looked it, since he hadn’t moved when the blonde woman had stepped aside.

“Oh, yeah. Just checking out the pastry options.” Lame, but it seemed to work. “I’ll take three shots of espresso and one of those raisin danishes.”

While he waited for the order to come up, he managed to sneak a few glances at the blonde.

She leaned against the wall, her gaze surveying the room with a studied casualness that was way too intentional to be casual.

Watching for trouble? But why would she do that?

When her order came up, she collected two tall drinks – one hot and one iced – and turned for the door.

He waited for the bell to ding, counted to three, then glanced behind him in time to see her disappear from sight to the left.

Now he knew which direction she’d gone. As soon as his order came up, he could follow.

Part of him was tempted to abandon his order, but that would draw undue attention. The last thing he needed was the barista remembering that he talked to the blonde, then followed her.

It felt like minutes passed, but was probably only about thirty seconds, before his order slid across the counter.

He smiled at the barista as he took the cup and pastry, then casually strolled to the door and slipped on sunglasses.

Once his feet hit the sidewalk, he turned the direction he’d witnessed the blonde woman go.

Too many heads. Why did so many people have to be out walking today?

He strode down the sidewalk, snugging a baseball cap over his head and blending in with the other foot traffic as he dodged people moving more slowly than himself.

About a block up, he spotted her. Crossing the road at the light.

She looked his way and he averted his attention, but didn’t try to hide. That would arouse suspicion, but one face amongst a few dozen others would be easily overlooked.

If he waited to cross at the light, he’d probably lose her.

A glance up the road found no traffic, so he jogged across the street, then joined a small cluster of people waiting at a bus stop.

The woman reached the sidewalk and continued straight ahead.

Funny how her head appeared to be constantly moving. Like she anticipated trouble.

Which made him feel like she herself was trouble, at