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

the article. “If I’d known he had useful information…”

Caldwell collected the photograph and slid it back into a file folder marked “Taylor, Kevyn.” Seeing her badge number made it all the more real.

“We need to speak to him. Obviously.” Caldwell paused, pen poised above the lined yellow notepad where he’d jotted some indecipherable scribbles. “What can you tell me that might help us find him?”

How many times did she have to say it? “I don’t know him! I’ve never known him. Ever. He was never there.”

“What about things your mother might have told you? Did she ever talk about him?”

He expected her to remember everything her mother had ever said?

A dull pain pulsed between her eyes. What a nightmare. “I’m sure she did, but I don’t really remember a lot of it.”

“Whatever you do remember is fine.”

“Mum met him at the University when she was doing some international studies. In Florida. Miami. It was an advanced math class. Mitch was the professor’s assistant. Mum was struggling and he tutored her. One thing led to another and they were married, had me, then Mitch left.” The words came out almost mechanically. Dissociation at its finest. But that dissociation had helped her cope with the abandonment for years. “Mum waited for him. She scraped by for months. Working as a bartender at night while a neighbor watched me. University during the day. She finished at the university when I was about eighteen months old and moved us both home to Australia.”

His pen scratched across the paper. “Did she ever divorce him?”

“She would have had to find him to divorce him.”

“And she never tried to find him? Hired a PI or anything?”

Like Mum had enough money to hire a private investigator. “No. I think she figured that if he wanted to find us, he could. He knew where she was from. It would only be logical she’d return there, since there was nothing to keep her in the U.S.”

“I think we’re done. For now.” Caldwell speared her with an intense gaze. “You’ll contact me immediately if you hear from him.”

Not a question or a request. A command.

Still, she nodded. “Of course.”

He rose, signaling the end of his interrogation, and gestured for her to precede him out of the conference room.

Heat rose within her.

In all her career, OPR had never had a file on her. Ever. In spite of how often she pushed the rules.

Now, because of one stupid man who thought genetics gave him the right to be her father, OPR was watching her.

If Mitch Taylor ever came around again, she might be tempted to shoot him herself.

₪   ₪   ₪

Mitch tapped a few keys on the laptop, pretending not to notice as Zane passed his office – slowly – for the fifth time.

Zane never hung around outside his office. He had better things to do.

The head of security hovering could only mean one thing. Tio hadn’t bought his bluff.

No matter how much he pretended not to notice, he couldn’t help it. Zane was as deadly as he was big. It was only a matter of time before Zane slit his throat or put a bullet between his eyes.

His icy fingers trembled across the keyboard, hitting one wrong key after another.

Frustration laced the breath he forced through his nostrils as he hit the backspace key to avoid offering his contact a grand more than they’d originally agreed upon.

There were probably cameras in the office, too.

Maybe even his condo. Who knew what Tio might have placed before Mitch had arrived home last night?

He needed to reach out to Kevyn, but he didn’t dare. Tio would know. Somehow, he would know.

Then Tio might go after Kevyn.

While he wasn’t exactly father of the year or anything, he didn’t want something bad to happen to Kevyn. Especially if it was his fault.

Mitch took a swig of his lukewarm cappuccino.

Somehow, he had to get in touch with Kevyn. Something told him that only she, and the FBI, could get him out of the mess he’d gotten into.

Three

The air held a tangible somberness. Kevyn settled in her chair as Dak closed the conference room door.

“Why them?” Dak’s question resounded in the stillness.

“I take it that means you didn’t find anything to tie them together?” Sid lightly drummed his fingers on the table.

Kevyn fought the urge to still those drumming digits.

“Other than the abductors and method of abduction, nothing.” The words, spoken tautly and in a sharper tone than usual, clearly spoke of Dak’s frustration.

She got it. They all did.

But it was rare for Dak to show it.

Then again, he didn’t usually have pressure coming from the mayor’s office. Or an agent under investigation by OPR.

“It could be location driven. The two abduction sites are only a few blocks apart.” JD pointed to the two businesses on a map of the downtown. “Maybe our crew is focused on these blocks.”

It was possible, but still didn’t answer why these two men were targeted. A lot of people frequented the gym and rock climbing business, not to mention all the other businesses in that area. So why them?

“Well, these wouldn’t be ideal victims for human trafficking,” Felicia offered, stating the truth they all clearly saw.

Human traffickers wouldn’t likely choose victims who would be physically strong enough to fight back.

“What about forced labor?” Kevyn studied the stats on both victims. “We know Jason Boggess spent a lot of time at the gym. And look at him. He’s young, strong, good muscle tone…”

“And Wes Andrews is in good shape, too. Spends a lot of time rock climbing, which builds lean muscle.” JD seemed to latch on to the idea.

“I mean, picking someone as high profile as Jason Boggess is pretty risky,