Zach’s blank expression, he continued, “Julie’s last name is Fraser.”
Zach’s eyes rounded like silver dollars. “Julie Fraser? Well, I’ll be a son of a bitch. I thought she looked like her, but I didn’t think she was the Julie Fraser. Wow. And now you’ve got her pissed at you?” Zach shook his head again. “Good luck with that.” A trace of grin curved his mouth.
“Yeah, thanks,” Troy muttered.
“Aw, I’m just pullin’ your chain. She’s a woman just like any other woman and you have to grovel like any normal man. It’s the way of the world. Just be honest and sincere. She’ll snap out of it.”
Troy sure as hell hoped so. “Thanks. Look, I need to make some calls, so...”
“Make yourself at home. Don’t mind me. I’m just going to go about my business and make some dinner. I’ll put a steak on the grill for you.”
Troy nodded as he checked the reception for his phone. Full bars. He forced himself to sit at the small kitchen table and called his contact at the LAPD.
Zach’s phone rang at the same time and he picked up. “Hey, Scotty! We still on for tomorrow?” He disappeared into the other room.
“LAPD. This is Bakofsky. Can I help you?”
“Bakofsky, it’s Mills. I know you just got back from vacation, but I was wondering if you had anything new on the Fraser case.” Troy normally didn’t get much help from any officer, due to department procedure, but he’d done a locate for Bakofsky a couple years back and the P3 officer owed him one. Now was as good a time as any to cash in.
“You must be psychic. I was just about to return your call.”
The hair on Troy’s nape stood on end. “Oh, yeah? What’s going on? You find something?”
“More like someone,” Bakofsky said. “We caught your sniper at the airport yesterday trying to board a jet headed to Boston.”
“How do you know it’s the right guy?” Troy asked.
“Plenty of reasons. For starters, his first initial matches up. A stands for Andrew. The kicker comes next. He tried to board the plane with a rifle, but his transport case wouldn’t lock and he had a fit at the gate when the agent wouldn’t give him a boarding pass. Security came in and took him aside. The guy freaked, folded like a puppet in interrogation. The rifle matched the weapon used in both shootings.”
“Who is he? What’s his full name?” Troy asked.
“You’re going to find out anyway, but you didn’t hear this from me,” Bakofsky said. “His name is Andrew Larkin. He’s twenty-five. Lives in Pasadena.”
Larkin. Larkin. Why did that name ring a bell? Carrie Ann! Julie had told him her brother’s name was Drew. This had to be her brother. Andrew. So did she know about this? Shit. Troy needed to get back to Julie and tell her the news. This was going to devastate her.
“Thanks for the info. I owe you.”
“Actually, I think this makes us even. We left a message on Ms. Fraser’s home phone, but haven’t heard from her.”
“Yeah, she’s not at home, but I’ll give her the news.” Troy wiped a palm across his jaw. “I’ll give you a call after I talk to her.” He disconnected and didn’t budge an inch. Something didn’t sit well with him. How did Larkin know to book a flight to Massachusetts? How had he found Julie’s location? Unless Julie had told Carrie Ann, and she’d told her brother. If Larkin had tried to board the plane yesterday, how long had he known where they were? They’d only hit town two days ago.
Maybe it didn’t matter. At least now Julie could go home and be safe. Troy found Julie’s number in his cell phone and called. It went straight to voice mail. He didn’t bother leaving a message. Instead he called the landline at the cabin, glad he’d thought to put the number in his cell when they’d arrived. He got a busy signal.
Zach entered the room. “Want to hear something funny,” he said. “My friend Scotty is a state trooper and he just pulled over a car with California plates a little while ago.”
The gears shifted in Troy’s head. “Quick question. Do you have call waiting on the line at the cabin?”
Zach nodded. “Sure. Why?”
All of Troy’s instincts fired up at the same time and he moved to the front door. The only reason the phone would be busy is if it was off the hook or the line was cut. Neither one