Secure Location - By Beverly Long Page 0,41

mark on them. The dark jogging suit wasn’t faded or stretched out.

Cruz drummed his nails on the desk. It was a long shot but he didn’t have much else. “Play that part again,” he said.

Detective Myers hit Rewind and when they got to the part where the backpack was visible, Cruz motioned for him to pause the tape. There was a logo on the bag. “I need this frame blown up,” he said.

Detective Myers stepped forward. He was stroking his chin, looking thoughtful. “We identify the brand, find out where it’s sold locally, and then see if we can trace the purchase.”

Cruz nodded, grateful that Myers was tracking with him. But when Meg stepped forward, a puzzled look on her face, he knew she wasn’t.

“It’s a combination of old-fashioned feet-on-the-street,” he explained, “and using available technology. This guy’s shoes, jogging suit and backpack all look new. So, maybe he bought them at the same time. If it was recent enough, maybe Detective Myers and his team can jog some store clerk’s memories. If that doesn’t work, technology may be our friend. Almost everybody captures their sales records electronically now. The store should be able to tell us if they sold shoes, a jogging suit and this brand of backpack in one transaction. There will be a time stamp on the transaction. So, maybe we can get a better photo of him at the store. Or maybe we get even luckier and we can match the transaction code up with credit card activity. Then we have an address.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Meg said faintly.

Myers shook his head. “Nothing is ever easy. But Cruz is right. We may get lucky, and given that we don’t have much else, I’ll take luck.”

Meg heard a noise. She turned and saw Jana at the door. Before she could react, Cruz had moved. He scooped up the little girl and walked back into the reception area. Meg followed him and saw that Sanjoi was on the phone. He looked up, shrugged and mouthed, “Sorry.”

“Hey, don’t you have some macaroni and cheese calling your name?” Cruz asked the little girl.

She shook her head. “Macaroni and cheese doesn’t talk,” she said.

“I know...I meant... Never mind,” Cruz said. He tickled the little girl’s ribs and she giggled. He glanced back at Meg. “Let’s call it a night. Myers and his team will let us know if they find anything.” Once they were through the door, he moved close. “Does it make you nervous that in-house security couldn’t even contain a four-year-old?”

She smiled, grateful that she still could. He hadn’t even needed to tickle her ribs.

Jana poked her head over Cruz’s shoulder and looked at Meg. “What happened to your office?” Jana asked.

“It got messed up,” Meg said.

“Why?”

Because someone hates me. “I’m not sure, Jana.”

“Do you have to clean it up? I always have to clean up my mess. Mommy says.”

Cruz turned his head. “I doubt that you’ll be able to work in there tomorrow. Myers won’t be done with the scene.”

Jana twisted in Cruz’s arms. “Tomorrow Uncle Cruz and I are going to Six Flags and ride the roller coaster. Can Meg come, too, Uncle Cruz? Please?”

“Meg may have other plans,” he said very carefully.

Yes. She definitely should come up with some plans. But right now her head was empty of everything but the absolute horror of seeing her desk covered in dried blood. She wanted to forget it all. “I’ve never been to Six Flags,” she said.

Cruz’s eyes lit up. “There’s a first time for everything.”

Jana seemed to catch the subtle tension that was flowing between the two adults. Her head swiveled from one to the other. “Pretty please,” she said, to no one in particular.

Cruz stopped walking, forcing Meg to also stop. “Someone is intent upon creating havoc in my life,” she said. “I don’t want Jana to be touched by that. The two of you should go.”

Cruz considered her protest. “Don’t tell anybody where we’re going. Don’t tell Slater, Charlotte or anybody else who might be curious. There’s no way anybody will know where we’ll be.”

A whole day without worry over what some crazy person might do next. It sounded like heaven.

“He or she might follow us,” Meg said.

Cruz shook his head. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Meg chewed on the corner of her lip. “Okay. I’ll go.”

* * *

CRUZ GOT UP EARLY, checked on both Jana and Meg, who were still sleeping, made sure the bolt lock was secure behind him and left