“So we have a staged crime scene with multiple vics made to watch, so vengeance? They wanted someone in that house to pay, and Ivy’s picture in the mix, all after Ivy was nearly killed by one of the dead men at the crime scene…”
“I have an unmarked black SUV on the gas station camera three blocks away from the murders on an otherwise deserted street from that time of night,” Liam added. “Make that two.”
“Shit,” C.T. responded.
“Which theory are you leaning toward now, Charlie Tango? The one where Ivy’s a bad guy or being hunted?”
“Fuck.” He hesitated, scanning the images on the table, then the security footage playing on a loop. “The latter.”
“You think Ivy has something to do with this? Okay.” Dace tossed his arms out in surrender.
“I don’t know, Dace. The timing of it all, and her behavior combined with everything else? Yes. It could be.” C.T. hesitated, not convinced he was on the right track. “Maybe? Who fucking knows? All we can do is keep following the trail.”
“The trail is getting shorter by the minute,” Dace admitted. “We’re all out of breadcrumbs here.”
“I’ll keep running the analysis. Sometimes it takes a while, but we’ll find something,” Liam added. “I’ll tweak my programs as we go until we get real answers. Though I understand why Ivy doesn’t look entirely innocent, I think it’s a matter of coincidence, not guilt because we can’t prove otherwise. I’m with Dace. I think she’s being set up and probably hunted. There are too many factors against her that seem intentionally placed, and that could be why even my system here isn’t able to turn anything into a lead. Someone is doing this; I feel it.”
Dace stood at the front of the room. “Next question: who’s hunting Ivy? And why?”
“Perhaps, I can answer that.” A tall, dark-haired man with an accent that wasn’t quite British and not quite Australian stood in the doorway, Wylie at his side, and the O’Reilly’s friend, US Attorney Carter Landry. “Name’s Eli, and I need to see Ivy.”
Dace’s jaw flexed and body hardened as he evaluated the man from head to toe. “The man in the picture.”
CHAPTER 13
“Picture? Surely, there aren’t any pictures of me anywhere,” Eli said.
“On Ivy’s phone,” Dace replied.
“Oh, that…” The man seemed unbothered, his confidence oozing and demeanor cocky.
“Yeah, that. I imagine you’ve run facial through all the databases, then ran your own algorithms and the usual to figure out who I am.”
“And it turned up jack shit,” Liam deadpanned. “How about a name?”
“Are you the one who’s hard of hearing? I said, Eli’s the name.”
“No, asshole, but Eli isn’t what I’m looking for, and if you know I already ran facials and algos, then you know I can run names too…hell, the DMV can run your name.”
“Gotcha, chap. Eli Clayton, with a C.”
“That’s it? Eli Clayton? Two first names, no last name?”
“I suppose so,” Eli said with a pompous air about him. “You won’t find anything on me, and I’d like to keep it that way. I’m a lot like you all that way.”
“Yet you know who we are, where to find us, and apparently know our brother’s hard of hearing,” Dace chided.
“I’m not hard of hearing. He’s just an asshole or misinformed.” Liam tended to be laid-back and unfazed by most things, but this guy was getting under his skin.
“Perhaps I heard wrong then. No offense, aye?”
“Aye?” Liam shook his head. “Are you for real? If you know we don’t like being found and prefer to remain anonymous, then you know you’re walking a dangerous line here.”
The corner of Eli’s mouth crooked in a near smile, and he shrugged. “What can I say? I take chances. Besides, you hurt me, you hurt Ivy, and I know none of you would do that no matter how big a prick I become. So, where can I find her? It’s urgent that I get to her.”
“She isn’t here,” Dace said. “Let’s help each other help Ivy. Start by telling us how you know her.”
“First, I know she’s here. I followed her to Portland, know she nearly made it to you, and wound up in the hospital. When I went to retrieve her, she was gone. After a pretty quick process of elimination, I knew she’d be here. Your officer friend actually led me right to you. Couple of days of recon and boom, you’re a frequent flyer at Watermark Tower all of a sudden and so is that Dr. Mendoza from the hospital…and who’s that other guy? Oh yes, Dr. Mason Charles from McKenzie Ridge. I assume Nurse Carly is tending to Ivy?”
“Jesus Christ,” Declan said.
“Flattered, but it’s Eli. Eli Clayton, not Jesus.”
Wylie snorted, drawing attention to himself, while Carter remained silent.
“Either of you want to chime in here? Where’d this guy come from, and why’d you let him in?”
“I was up north on a federal case and received a message saying I was needed here by exactly…” Carter looked at his watch. “Ten minutes ago. Unknown sender – could trace it through Liam’s crap on my phone.”
Liam tossed Carter an awkward look. “You could’ve called? Texted?”
“You’d think. Phone went dead after that. So I found a car and hauled ass down here. When I walked up to the building, Wy was letting him in.”
“You set this up.” Wylie looked at Eli. “You wanted him here.”
“Indeed. I knew he wouldn’t fail if he thought you all were threatened – been infiltrated or some dramatic scene. Worked – I’m impressed. I’m certain his credentials will prove to be essential, and you might get a nice convictable case as your reward.”
“I was passing through the lobby after my workout and this guy” — Wylie tosses a thumb in Eli’s direction — “is standing at the door and fucking waves at me.”
“Just being friendly. Figured that was the easiest way in. Had I flown you a bird, I’m certain the meeting would’ve been more of a waving of pistols.”
“Pistols?”
“It’s a saying, no?”
“No,” Dace said. “Though I’m sure my brother appreciates your manners and all, but you still haven’t said why you’re here and what you want.”
“Sure, I did. I’d like to see Ivy, mate,” Eli said, sounding more Aussie than British.
“Then we’ve got a problem because I don’t know where she is.” Dace shrugged. “She left years ago, and I haven’t been able to locate her since.”
“Now, Dace is it?” Eli asked. “You don’t have to answer because I know I’m right. You’re protecting her right now as only you would. I admire that. You’re exactly as she described you.”
“Really?” Dace snickered. “She told you about me?”
“No, she told me about all of you. Let’s see if I got this right. You” — he pointed at Declan — “the eldest brother, the fierce leader the rest of these guys look to for…well, everything. You’re an honorable man. Much respect.”