“We're duly impressed,” Silver said. “Anything from Ledbruk's men?”
“No. Except a good deal of frustration and obscenities. The larger warehouses are like rabbit warrens.” His voice trailed off as he went into the library. “Not at all easy to search . . .”
“But we have progress.” Silver turned to Kerry. “Carmela has a last name and a mother. We just have to hope her mother knew her friends and that Carmela wasn't a loner.”
And her mother might not be aware of who her daughter's friends were, Kerry thought. If they'd been close, then Carmela would probably never have run away.
She wouldn't be pessimistic. They'd found out a treasure trove of information about Carmela, and there was still time to find out more.
She hoped.
“Take a nap,” Silver said. “I'll stay here and call you if we hear anything.”
She wasn't going to be able to sleep, but she'd try to rest. She started up the stairs. “And I'll call you if I hear anything from Trask.” But she didn't think he'd call again. Trask had given her all the help he was going to give her. It was up to them to sort through the bits and pieces and come up with answers.
And cross her fingers and hope that everything would go right for Carmela.
He was following her.
Carmela's heart jumped as she saw the tall man in the suede jacket standing by the Starbucks shop across the street.
It was the third time she'd seen him today. It was now late afternoon and she'd first noticed him this morning at a bus stop and again at the hot dog stand in the park.
A thief? Some sexual weirdo who preyed on girls like her?
It didn't matter. Just walk fast and try to lose him.
She turned down the next street and broke into a run. Two blocks later she turned left and then right again.
She waited.
No sign of him. She must have lost him, she thought with relief. Just to be sure, she'd go another three blocks down this street before she turned back and started for the warehouse. It was only six blocks away.
Funny how things changed. Last night she'd been scared to death of the darkness and creaking of the warehouse. She'd been thinking of trying to find someplace else to stay. But now she couldn't wait to get inside her little room on the third floor, where she'd be safe.
Baltimore,” Silver said when he threw open Kerry's door. “Carmela Ruiz was in Baltimore two weeks ago.”
Kerry jumped to her feet. “How do you know? Her mother?”
He shook his head. “Carmela has a sister, Rosa, and she was there when Ledbruk's man, Bushly, was questioning her mother. Evidently he was pretty convincing about the seriousness of Carmela's situation. He said Rosa didn't say anything while he was talking to her mother, but she ran after him and caught him at his car. She was pretty scared. She told him Carmela had called her twice and told her she was in Baltimore and having trouble getting work.”
“Did she tell her where she was staying?”
He shook his head. “Just that it was Baltimore.”
“How many of those warehouses on our list were in Baltimore?”
“Forty-seven. Come on. Let's go. Ledbruk's men are already on their way to start a search, and he's called in some of the local police to help, but time's running out. We have four hours if Trask wasn't lying to you.”
She was already on her way to the door with Sam at her heels. “Where's Ledbruk starting?”
“South. We'll begin in the north side of town.” He was running down the stairs. “Unless you have a better idea.”
She shook her head. “I don't have a clue.” She made a face as she glanced at Sam, who was skidding down the staircase at top speed. “Hell, maybe we should follow Trask's advice and take Sam to sniff out the son of a bitch.”
“Not a good idea.” Silver smiled as he opened the front door. “I'd rather rely on you.”
“So would I.” She turned to George, who had just come out of the library. “Will you have someone take care of—” She stopped. “Never mind. We're taking Sam with us.”
“Why?” George asked.
“I'm not sure.” A hunch? She signaled to Sam. “But it just occurred to me that Trask mentioned Sam in both conversations with me. It probably didn't mean anything, but I don't want to take a chance that he might have been trying to—” She headed for the door. “We're taking him.”
Sam was barking in ecstatic greeting as Kerry and Silver climbed back into the SUV.
“Oh, for Pete's sake, shut up, Sam,” Kerry said in exasperation. “You just saw us fifteen minutes ago.” And it was fifteen minutes too long. This was the fourth warehouse they'd searched, and they weren't moving fast enough. She grabbed the list and checked off the two warehouses they'd searched on this block. “There's another warehouse ten minutes from here. Giliad Storage on Baker Street.”
Silver nodded as he started the SUV. “Call George and check and see if Ledbruk has found anything.”
“He said he'd let us know.” She dialed the phone anyway. Maybe they'd gone through a dead-zone area for her cell. At this point she'd reach for any straw.
“No break,” George said when she reached him. “I contacted Ledbruk ten minutes ago. They hadn't found anything, and he was pretty uptight.” He was silent. “It's getting close to the wire.”
“We know that,” she said jerkily. “Let us know if you hear anything.” She hung up. “Ledbruk hasn't found anything. Hurry.”
“I'm hurrying.” He glanced at her. “We still have an hour. A lot can happen in an hour.”
“Yeah, Carmela Ruiz could burn up in that warehouse.” She aimed her flashlight on the list. “There's another warehouse about ten minutes from Giliad. We should try— Stop that, Sam.” The dog had jumped up on the back of the seat and was nuzzling her ear. “I don't want to play. No games.”
“We should have left him at home,” Silver said. “We don't need—”
“Game.” Kerry sat upright in the seat. “This is a game Trask is playing with me, and he had to give me a clue if he wanted me to find that warehouse. He wouldn't want me to bring Sam to muddy up the situation, but he suggested I do it twice. Why?”
Silver's eyes narrowed on her face. “You tell me.”
Her gaze was flying down the list. “I don't know. But maybe he— Samson Tobacco Storage.” Her eyes widened with excitement. “Sam. Samson.”
“It's a stretch.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
He shook his head. “Where is this warehouse?”
She checked the address against the map. “On the waterfront. Thirty minutes.”
“Get on the phone and have Ledbruk send some agents there.” His foot pressed the accelerator, and the SUV jumped forward. “They might be able to reach it before we do.”
Trask checked his watch.
Ten more minutes.
She should be here by now, he thought in disappointment. Perhaps she wasn't as clever as he'd thought. He'd been sure that she would make the connection. He would have put two and two together, and they were so much alike.
Come on, Kerry. Let me show you my power.
Five more minutes passed.
He made a final adjustment of the dish that he'd aimed at the window of the third floor of the warehouse across the street. Carmela was in a little cubbyhole down the hall, but if the dish was working properly, the fire would block her exit route.
Where are you, Kerry?
Ten more minutes.” Silver's foot pressed on the accelerator. “And Ledbruk may already be there, Kerry.”
“And he may not.” Kerry's teeth bit down on her lower lip. “All I could tell him was that I had a hunch. He may not consider a hunch valid enough to rush over there.”
“He's not an ass. Trust him.”
She shook her head, reached for her telephone, and started to dial.
“Who are you calling?” Silver asked.
“Someone I do trust.”
Sirens.
Trask went still, his gaze on the flashing red lights of the three fire trucks at least seven blocks away. There was no question they were coming in this direction.