31. ALEX
Fatigue was kicking in big time, blurring faces into a nameless mob. I checked in with several officers, but there was no sign of activity on Danielle's or Landon's social media, not that I expected any. Landon was too smart to leave any traces, and Danielle was without her phone.
The team conducting interviews in the area returned empty-handed, with witnesses recalling only seeing Danielle alongside Cody. Employees at the store remembered her appearing upset but reported no signs of a confrontation or an accomplice.
We were hitting dead ends, and my last hope rested with the team investigating abandoned properties and any possible routes involving a right-hand turn out of that motel.
“Which one of you is Calhoun?” I shouted into the room.
A redheaded 20-something-year-old turned around from his computer and raised his hand in the air. “Right here, sir.”
I walked right over to him. Hopefully, there weren’t many abandoned properties west of Grand Junction.
“Landon was last seen checking out of the motel that sat diagonally from the convenience store, heading west towards the outskirts of town. Have you found anything that’s within a 25-mile radius of there?”
“Uh, yeah. Closest empty warehouses are one on the outskirts near Nordstrand Trucking. Couple near Little Park Road, and another few over near the airport.”
“Great, text them to me, and then I’ll head out. We’ll keep a team on standby for backup in case we see anything.”
I picked up my jacket and nudged Cody’s shoulder, careful not to startle him. As gentle as I was, he jerked awake anyway. I could tell he was in a very light, alert sleep. We needed to find Danielle, or I was fairly certain I was going to lose my best friend, too.
“We’ve got some warehouses to go check out in the direction that Landon took off. Let’s go.” I whispered.
It was already dark outside, offering us the stealth we desperately needed.
If Landon spotted us anywhere in town, it would cause an issue for Danielle.
We climbed into the car, and I punched each address into the GPS.
None of them was too far away, but each was situated on the outskirts, near the desert or mountains.
Choosing any of these would have been savvy from the looks of where they were located; it meant less attention and more expansive properties.
"We'll start with the ones near Little Park, about 30 minutes out," I said, breaking the silence.
Cody sat beside me, silent throughout the drive, his exhaustion and anxiety palpable.
He seemed tense and on the verge of nausea.
I struggled to find comforting words, but had managed to keep a necessary detachment to maintain clarity.
To find Danielle, I had to stay analytical; emotional decisions could get her killed.
I knew damn well Cody wasn’t going to be able to do it, so it was up to me to keep him in check. And myself.
Ten minutes away from the first warehouse, Cody finally broke the silence. In a low mumble that suggested he was holding back tears, he said, "If we find her, I need your permission for something."
He continued staring into his lap, fumbling around with something.
"What’s that, man?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but with apprehension. What the hell would Cody need my permission for? Did he plan on asking me if he could kill Landon himself? If so, that was off the fucking table. It would land me in the slammer right next to him.
Instead of answering, Cody placed the small black box he had been fumbling around with in his hands for most of the drive on the dashboard, letting out a broken, heavy sigh.
As we paused at a red light, I picked up the box and opened it. I don’t know what I was expecting to see, but it certainly wasn’t the biggest god damn diamond ring I had ever seen in my life, and yet there I was, staring at it.
"I bought it with the money you paid me," Cody confessed, almost sounding like he regretted it. "I was going to give it to her the other night at the zoo. She thought I was using the money for myself, that I only saw her as a job. I couldn’t tell her the truth. It would've spoiled everything.”
I didn’t say anything for a minute. There was still a part of my brain that told me to beat the shit out of him; to keep him away from my sister.
But for what? I mean, really, who else could be better for her?
Especially after Landon. Still, I wasn’t about to make it easy for him.
It’s still my sister, and he’s still the idiot who eats on my couch in his boxers.
“Why didn’t you fucking tell her? You let her fucking leave. She would have stayed for that gigantic thing.” I was half-kidding, but I realized as soon as the words left my mouth that this was not the time.
“You think I don’t fucking know that?” His voice rose in a mix of anger and hurt. “You think that thought hasn’t kept me awake the past day and a half?”
“Shit, man, I’m sorry. I was just trying to make a joke about that fucking boulder you’re trying to weigh her down with. You know I don’t really blame you, right?”
“I know.” He seemed calmer, though still on edge. “Hey, look, just so you know. I’ve also saved enough for a down payment on a house. I’ve been saving for a while, even before you sent us away.”
As he spoke, I struggled to find words, the enormity of his asking for permission leaving me momentarily speechless.
The light turned green, prompting me to place the ring back in its box and return it to Cody. I needed a moment to process everything. My mind was a tangled mess and unable to settle on a response.
“Hey,” I finally said to Cody, “there’s just one problem.
You said if we find her. It’s when. When we find her.
And you better take damn good care of her,” I let out a smile, hoping to instill some optimism in him, “or I’ll kick your ass myself.
” He forced a half smile and looked back down into his lap.
"Thanks, man.”
Those were the last words exchanged between us before we reached the first property.
We navigated a narrow dirt path leading to a secluded warehouse.
There were no vehicles, but I knew it didn’t rule out the possibility that Landon and Danielle were inside.
As we approached the weathered brick structure, I drew my gun, proceeding with caution toward the entrance.
The windows were boarded up, and wild vegetation crept up the sides of the building.
I gestured for Cody to stay close behind, prioritizing his protection as we entered the expansive space.
There was no door, but my footsteps echoed as I stepped into the enormous, open room.
I pulled out my flashlight, but still couldn’t see shit.
The darkness was almost overpowering; my stupid standard-issue flashlight hardly made a dent in the black.
The warehouse was eerie; there was no sound besides the wind nudging at the boarded windows, paired with the occasional scuffle of small creatures nearby.
Dust, old papers, and shattered glass littered the floor, untouched and abandoned.
I scanned the room with the flashlight but found no evidence of any recent presence. There was nothing; no footprints, nothing disturbed.
"They weren't here," I announced, my voice strained from frustration. "No footprints, nothing’s been moved. Let’s head to the next warehouse, then make our way to the ones near the airport. It’s just a ten-minute drive to the next spot."
“Alex, you don’t think they went to the airport, do you?”
The thought had been in my mind ever since Calhoun mentioned the warehouses near it. I shoved it to the back of my mind, knowing damn well that wasn’t going to stop it from being an actual possibility.
“I really fucking hope not.”
We arrived at the next location and, yet again, found nothing but another empty, untouched warehouse.
The same disheartening scene awaited us near the airport.
Hours had slipped away, and my frustration teetered on the edge of boiling over.
I was nearing the end of my rope. Our leads were dwindling, and if we didn’t expand our search soon, it felt inevitable that we’d run out of time and never find Danielle alive.
The unsettling thought that they might have left Colorado kept nagging at me, further fueling my anger. In a moment of pure psychotic frustration, I picked up the rock next to my foot and hurled it through a warehouse window, shattering it.
I could feel my sanity unraveling.
Defeated, I sank onto a curb by the car, burying my head in my hands, using what little mental strength I had left to pull myself out of the darkness I felt myself succumbing to.
“What if it’s not a warehouse?” Cody spitballed, leaning up against the car.
I lifted my head, puzzled. “What?”
“You told me that when Thomas turned himself in, he mentioned Landon wanted to 'win Danielle back.' What if that's what he’s trying to do? What if he’s not trying to kill her, but win her over again?”
Cody’s suggestion was fucking genius. If Landon's ultimate goal was to rekindle their relationship, maybe the situation might not be as deadly as I feared. Maybe there was hope, and a little more time to untangle the mess we'd found ourselves in.
“Oh my God, what if he’s trying to play fucking house?” Just as I said that I could hear my phone ringing in the car. I scrambled off the ground to pick it up.
“Traser here.”
“Hey, it’s Calhoun. We got a hit on the chief’s APB. A tow company called and said they have Landon’s car in their impound lot after he abandoned it at the Motor Speedway.”
“Thanks, man. Hey, listen, send me a list of any abandoned or foreclosed houses on the outskirts near there. You’re going to be looking for something that’s remote or has a lot of land to it. It’s gonna be something people wouldn’t notice.”
I hung up the phone and raced to the driver’s seat. Cody had no idea what was going on, but he jumped in the passenger seat and shut the door.
“Landon let his car get impounded today. He left it in the parking lot of the Motor Speedway.”