Chapter 53
Tori moved to open the door.
“You sure you don’t want me to come with you? I really do want to help.”
Her chest tightened. Eli’s insistence creeped her out. Asking him to bring her . . . what was she thinking? He never did anything unless it benefited him.
“Thanks.” She sucked in a breath and forced her lips into a bright smile. “But this is something I want to do by myself.”
“If you change your mind, text me, and I’ll be right there.”
“Sure.” Why hadn’t she waited for Scott?
Because he was at McKay’s.
Tori climbed from his SUV before Eli could insist on accompanying her. She half jogged to the steps and walked up to the door, the key in her hand. Except Zack had left the door unlocked. Only in Logan Point.
In her old room, Drew’s now, she made a beeline for the closet and dropped to her knees, brushing aside a pile of her nephew’s dirty clothes that covered the door to the secret compartment. Tori stared at the floor. It’d been years since she opened it . . . where was the spring?
“Oh, wait.” With a groan she stood and searched Drew’s desk for a knife to trigger the spring.
Paper clips, pens, staples, even a desktop computer, but no knife.
She scanned the room, searching for something thin and sharp.
Her gaze landed on her purse. Nail file.
She opened the bag and pulled out her travel case.
Once she found the nail file, Tori returned to the closet and used it to trigger the spring. The door popped open, and she stared at the small box in the bottom of the compartment. Did it hold the answer to all their questions?
Maybe she should call Scott. She yanked her phone from her pocket and checked his location first. Tori ground her teeth. He was still at McKay’s. Probably having a high old time with her brother. She punched his number, and it went to voicemail. Okay. He doesn’t want to be bothered.
She pocketed her phone and reached for the box. Wait. There might be prints on it. Her trusty bag came in handy again as she fished several tissues out. The box rattled when she lifted it from its hiding place.
The data drive. Heaviness released from her chest. Tori used the tissue to lift the top of the box. Yes! Nestled inside was a small black storage device.
She glanced inside the compartment again. For a second, she didn’t breathe. Was that a gun?
Tori used more tissues to lift the gun from its hiding place. “I didn’t kill Jenny, but I think I know who did.” Drew’s words that first day when she talked to him. Drew must’ve found the gun at Jenny’s house and hid it because it belonged to his dad.
She laid the gun back in the compartment. Tori would deal with it later. She turned back to the data drive. Did she have time to boot up Drew’s desktop and see what was on it? She would make time.
A text sounded on her phone, and Tori glanced at it. Eli. She ignored it and booted up her nephew’s computer, praying it didn’t need a password to unlock it.
She breathed easier when it opened to his home page. Tori popped the drive into the USB port and opened it. She frowned at the list of files, all of them encrypted. At least the date each file was created showed, and the oldest was more than twenty years ago.
Another text chimed. Eli again. This time she read it.
Hurry up or I’m coming in.
What was the deal with him? Tori didn’t want him seeing what she’d found and quickly texted that she was coming. She saved the files to Drew’s computer, but before she ejected the drive, Eli sent another text.
Two minutes.
Tori gritted her teeth, returned the data drive to the secret compartment, and closed it.
She held a bargaining chip now—the data drive had to contain evidence of something illegal, and she wasn’t dumb enough to just hand it over.
If whoever had Drew wanted it, they would have to release him first. Ben would cover her on the exchange, and they could get the kidnapper.
She opened her text app, and her fingers hovered over her keyboard. If Scott was drinking, he would be of little use to her. But what if he’s there but not drinking? Tori tried to ignore the small voice in her head. Huffing, she checked the location app again.
Still at McKay’s. That place should be closing soon. She narrowed her eyes and texted Ben Logan.
Found the data drive. Need your help. Contacting kidnappers for exchange.
She hesitated and added:
Meet you at Oak Grove. Scott is at McKay’s. Tell him if he’s sober enough.
After wavering briefly, she added Scott to the text. That ought to do it. Then Tori found the text from Drew’s kidnapper and sent another text.
Have data drive. Will exchange it for my nephew.
Tori glanced back at the closet. The bare floor looked as though it had a neon arrow pointing at the secret compartment, and she grabbed a few articles of Drew’s clothing and tossed them over the spot.
When she exited the house, Eli was leaning against his SUV, scrolling or texting on his phone—Tori couldn’t tell which. “Sorry it took so long.”
His head jerked up, and he closed his hand over the phone and quickly slid it in his pocket.
“You’re awfully nervous.”
“I didn’t hear you come out. Did you find what you’re looking for?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I see it?”
Before she could formulate an answer, a text dinged and Tori took out her phone. “Hold that thought.”
She opened her message. It was from Scott.
Whatever you are thinking, don’t do it.
She stared at her phone. He didn’t sound drunk.
I found the data drive. What are you doing at McKay’s?
Too much to explain in a text. Please return to the house. Ben and I will take it from there.
She wanted to see this through to the end and hovered her fingers over the keyboard, formulating a response.
“Give me your phone.” Eli’s cold, threatening voice stopped her.
“Why?” She looked up and froze. He held a gun pointed straight at her heart.