Chapter Seven #2
Olivia drove to the gate and entered the zip code on the keypad.
She spotted a security camera high on the side of the building.
She assumed it was supposed to be aimed at the gate, but it dangled crookedly from its mount.
If it worked, it was taking a video of the ground.
When the barrier arm rose, she went through.
Unit 160 was a corner space on the first level at the back of the facility.
The doors were rolling-overhead-garage types.
Zoe’s unit was one of the largest. Olivia parked on the side of the building. “We don’t have Zoe’s key, though.”
But Olivia wanted into that unit. She didn’t want to wait.
Zoe could be a captive at that very moment.
Every second that ticked by could be her last. Sweat gathered between Olivia’s shoulder blades.
She knew exactly how a worst-case scenario could play out.
How every second of captivity could feel like an eternity.
What it meant to wonder if each breath was your last. She had to find Zoe before it was too late.
Nicki turned in her seat to view the back of Olivia’s vehicle. “Don’t you keep a tool kit back there?”
“Yes.”
They exchanged a look. Nicki raised a brow.
Olivia stepped out of the vehicle, went to the rear, and opened the hatch.
Nicki joined her. Olivia checked her phone again. Still nothing from Officer Billings. Why hadn’t he called her back? Wasn’t he concerned about Zoe? Frustration bubbled in Olivia’s throat.
Olivia glanced at the padlock securing Zoe’s unit. Then she fished a bolt cutter from the tool bag. “Check for cameras.” It was best not to have illegal activity recorded on video.
Nicki’s head swiveled as she scanned their surroundings, her gaze lingering on the exterior of the building. “There’s no one around, and I only see one security camera back here.”
Olivia unzipped the tool kit. She followed Nicki’s gaze. The camera was mounted on the next building and pointed to capture the entire row of units.
“The way it’s pointed, it won’t see us until we go around the corner,” Nicki said.
“One camera is still too many.”
Nicki moved to stand under it. She looked up. “I’ve got this.” She tested the downspout, then wrapped her hands around it and climbed up the building.
“You’ve been climbing?” Olivia watched her niece mimic Spider-Man.
“Only inside. Dad made me promise not to climb without him. But I’ve been keeping up with my strength training too.” Her slim build was deceptively strong. She shimmied to the camera, redirected its lens upward, then slid down like a fireman on a pole. Landing lightly, she said, “We’re clear.”
“Makes you wonder if Zoe’s low-tech, out-of-the-way choice was intentional, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” Nicki agreed. “But what would Zoe have that she wanted to hide? She seems so . . . normal.”
“Let’s find out.” Olivia clipped off the padlock without any hesitation, like ripping a Band-Aid off a wound. She returned the bolt cutters to the car and pocketed the padlock. There was no point in advertising their break-in.
Nicki leaned over, grabbed the handle, and lifted the door. It creaked and moaned as it rolled overhead, revealing an old black Jeep. The rest of the space was empty. “That’s her Jeep, right?”
Olivia stared at a row of rubber duckies lined up along the dashboard.
“I don’t know her license plate, but I bought her that duck in the Hawaiian shirt when she and Dylan went to Maui for their honeymoon.
” Olivia circled the vehicle, peering through the windows.
“According to Wendy, Zoe was driving her Jeep when she left the studio at midnight.”
“So, she was here after that—this morning,” Nicki said.
Olivia stopped at the driver’s door and opened it. The console was empty. She leaned inside and swept a hand under the seat. Her fingers found something metal and round. Zoe’s vehicle key, which was old enough to be an actual physical key that had to be inserted and turned to start the engine.
“This thing is a relic.” On the other side of the Jeep, Nicki opened the passenger door and stuck her head inside. “Is that an actual key?”
“Yes. Check under the passenger seat.”
Nicki pulled out two items: a phone and a separate battery. “She left these behind.” She handed them across the console.
Olivia pulled her torso out of the vehicle. She stood up and inserted the battery into the phone. “I hope the battery has a charge.”
Nicki withdrew from the passenger side and crawled into the back seat. “I don’t see anything but trash back here.”
“Look for receipts or anything else that might help us retrace Zoe’s recent activity.”
“OK.”
Mentally crossing her fingers, Olivia turned the phone on. The screen blinked, then came to life, the battery showing a 53 percent charge.
“Do you know her passcode?” Nicki asked.
“Yes.” Olivia hummed the tune as she entered the numbers, eight-six-seven-five-three-zero.
She mentally filled in the unnecessary nine, then opened Zoe’s email and scrolled.
Emails appeared to be mostly related to the podcast or spam.
“I wonder if her disappearance could be related to a case she’s researching. ”
“Will Wendy know?” Nicki emerged from the back seat with a small stack of receipts in her hand.
“I’m not sure how much Zoe shares with her.
” Olivia closed the email app. She could dig into Zoe’s podcast research later.
She moved on to Zoe’s texts, tapping on the last message, which she’d received at 12:07 that morning from an unknown sender.
Olivia froze and her body went cold as she read the text.
“You’re pale.” Nicki rounded the vehicle to stand in front of Olivia. “What does it say?”
Olivia read the single word. “‘Run.’”