CHAPTER SIXTEEN #3
The efficiency of it all would have startled most people.
Phones were already being dialed, names were being written down, and orders were moving through the O’Connor network before Nora had fully processed what was happening.
Men who’d spent years working quietly in the background were now turning their attention toward one face on a sheet of paper.
An hour later, Paddy returned to the office with a folder in his hand. His expression told me the news before he even spoke.
“I found something, and I don’t think you’re going to like it.
Nora’s stepfather made contact with someone in Boston three days ago, and although the conversation wasn’t long, it was enough to leave a record.
” He placed the folder on my desk and opened it to a page marked with several highlighted numbers.
“The number he called was traced to Boston, and when we ran it through our database, it came back connected to a man with a history of working as a courier for people who prefer to stay out of sight. The description attached to that file is close enough to the sketch that I’m not willing to call it a coincidence. ”
Nora gaped. I looked down at the file, then back at the sketch lying beside it. The description, the location, and the timing were beginning to align with terrifying precision. For the first time since Nora walked into my office, I felt the investigation shift from questions to pursuit.
I closed the folder slowly and looked around the office.
Nobody spoke at first. Paddy stood near the desk with his hands behind his back, Diggs and Michael remained by the door, and Nora sat perfectly still in her chair with the folded tissue resting in front of her.
The room felt heavier than it had an hour earlier, like the truth had finally entered and taken up space among us.
“So her stepfather called this number three days ago,” I said, keeping my voice level. “And that number belongs to a man who matches the sketch Nora helped create. Tell me everything we know about him.”
Paddy opened the folder again. “His name is Marcus Reed, although that may not be the name he was born with. He’s worked as a courier and fixer for several people who prefer to stay out of official records.
He moves money, delivers messages, and handles problems quietly, which means he’s exactly the kind of man someone would hire if they wanted to reach Nora without attracting attention. ”
Diggs stepped closer to the desk. “He has no permanent address listed in Boston, but we found records of him staying in short-term rentals under different names. He’s also been seen in a few bars near the waterfront over the last month, which means he’s been in the city longer than we first thought. ”
Michael placed another sheet of paper beside the sketch. “We tracked the number from Nora’s stepfather to a prepaid phone that Reed used twice in the last week. One of those calls was made less than an hour after Reed left the café. Whoever he contacted was close enough to respond immediately.”
“My stepfather hasn’t spoken to me properly in years. Why would he suddenly contact someone like this? What could he possibly want from me now?” Nora said.
I met her eyes. “I don’t know yet, and I’m not going to pretend I have the answer. What I do know is that this is no longer a vague threat from an anonymous stranger. We have a name, a face, and a connection to someone from your past, which means we finally have something we can move against.”
I stood and picked up the sketch. “So this man thought he could send someone into my bar and threaten Nora without consequences. He thought he could watch her from a distance while the rest of us searched for shadows. That ends tonight.”
Paddy straightened immediately, and I placed the sketch back on the desk.
“What are your orders?”
“Diggs, I want him under surveillance within the hour. Do not approach him, do not scare him, and do not let him know we have identified him. I want to know where he sleeps, who he meets, what he buys, and every phone call he makes.”
“It will be done.”
“Michael, put men at every airport, train station, and bus terminal we can reach. If he tries to leave Boston, I want someone on him before he reaches the exit.”
Michael folded the paper in his hand. “I’ll make the calls now.”
I turned to Paddy. “Increase Nora’s protection, but keep it subtle. She’s not to be left alone, and nobody outside this room needs to know how serious this has become. If Reed realizes we’re closing in on him, he’ll disappear before we learn who sent him.”
I closed the folder and handed it back to Paddy.
“Keep Reed alive, keep him close, and keep him talking to whoever sent him. The moment he leads us to the person behind this, I want every door around them closed before they realize we’re there.
” Paddy nodded once. Diggs and Michael were already moving toward the door, phones in their hands, ready to turn my orders into actions.
I looked at the sketch one last time before sliding it across the desk.
Marcus Reed had spent days watching Nora, studying her routine and believing he was the one in control. He wasn’t. And now it was my turn to watch him.