Chapter 10
Tuesday afternoon
JP sat at the small desk in his home office, Sabre’s forwarded text open on his phone. Take the case… or the girl dies.
It was short and clean with no wasted words. Whoever sent it wasn’t panicking. They were directing.
JP tapped the screen, enlarging the number. There was no name and no saved contact. He ran it through a basic lookup first, but it was a prepaid, disposable number. He expected that. People who sent threats like this didn’t want to be found.
He studied the message again. It wasn’t just the threat that bothered him. It was the timing. The girl asked for Sabre to represent her. Sabre hesitated. Then the message arrived right when Sabre might walk away.
He stood, grabbed his jacket, and headed out.
~~~
An hour later, JP parked across the street from a small duplex where Todd Maddox had lived. It wasn’t much, a single-story duplex with faded paint, and an assortment of cars lining the curb. The kind of place people passed without noticing.
JP sat behind the wheel, watching, as people came and went. No one looked twice at the victim’s door.
JP stepped out and crossed the street. The front door to Maddox’s unit had crime scene tape stretched across the frame. JP crouched, studying the lock. There was no sign of forced entry. He straightened.
“That tracks,” he said under his breath. If Bay had followed Maddox there, the man might have even opened the door himself.
JP stepped back, scanning the building. He checked out the windows, angles, and sightlines. If someone were watching this place, they would’ve had plenty of options.
He turned slowly, taking in the street. There, across the street was a narrow alley between two buildings. It was partially obscured, but with a clear line toward Maddox’s front door.
JP walked over, boots quiet against the pavement. The alley smelled of damp concrete and old trash. He found nothing unusual, except a small mark on one wall, a faint scuff, about shoulder height. Near it on the ground was a cigarette butt.
JP crouched and picked it up. It wasn’t today-fresh, but not old enough to have been there for weeks either.
He looked across the street. From this exact spot, you could see Maddox’s door enough to watch who came and went.
JP dropped the cigarette in a baggie, not sure if it meant anything. But someone might have been there watching.
Back in his truck, JP called Sabre.
She answered on the second ring. “Tell me you found something,” she said.
“I’m at Maddox’s place.”
“And?”
“There’s no sign of forced entry, but I think someone had eyes on that apartment.”
“Yeah, Bay did.”
“I mean besides her, unless she smokes Marlboro red cigarettes.”
“She doesn’t strike me as a smoker, but I’ll ask.”
“If the cigarette butt isn’t hers, that means there may have been someone else paying attention to Maddox.”
“I don’t think this started with her. And I don’t think it ends with her either.” Then Sabre quietly added, “I just got another message.”
JP’s grip tightened on the phone. “What kind of message?”
“It said, One day left.”
“What does that mean?”
“I think it’s referring to the hearing tomorrow.”
“Which means the perp is getting information from someone. Who would know about the hearing?”
“Anyone I’ve told and anyone in the courtroom that day.”
“Which includes Bay. Has she had any visitors?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
“Who else was in the courtroom?”
“The Deputy DA, the bailiff, the court clerk, the court reporter, and the judge.”
“We may have to check them all out.”
“Maybe, but none are likely suspects. Also, anyone in the DA’s office who could get access to the case could know. The clerks who work with the calendar, the list is pretty big.”
“What about the judge?”
“Hammouri? No. She’s about as straight as they come.”
“Give me the word, and I’ll check every one of them.”
“It might come to that but let me start with Bay. She’s the most likely suspect.”
“Sabre, this isn’t just about a murder charge.”
“I know.”
“I mean it. This feels like someone is steering the whole thing.”
“Do you think I’m the target?”
“Maybe, but if not, you’re definitely part of the plan.” JP took a breath. “Where are you?”
“I was headed to the office.”
“I’d feel better if you just came home. If you need to go to the office, I’ll go back with you.”
“I’m good.” Sabre paused. “I’ll head home and call DuBois and Nelson on the way. They need to know about the latest text.”
~~~
Sabre eased her car into traffic, then tapped her headset. “Siri, call DuBois.”
He picked up immediately.
“It’s Sabre. I got another text.”
“Read it.”
“Just one day left.”
“That timeframe lines up with your hearing, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “Tomorrow I have to tell Judge Hammouri if I’m taking the case.” Sabre changed lanes, eyes on the road. “They’re counting it down.”
“Yeah,” DuBois said. “Which means they’re tracking your schedule, and they’re confident enough to lock it in.”
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
DuBois’ voice shifted, more directive now. “First, don’t respond. Not to anything.”
“I won’t.”
“Second, screenshot every message. Send them to me.”
“I will, but I saw Detective Nelson earlier and he’s already working on the first message. I’ll call him as soon as I hang up here, and I’ll send this to both of you as soon as I stop.”
“Good.”
Sabre tightened her grip on the wheel. “Is there a third thing for me to do?”
DuBois didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice was softer. “You need to assume they’re watching you.”
Sabre glanced at the rearview mirror. Traffic. Nothing unusual.
“Physically?” she asked.
“Maybe,” he said. “Or just your movements. Either way, don’t make yourself predictable.”
“All right.”
“If they’re counting down like this, they don’t think you have a choice.”
Sabre stared straight ahead. “They might be right.”
“Then prove them wrong.”
“How?”
“By making your decision based on facts,” he said. “Not fear.”
Sabre swallowed. “I’m working on the facts.”
“Then work faster,” DuBois said.
Sabre ended the call. Her phone sat in the console, the message still glowing on the screen. Just one day left.
Sabre tightened her hands on the wheel. They weren’t just watching her, now they were timing her. And tomorrow, she would have to choose.
She pulled over the first opportunity she had and sent both DuBois and Nelson a screenshot of the text.
She was almost to her destination when her phone rang.
"Hi Greg,” she said. “Did you get the screenshot?”
"I did. And the carrier got back to us faster than I expected."
Sabre waited.
"Both texts came from the same prepaid phone."
"Who owns it?" Sabre asked.
"No one."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It was activated as a prepaid phone, bought with cash, and never registered. There is no subscriber information."
"So, it is a burner?"
"It looks that way."
Sabre stared at the message on her screen. "'Just one day left.'"
Nelson broke the silence. "Whoever's sending these doesn't want your attention for very long."
"What do you mean?"
"If they wanted to keep talking to you, they'd start a conversation. Instead, they're creating urgency."
Sabre read the words again. Just one day left.
"If another one comes in, send it immediately."
"I know the drill."
"And Sabre, if this is connected to Maddox—and I think it is—we're missing something bigger than a murder."