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“What?” I gasped and pretended to be upset. I clearly already knew that. They were a little late telling me this.

Jamison pressed his lips together and raised his brows until his forehead lines deeply creased. “Mr. Lopez is missing?”

“Missing?” My jaw dropped open in surprise. I tried to appear as shocked as possible without overdoing it. I wasn’t going to win an Oscar, but maybe I was a contender for a Golden Globe.

“Yes. He’s somewhere on the run. The bastard slipped away from us. He somehow escaped his ankle monitor and put it on a relative that resembled him. We had some undercover officers staking out his house, but he managed to evade us.”

“You don’t know where he is?” I asked in my scared voice. I tried to make myself look upset.

“We don’t, but we have a few leads. Have you had any contact with him? Has he reached out to you?”

“No, I haven’t heard from him. I thought he was back in Bloomington on house arrest because that’s what you told me the last time we talked.”

“Anything strange happening, like blocked numbers calling you, strange mail or anything odd or abnormal happening lately?”

“No, everything has been quiet.”

“We need to warn you that there is footage of a man that resembles Alonzo driving through a tollbooth into Wisconsin and then that same man in a vehicle coming into Illinois.”

“When?”

“Well, the footage is two weeks old. He, or the person we believe to be Lopez, was headed toward Chicago. You could be in danger. If he was coming here for you, it seems he hasn’t found you.”

“I’ve been away from my apartment. I’ve been staying at my boyfriend’s place.” I reiterated.

“We believe Lopez could be in the area. If you can stay away from your apartment for a few days, that would be great.”

“I will.”

“Have you had any contact with Alonzo Lopez?”

“No, none.” I already told them that. They were trying to trip me up, and I peeped it.

“Has there been anything suspicious that has happened in the last few days?”

“No, everything is normal.”

“We don’t want to scare you, but you may have to go into protective services. He might come after you.”

“Why would he? I don’t think so.”

“Why do you think that?” Jamison asked.

“Because it would be stupid to come after me. Lonzo isn’t stupid.” I said isn’t, instead of wasn’t. I was good at this. “He has to know that you guys are either watching me or protecting me in some way.”

“But you didn’t have a protection detail.”

“I didn’t before. He doesn’t know that. But now that you know he’s on the loose, I’m sure he thinks you’ll be watching me in order to find him.”

“I’m sure he thinks that, but we can’t leave you unprotected.” Crowley added.

“I understand, but if you send someone here, that will be more people that know my whereabouts. I don’t know how many people know that I’m in Chicago.”

“It’s just us. Me and Crowley.” Jamison said.

“I’m not trying to be difficult, but I would like for it to stay that way. I trust you guys. I don’t want any other people to know my whereabouts.”

“Listen Chanel, we didn’t know he was gone. He has the upper hand. He could be anywhere.”