Page 46

Ellie scanned the driver’s license, noting the address. “Is the bar he owns also in Briarwood?” She glanced at her watch. It was after four. “If we start driving now, we’ll probably have to catch him at work…” Her gaze fell on Tyler’s birthday and her mouth dropped open. “No, it can’t be that simple.”
Daniel paused. “What?”
She snagged a marker and walked over to the butcher paper. “The message in the bracelet.” She wrote out the message asshe spoke. “Lena’s birthday was April 22, mine is March 15, and Tyler’s is July 30.”
Best friends. 4/22. 3/15. 7/30.
Ellie capped the marker and whirled around to face Daniel with a broad smile. Her heart was racing with excitement, and she could feel the triumph lighting up her entire face. “Lena gave me the code to unlock the flash drive, but sent the actual evidence to Tyler. Then she buried the clues to both in the letter she sent to the FBI office.”
Daniel rose, strode across the room in three quick steps, and swept her into his arms before planting a kiss on her lips. It was celebratory and exuberant. When he pulled back, his eyes were shining with pride. "I knew you'd figure it out."
"We, Daniel.Wefigured it out." She grinned at him, her hands still resting on his chest, where she could feel his heart hammering with the same excitement that filled her. The moment felt electric, not just from their breakthrough, but from the way he was looking at her. Like she was brilliant. Like she could conquer the world. It made warmth spread through her chest in a way that had nothing to do with solving the mystery and everything to do with being seen and appreciated by this incredible man.
But then a thought melted the smile from her face. "Do you think… was Lena murdered before she could get the flash drive to Tyler?"
His face clouded over with concern. “There’s only one way to find out. Come on. We’ve got to get to Briarwood.”
TWENTY-FOUR
The Funky Monkey was a low-slung, battered building that had seen better days decades ago. Neon beer signs flickered in the front window, fighting for space with hand-painted posters advertising live music and two-dollar shots. The parking lot was mostly dirt and gravel, pockmarked with potholes that glistened under the flickering glow of a rusted streetlamp. A handful of motorcycles and dented trucks were scattered across the lot.
Ellie’s nose wrinkled. “First the diner, and now this dive. Why can’t this case take us to the Four Seasons?”
Daniel’s lips curved. “Are you a fan of expensive hotels?”
“I’m a fan of clean bathrooms and non-sticky floors.”
Despite the tension coiling in his belly, he laughed and steered his mother’s late-model Honda across the lot to a parking spot near the door. Marta’s vehicle didn’t have a GPS, which made it untraceable. They’d taken precaution after precaution before driving out to Briarwood. No cell phones. No electronics of any kind. With evidence mounting that there was a mole inside the FBI, Daniel wouldn’t take any chances. His only method of communication with his team was an ancient flipphone his mother had kept in a kitchen drawer for emergencies—no GPS, no smart features, just basic calls.
He studied Ellie. She looked adorable in a black wig and glasses, selections taken from his mother’s assortment of Halloween costumes. Her lips were painted a dark red, and she was wearing more eyeliner than he’d known was possible for any one person to wear. From the way she grimaced at her reflection in the mirror attached to the sun visor, Ellie wasn’t a fan of her look. She rubbed her front teeth with a finger. “This lipstick is getting everywhere.”
“You look beautiful.”
She glanced at him and smiled. “You might need to have your eyes checked, Perez.” Ellie waved a finger in front of her face. “Don’t think this is a look you’ll ever see again. I’m wearing enough makeup to be in a Vegas show.”
“It’s not the makeup. Or the wig.” He brushed a finger along her jaw. “It’s you.”
She blushed, which only made the heavy rouge on her cheeks look even more dramatic. Ellie leaned closer and then stopped. “Can’t kiss you. Lipstick.”
“We’re supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, remember?” He lightly brushed her lips with his.
She pulled back and then poked him in the chest. “No more of that. We’re on business.”
“Right.” Daniel reluctantly released her and then exited the vehicle. His gaze swept the parking lot, an instinctive reaction more than out of necessity. A light drizzle had started, and it peppered his shoulders as he moved around the car to open Ellie’s door.
She rose gracefully. Her blouse was deep red and long enough to cover the holster nestled at the small of her back. Ellie had traded James’s Glock for one from Daniel’s personal collection. Her jeans were worn and hugged her long legs downto her sensible boots. She’d have no trouble fitting in at a small-town bar. Daniel settled his cowboy hat on his head and led Ellie to the front door.
The interior was dim, thick with cigarette smoke and the smell of stale beer. Country music blasted from speakers overhead. Monday night was a slow evening, if the number of patrons was any sign. A few men were gathered around the bar, nursing drinks and watching the NBA playoffs on a large-screen television, while another small group played pool in the corner. One lone couple swayed on the scarred and worn dance floor.
“I don’t see Tyler,” Ellie murmured. “Maybe he’s not working tonight?”
“I suppose, but it’s his place. In my experience, most bar owners like to keep an eye on their establishments.”
She nodded, and together, they crossed the room, peanut shells crunching under their boots as they went. Ellie slipped onto a stool at the bar and signaled the heavyset blonde tending drinks. The bartender’s expression was friendly, her movements smooth and unhurried as she wiped down the bar with a white cloth.
“What can I get you, honey?” Her gaze traveled between Ellie and Daniel with a flicker of curiosity, but there was no tension in her stance. Just a steady watchfulness that said she’d seen it all.
“Two Cokes, please,” Ellie said with a practiced smile. “Is Tyler in tonight? I’m an old friend of his, and I’d love to say hello.”