Page 7
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Sylvie Deering
June 2025
Wednesday — 7:16 am
T he SUV's engine hummed smoothly, and the blowing heat from the vents was a welcome respite from the chilly morning air. Yesterday’s cloud coverage had dissipated, and despite it having been two hours since sunrise, the bright sun made it seem as if it was mid-afternoon. The sparse nighttime hours made it challenging to get any restful sleep.
Sylvie shifted in the passenger seat as she finished reading the amended draft of Brook’s profile regarding the unsub in Lusa Kalluk’s disappearance. What Brook had discovered last night from Toklo Kalluk cast doubt on Jacob’s involvement in the abduction. The comprehensive criminal profile had been a result of Brook’s insomnia, akin to the rest of the team last night.
Theo reached over and turned off the radio when a local news channel began discussing the former governor’s daughter. The media had already staked their claim in the hotel parking lot, eager for a scoop on the case. Due to the overeager bunch, Theo had made certain they weren’t followed on their drive from Blackpeak to Silverton.
“How are you holding up?”
“Same as you,” Sylvie countered in irritation before powering down her tablet. She grimaced when she noticed the small stain on her jeans from when a few drops of her morning tea had landed on the rough fabric. “Guilty. I feel guilty about a lot of things. And right now? I’m mad that I spilled some of my tea.”
Sylvie closed her eyes and slowly inhaled to maintain her composure.
“I’m alive. I’m breathing, and yet I’m upset because the tea left a stain.” Sylvie lifted her lashes before adjusting herself in the seat. She had worn a brown blazer to cover her firearm, and she was now wishing she had chosen a light sweater instead. “What I’m really upset about is the fact that I should have kept in touch with Kate more. I tried to think of the last time we spoke, and it had to be at least six months ago, around the holidays. And even then, it was only because Bit was on a video call with her.”
“You’ve had a lot going on.” While Theo made a valid point, his words also emphasized the need to stay connected with those in their lives. “That’s life, Sylvie. As hard as that is to accept, you can’t stop the world from moving on around you.”
“Kate doesn’t have a life anymore, does she?”
Sylvie’s throat constricted, and she had difficulty swallowing around the spasming muscles. She coughed to clear her airway. Once she had a grip on some semblance of serenity, she forced some of the tension out of her body by counting to ten. She hadn’t made it to the count of six before her phone chimed with an incoming call.
Derek’s name appeared on the display, and she quickly pressed the side button on her phone to send him to voicemail. She had left him a message about what had happened in Alaska, keeping it brief and direct. They weren’t together like Theo was with Mia, but Sylvie didn’t want to risk not warning him that his life could be at stake because of her.
The two of them had met for coffee twice.
He was…fascinating. Charming, articulate, and intelligent were also adjectives that she would apply to him. He had a way of making her feel seen. And that scared the hell out of her.
“I heard Brook speaking with Mr. Lin last night. She was in the connecting room, and I don’t know how she got through it. I could hear his…” Sylvie couldn’t bring herself to finish her sentence. Needing something to ground her, she focused on the view in front of her. “The sign for Silverton is wrong. The population is closer to two hundred residents instead of three hundred. They survive based on the fishing charters, even though they are two miles away from the water. This is the only road that goes from the fishing pier to a larger city, much like the one connecting Blackpeak to Whittier.”
“Which means if Jacob was in the area back in 2014, he would have driven through Blackpeak.” Theo drummed his thumb on the steering wheel as he guided the SUV into town. There were a handful of storefronts, but the faded green shutters on all of them had seen better days. Almost every building housed family-owned businesses, except for the community bank and post office. “Under normal circumstances, eleven years is a very long time. But I have a feeling that these people don’t forget much.”
Silverton's isolation meant that many of its residents lived miles outside of town, scattered across sprawling properties like Mekhi Hale's. These residents valued their privacy. Theo was right. It would be hard to forget anyone who didn’t fit in.
“We know for a fact that Jacob worked with Mekhi a time or two back then. Mekhi all but admitted it, too.” Sylvie reached down for her purse, taking time to tuck her tablet safely inside. She then stored her purse behind Theo’s seat. With the tinted windows and the fact that the vehicle wouldn’t technically be out of their line of sight, she was comfortable leaving her belongings in the SUV. “We just need to get him to talk to us.”
Theo guided the SUV to a stop in front of the diner, shifting the gear into park. The display window had a small crack in the top right corner. The sign overhead wasn’t vintage so much as simply old and worn against a backdrop of peeling white paint. The hum of the engine faded after Theo turned the key in the ignition.
“According to Brook, Lusa didn’t fit Jacob’s criteria. If there is another unsub, and Jacob is only using Lusa Kalluk as an excuse to be back in Alaska, then we’re left with two separate investigations.”
“With both pointing directly at Mitch Norona.” Theo reached for the door handle. “It all seems wrapped up in a red bow. Too convenient, if you ask me.”
“Agreed,” Sylvie muttered as she opened the passenger side door. She stepped out into the morning sun, though the golden rays weren’t enough to take the chill out of the air. She waited for Theo to walk in front of the SUV to join her. “According to Brook’s profile, the unsub in Lusa’s disappearance is male, impulsive, and likely panicked at some point during the evening. A male subject would have had the physical means to transport and carry Lusa’s body somewhere else. The unsub would also have knowledge of the terrain.”
“Or know of someone with knowledge of the area,” Theo pointed out right as Sylvie’s phone chimed with an incoming text message. “Maybe Mitch killed Lusa Kalluk, and Jacob helped hide the body in exchange for representation should he ever need it.”
“It’s the only working theory we have for now. I’m just grateful that Brook is bringing Nathaniel on board. If she can persuade him that there is sufficient evidence pointing to Mitch Norona’s involvement, Nathaniel can finally present a warrant to Judge Colletti. Bit can then investigate Norona’s finances. Nathaniel could collect DNA samples to compare with anything they might discover during today’s recovery mission. And who knows, maybe a search of his home back in Baltimore could link him to Jacob and their time in Alaska.”
Theo led the way to the front entrance of the diner, but the sound of Sylvie’s phone chiming once more brought her up short. She couldn’t go an entire day avoiding Derek’s call.
“Would you mind getting us a booth? I need to take care of something. It won’t take long.”
Theo nodded without hesitation. She figured he was aware of who was trying to reach her so early in the morning, especially after their conversation with Graham last night. Anyone dear to them could be in danger, and that was a threat that needed to be taken seriously.
“Hi,” Sylvie greeted softly after accepting the call. She monitored Theo as he entered the diner, his absence leaving her standing alone in front of the display window. Facing the street, she noticed the dense forest in the distance. Brook would be hiking in similar terrain later this morning, hoping to locate Lusa Kalluk’s remains. “I assume you got my message.”
“Is there anything you need from me?” Derek asked, his voice gentle and laced with sympathy. “Anything at all?”
“Listen, Derek, seeing as we only met twice for coffee, I doubt that you need to worry about?—”
“You wouldn’t have felt the need to warn me that my life could be in danger if it was only about coffee.” Derek’s sigh was audible, but it was the most patient exhale she had ever heard. “Truthfully, I’d love to raise the stakes by having dinner with you upon your return. Damn. That came out wrong, and I didn’t mean to minimize?—”
“It’s okay. Really,” Sylvie said as she heard the rumble of an engine. It wasn’t long before a Subaru Outback drove slowly past the diner. An older woman was behind the wheel and met Sylvie’s gaze with genuine curiosity. A stranger standing in front of a local diner was bound to spark some chatter, reinforcing the assumption that someone inside must have encountered Jacob at some point years ago. “I understood what you meant, and…”
Sylvie had intentionally been taking things slow with Derek. Regardless of Bit’s opinion, Derek Haze was way out of her league. He moved in different social circles, and his wealth far exceeded what her father had built and subsequently burned to the ground before his death. Plus, she wasn’t even certain that he liked cats. Somehow, pets hadn’t come up in their conversations.
“Do you like cats?”
“Cats, dogs, and even guinea pigs,” Derek listed, unfazed by her sudden question. “The list goes on, and I'd be happy to share that curated list with you over dinner.”
“Okay,” Sylvie replied with her first smile in twenty-four hours. “Dinner. I’ll let you know when I’m back in town.”
“Please do,” Derek said before following up with something about a grocery run. She had to be mistaken. “Also, you?—”
“Wait,” Sylvie directed as she continued to observe the Subaru Outback fade from view. “Did you say you are cooking me dinner?”
“It pains me that you think so little of my capabilities, Miss Deering.”
Sylvie couldn’t prevent her smile from widening, and her chest finally filled with something other than grief.
“I’ll touch base with you soon, Mr. Haze.”
Sylvie disconnected the call before he could say anything else. He had been on the verge of telling her to be careful, and she didn’t want to be distracted by his concern. She would take their newfound friendship one day at a time. Kate would be the first to advise her not to mess things up.
Slipping her phone into the back pocket of her jeans, she turned toward the front entrance of the diner. The moment she opened the door, the enticing aroma of bacon and grease filled her senses. There was no low hum of conversation, which wasn’t surprising at all. Although there weren’t many vehicles parked out front, those dining in the establishment didn’t bother to hide their interest in two strangers who stuck out like sore thumbs.
Theo occupied the booth immediately to her left, directly in front of the display window. The red leather seats were cracked from years of use. A cup of hot coffee sat in front of him, and she could only assume that he had already ordered her a cup of English Breakfast tea.
“I feel like I should whisper,” Sylvie murmured as she moved the silverware off the white napkin. She then opened the folded flimsy material and smoothed it over her lap.
“Must be my eye patch,” Theo quipped as he reached for his coffee. “The middle guy at the counter. Do you recognize him?”
“Bit and I saw him at the convenience store yesterday.”
Three older men sat on red leather, backless stools at the long counter. Two were still eating, while the other was finishing his coffee.The waitress, whose name was Beth according to her nametag, approached the table with a practiced smile. By the time she set a cup of tea in front of Sylvie, it was clear her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Thank you,” Sylvie murmured as she reached for her spoon.
“What can I get the two of you this morning?”
“I’ll have today’s special,” Theo said, glancing at Sylvie. She nodded in agreement, indicating she would have the same, and he made sure the waitress doubled the order. Sylvie noticed that his billfold, which held his credentials, was on the table. She wasn’t surprised when he held it up and presented it to Beth. “We were also curious if you know Mekhi Hale. He wasn’t very welcoming or open to a conversation yesterday. We have a few questions about someone who assisted him with his fishing charters back in 2014 and 2015.”
Sylvie found it very interesting when the man who had been finishing his coffee abruptly set the mug on the counter. He mumbled a few words to the other men before standing and pulling his wallet from his pocket. Taking out what looked to be a twenty-dollar bill, he tossed it on the counter.
“I wouldn't know anything about that,” Beth replied, her voice steady but clipped. She once again forced a smile. “Two morning specials, coming up.”
While Beth focused on Theo, Sylvie had accessed her phone. With Jacob’s picture on the screen, she turned the device so Beth could get a better look.
“Have you ever seen this man?”
“On television,” Beth replied bluntly as she tucked her order pad into the pocket of her black apron. “We don’t get a lot of strangers in these parts. They usually drive straight through from the pier to Blackpeak. I’ll be back with your breakfasts.”
The older gentleman from the counter met Beth’s gaze as they passed one another. He muttered something about seeing her tomorrow before walking out the door, activating the bell overhead.
“Looks like we stirred the hornet’s nest.”
“I have a feeling Mekhi Hale will walk into this diner before we finish our breakfasts,” Theo said with a satisfied smile as he monitored the older gentleman retrieve a flip phone from his pocket. It didn’t take long for him to press a number onto the keypad and hold the phone to his ear as he walked to his truck. “Everyone in here knows Mekhi used to hire a crew for his fishing charters. He won’t want to be the topic of conversation among the townsfolk.”
Sylvie stirred a teaspoon of sugar into her tea until she detected vibrations from Theo’s phone, which was currently face down on the table next to his silverware. She observed him closely as he read the text and braced herself for another round of bad news. She wasn’t so sure the team could take much more.
“Bit figured out why Kate was in Alaska.” Theo grimaced as he pushed his coffee away. “A message was discovered in her private email account requesting that she take a couple of personal days from work to meet us here. The sender’s email address was off by one letter, but she must not have noticed the subtle difference.”
“Who did she think the email was from, Theo?”
“Brook.” Theo set his phone back down on the table with a grimace. “Kate believed the email came from Brook.”