Page 43 of Critical Doubt

The woman disappeared through the double doors, giving them one more thoughtful look before she did so.Had she been asking about Todd?Perhaps Chief Tanner had already notified Todd's company of his disappearance. He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. It might save them explanations, but it also eliminated the possibility of surprise.

The office door opened, and he recognized Colton Carmack from the portrait that had been on the website. Colton was built like a linebacker and wore his brown hair short. "Mr. Stone, Agent Kane," he said, as they got to their feet. "How can I help you?"

"We need a few minutes of your time," he said, taking the lead.

"All right. Please come in." Carmack ushered them into his office, which was just as luxurious as the reception area, although the décor in this room was all black, from the leather couch against the wall, to the massive desk and the black leather chairs in front of it. Apparently, at Carmack Securities everything was either black or white. "I'm assuming this has something to do with Todd Davis," Carmack added, as he sat down behind his desk, and they settled into the leather chairs facing him. "I spoke to Chief Tanner earlier today. He filled me in on Todd's disappearance."

"And the explosion at his house?" Ryker asked.

"He did not mention an explosion." Surprise entered his eyes. "What happened?"

"Todd's house blew up."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. We're trying to figure out why it happened."

"How can I help you?"

"Do you know if Todd was in trouble? Did he make any enemies on the job?"

"To be honest, I don't know Mr. Davis very well. He works part-time and has only been with us a few months. My brother Trent worked more closely with him. Unfortunately, he's out of town. But as soon as I can reach him, I'll certainly ask him if he has any relevant information. I checked with our assignment admin and she said that Mr. Davis had asked for leave until tomorrow, because of the death of his close friend. He hasn't done any jobs for us since a week ago Monday."

"What was that job?"

"Security for a museum event, nothing particularly dangerous and not at all unusual." Colton paused. "The chief I spoke to suggested that Todd might have driven into the river on purpose, that he was perhaps suicidal."

"We don't believe that's what happened, not with the explosion in his house today."

"Perhaps that happened after I spoke to the chief."

"When did that conversation take place?" he asked.

"Around ten this morning."

"That was before the explosion."

"Did Todd have an office here?" Savannah asked. "A filing cabinet, a desk, anything where there might be personal items?"

"He did not have a desk, but I believe he had a locker in the fitness area."

"We'd like to see it," Savannah said.

"Of course. I'll call down and have Kevin give you the number and the key. If there's anything else I can do, please just ask. I consider all my employees to be family, even the ones I don't know well, and I'm very sorry to hear about all this."

"We'll keep that in mind, and we would like to speak to your brother," Savannah added, handing Colton Carmack her card.

"Of course. Is that all for now? I don't want to rush you, but I do have another meeting."

"Thanks for your time," he said, following Savannah out of the room.

When they left Colton's office, the receptionist didn't even look up, her gaze fixed on her computer. They made their way down to the first floor, following directions to the gym. The manager made sure the locker room was clear and then took them both inside and opened the locker. Inside, was a large, thick envelope.

Ryker pulled it out with a sense of foreboding. To his amazement, there were two medals inside, Todd's Bronze Star Medal of Valor and his Purple Heart. There was also a note.

"What does it say?" Savannah asked.

He read the note aloud. "I remember how proud you were of me, Mom, even if you don't. These medals might not mean anything to you now, but at least you'll have them. And you're the only person who should." His stomach churned as he looked back at Savannah. "I think we just found a suicide note."