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H ayes rose early, still groggy. He’d slept fitfully, his ears attuned to the slight sounds coming from the next bedroom.

He knew damn well Reese hadn’t gotten a lot of rest the previous night.

Questions had churned in his brain, making it impossible to relax completely.

Right now, he’d give anything for a good run to clear his head.

He showered and dressed, then shuffled to the kitchen to start the coffeemaker.

He’d have to remember to set it tonight.

Hayes returned an early morning text from Adam while he waited, then gratefully drank his first cup as he read news on his cell.

He was on his second cup when he heard the shower turn on in the other bathroom.

Checking the time, he figured he hadn’t been quiet enough.

It was another thirty minutes before Reese joined him, and when she did, she had her cell pressed to her ear.

“Just a minute. I have that information for you.” She wore tight black capris with a white sleeveless top, and she’d tamed the curls that had so enchanted him last night to casual waves.

Glancing his direction, she mouthed Gibbons and continued to the table to pluck up the note he’d made last night with the tracking device’s information.

Read it off. She listened, a flicker of annoyance in her expression.

“Yes, we’re aware of that. We can send you pictures of where it was located on the vehicle.

It’ll come from Dr. Hayes Moreland’s account.

” He went to his laptop and hit send on the email he’d composed last night.

“He’s a guest here. And you don’t need to worry about contamination. He works for Raiker Forensics.” She rolled her eyes at him. “I assume you’ve heard of them.”

“Tell him we’ll drop it off.”

Her brows skimmed upward, but she obeyed.

“Within the next hour?” He nodded. “If that works for you,” she told the detective.

“It’s already properly bagged. And he used gloves to remove it.

” She studied Hayes as she listened, then said, “I don’t think that will be a problem.

See you soon.” Disconnecting, she lowered the cell. “He would have sent someone for it.”

“Eventually. But until he has possession, he won’t fill out the warrant or contact the manufacturer. This will be faster. And we could swing through a drive-through for breakfast.”

That elicited a smile from her. “Why am I not surprised? After both stops I have another one to make.”

“The grocery store? Because last time I didn’t think to pick up the fixings for breakfast sandwiches. I make a mean bacon, ham, egg, and cheese croissant.”

“I’m shocked that your ventricles haven’t slammed shut in protest.” She went back to the bedroom and returned wearing a lightweight black sweater.

“I couldn’t sleep last night. Go figure.

And I’m nowhere close to through with the stacks of documents.

But I’ve gotten far enough to realize that Julia was worried about the expenses Rivers was submitting for payment.

He assured me the trust was solvent. But after looking at several years of financial reports, I disagree. ”

He sipped from his cup, feeling a bit more human with the jolt of caffeine.

It’d be faster to inject it directly into his veins, but he wasn’t a fan of needles.

“I’m sure your brother’s care is expensive.

Does he qualify for government assistance?

Because if so, those payments should help offset the cost of the medical facility. ”

“He does.” She dropped her cell into her purse. “The trust also covers his personal expenditures. And even two years ago, the funds were steadily growing, with a healthy balance. Now, they’ve dropped below the original amount my parents put in it.”

He raised his cup to his lips and drained the last of it. “How much was that?”

When she told him, he choked. Forced himself to swallow. He rinsed out the cup and set it in the dishwasher. “So you want to talk to Rivers again?”

“Not yet. I need to speak to the asset manager. At least the latest one. His name has been on the account for the last six years. Not a great showing for his management skills.”

Hayes had to agree. While investment growth could be a bumpy ride, starting with millions should have guaranteed a lifetime of care, given careful oversight. “What’s the guy’s name?”

“Tyler Greenley. The company is Ingersoll Partners Wealth Management.”

He nodded. They had a solid national reputation. “And you made an appointment?”

Her gaze slid from his. “Not exactly.”

Humor flickered. “It’s typically a yes or no answer.”

“It’d take too long to set up, and I’d rather hear what he has to say without advance preparation.”

“If he’ll see you.”

Reese slid her arm through the shoulder strap of the purse and settled it into place. “I have a lot of experience getting information from people who don’t necessarily wish to speak with me.”

Something they had in common. However, Hayes had browsed enough of her articles to wonder himself just how she’d acquired some of the details in them.

Now he realized that her ability—for lack of a better word—would have given her a head start, at least if she were speaking to someone with something to hide.

But according to Reese, her gift was gone, blocked, in his opinion, by her ongoing reaction to the trauma.

Hayes went to the bedroom he was using and slipped on his holster, buckling it before retrieving his weapon from the drawer on the bedside table.

After securing it, he picked up the jacket he’d brought from the chair he’d dumped it on and donned it.

Most of the time, he could learn more from observing than with conversation.

When he rejoined her, she was scrolling on her cell. She held up the screen when he walked in. “I’ve got a list of breakfast places situated between here and Gibbons’s station. Cross-referenced with best drive-through coffee and we’ve got a handful of options.”

Hayes walked toward the door. “You had me at breakfast.”

He could hear the smile in her voice. “There’s a shock.”

Detective Gibbons was assigned to the Central Division, which served the Columbia-Core area.

They parked, and Hayes shucked his jacket before locking his weapon in the gun safe in the cargo area of Reese’s Hyundai.

He grabbed the evidence bag and backpack, and they walked to the building, climbed the massive steps, and went inside.

They waited in line before they could step up to the desk personnel behind the wall of glass and ask for Gibbons.

Then cooled their heels several minutes longer until a tall, freckled man with flaming red hair appeared.

He wore a short-sleeve white dress shirt and tie with navy pants, a pancake holster holding a .

45, with his detective shield and a pair of cuffs clipped to his belt.

“Ms. Decody. Good to see you again. Thanks for making my day a little easier.”

“No problem. I had to feed Hayes anyway, so we hit a drive-through on the way. I brought you a coffee.”

He looked at first surprised, then pleased as she handed him a tall go-cup. “Thanks. It’s sure to be a heck of a lot better than the sludge they brew here. If you’ll come with me, I have a few follow-up questions.” From the looks aimed his way, Hayes figured most of them would be directed to him.

They followed him to the detectives’ division, a wide-open space jammed with desks and ringed with glassed-in offices for the ranked management.

He stopped at one of the desks littered with a laptop and stacks of file folders, some open with the contents spread out.

A nameplate for Detective Eldon Gibbons sat on the front.

His muted plaid sports coat hung on the back of a swivel chair behind it.

He pulled a wooden straight-backed chair in front of his desk and then searched for another one to join it.

Sipping from the cup, he rounded his desk and sat.

Hayes handed him the labeled evidence bag containing the device before he seated himself. “You got the pictures okay?”

“I did. You found it under the driver’s side?”

He nodded. “Between the wheel well and passenger door. Exact measurements are on the label.”

Gibbons picked up the bag and peered at it. “Reese says you’re from Raiker Forensics.”

Hayes inclined his head.

“I’ll admit I had to look that up…”

“Because he lives under a rock,” muttered the balding man at the next desk.

“Butt out, Walinski,” he retorted good-naturedly. But his gaze was speculative. “What brings you to San Diego? Are you working a case?”

Choosing his words carefully, Hayes replied, “Only tangentially. I’m here for Reese.” She turned her head swiftly toward him.

As a diversion, it worked as intended. “Oh. So this is personal. Well, that’s convenient.

” He immediately colored. “I mean…good you were here to find the device. We searched Ms. Backworth’s vehicle after the accident, but I was looking for personal belongings inside it, electronics, anything that would have pointed to where she was headed that day. ”

“There would have been no reason to look for a GPS tracker,” Hayes noted.

“Exactly.” A tinge of relief colored the detective’s response. “So why were you searching for one?”

“My aunt left a significant portion of her estate to me,” Reese interrupted. “I don’t need two vehicles. I asked Hayes to give it a thorough examination before I take it to a car dealership.”

“Oh, yeah. Wise choice. Maybe take him with you when you go. Some of those places tend to lowball women.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Reese sent him a bright smile, and even though it wasn’t aimed at Hayes, he felt its effects. She definitely had some tools to disarm people.