Page 73 of Red Snow

“Aren’t you a detective?” Jeffrey asks, sounding extra confident. “Because I kind of figured you’d automatically know how I got her phone. That’s a dumb question, Granger, and you want to be as smart as possible right now, because her life depends on it. So does yours.”

“You fucking son of a bitch,” I snip as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and stand up, too anxious to stay seated. “What the fuck have you done with Brandi?”

“Nothing yet,” he admits, even though I don’t know if that’s the truth or not. “I wanted to wait until you got here before I run my saw over her throat, and I’m feeling pretty anxious, so I need you to hurry up and get over here.”

Little does Jeffrey know, I’ve put him on speaker and have already put my pants and shoes on. “I’ll gladly hurry over. Just tell me where you are, and I’ll be right there, then you and I can settle this between us. You don’t have to involve Brandi.”

“Don’t go getting all soft on me, Granger. Idohave to involve Brandi, because involving her hurts you, so I have to. Duh. Now, are you ready to meet me?”

I slip my arms through the openings in my shoulder holster, and make sure my gun has bullets before setting it in place. “You have no idea how ready I am.”

“That’s the spirit! Alright, I’m at 1984 Misty Lane. It’s not that far from your apartment, so be here in the next twenty minutes, or I’m going to make another snowman. Oh, and Granger, if I see any other police cars on the road with you, her head will be severed from her body before you get here, and I will be long gone. Got it?”

I tuck an extra gun into a harness that fits around my right ankle. “I got it.”

“Great. See you soon.”

Jeffrey hangs up, and I immediately dial up Marcus, who sounds like he already had fallen asleep.

“Yeah?” he says.

“Jeffrey has Brandi,” I yell into the phone because I can’t control the emotional surge coursing through me.

“Wait, what?” Marcus replies, still trying to wake up.

“Jeffrey has Brandi, Marcus!” I yell again. “He called me from her phone. Get the fuck up!”

I hear all kinds of rustling on Marcus’s end, so I know he’s jumping out of bed now.

“I’m up,” he says, his voice springing back to life. “Okay, what did he say? What’s the plan?”

“He gave me the address, and he said I can’t bring any other cops or he’ll kill her.”

“Fuck that. There’s no way I’m not going with you on this.”

“Of course you’re coming with me. We just need to hash out a plan before we get there, so he doesn’t see you coming. He gave me twenty minutes to show up, but I’m already halfway out the door. I’ll be at your place in five minutes. Be ready.”

“Got it.”

“And Marcus,” I say before hanging up. “You should know, I don’t plan on arresting him.”