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10

Quantico, Virginia

Ryder set up the video conference in Matt’s office, then left to take a call from Denver that he had been waiting for. Matt would have preferred Ryder on the conference call—his insight was valuable, and he was the go-to guy for information—but getting answers from Colorado was a priority.

Catherine came in and sat next to Matt so they would both be on-screen during the call. He finished bringing the rest of the team into the secure chat—Jim and Sloane in a conference room at the Santa Fe police station, and Kara and Michael in the business center of their hotel, which Michael had secured for the next hour.

As soon as everyone gave their thumbs-up that they could hear, Matt said, “You all read each other’s reports, so we can save time. Catherine has been fine-tuning her profile, and Ryder’s on a call with the Denver field office, so he may have more information in a few minutes. Zack Heller is analyzing Crossman’s finances to determine why he has so much cash. Jim, we’ll start with you and Sloane. Did you learn anything new from Crossman’s colleagues?”

“Not much,” Jim said. “But I thought it interesting that, just like Kara learned from Jane’s colleagues at the bakery, no one knew anything about his past. He never talked about family or where he was from. His employment records are thin—social security number, degree in mathematics from University of Colorado at Denver, teaching credentials from the state of New Mexico. His emergency contact is his next-door neighbors, a married couple who don’t live here full-time. They asked Crossman to keep an eye on their place when they’re gone—they split their time between Los Angeles and Santa Fe. Ryder has the documentation, so he’s going to verify the degree, see if he can find anyone who knew Crossman while he was at college.”

“Any new sightings of Riley Pierce?” Matt asked Kara and Michael.

“No,” Michael said. “Ashland is a small town, barely twenty thousand residents, half of which are college kids. The police have been looking for her.”

“Ryder confirmed she doesn’t have a driver’s license issued in Oregon or Colorado in the name Riley Pierce,” Matt said, “so she’d likely be using her passport to travel. But she hasn’t boarded a plane in the last twenty-four hours. We’re working on bus stations and trains, but that takes a bit longer. She could have taken a series of local buses, or had someone pick her up.”

Kara looked like she disagreed. “Kara?” he said. “You have a different opinion?”

“We already know that the three victims have nearly nonexistent backgrounds, and Crossman had access to a lot of cash,” she said. “We can’t dismiss the idea that Riley might have another identity. Maybe she rented a car under another name.”

“Good point, but until we get another sighting or name to check, it’ll be hard to pin her down. She has a passport issued in Denver when she was nineteen, three and a half years ago. That coincides with what we know about Jane, who allegedly lived in Denver at the same time.”

“Maybe we can look for women who bought a ticket out of Portland, Medford, or Seattle within the last forty-eight hours?” Kara suggested.

“That would be labor intensive, but Ryder might have some shortcuts, or he can call in one of the techs,” Matt said. “Write it up for him with clear parameters.”

Kara nodded, and then Matt said, “Catherine’s profile hasn’t changed, but it’s been refined. We still believe that the victims were known to the killers, that these weren’t random murders. Based on forensics, Crossman may have been killed the day before Benson and Merrifield, up until the same time window—early Sunday morning. If before, we’re looking for three to four individuals coordinating. If he was killed at the same time, we’re looking at four or more people involved.” He turned to Catherine. “Floor is yours, Catherine.”

She cleared her throat and said, “While Matt’s correct and I haven’t changed the base profile, we have more information now. But the more we know, the more questions I have.

“One of the important things we’ve learned is that all three victims have a connection to Colorado, two confirmed in Denver. This is not a coincidence. But at this point, they are no relation to each other. Right before this call, I received the paternity test, and Benson and Merrifield are not related by blood.

“However,” Catherine continued, “the three of them either knew each other or have a common connection. They could have once lived on the same street or in the same small town, been at the same store at the same time, any number of things. But they are connected. The killers are highly organized. The leader—and there will be one person in charge—is highly intelligent and instills loyalty and discipline among his or her killers.

“Red poppies have traditionally been a symbol of mourning, loss, or grief, generally reserved for the military. There are other interpretations, and during Sloane’s interview with Mrs. Benson, she stated that her husband saw them not as a sign of comfort, but of a dark purpose. Yet, he kept a dried poppy in his wallet. I’ll add, however, that I don’t believe the poppy was in his wallet for long—it hadn’t crumbled as a dried flower would without protection. I sent it to the lab and they’ll have a more accurate timeline, but I’m thinking days, not more than a week. The poppy meant something to him. They also mean something to Jane Merrifield and Chris Crossman.”

Jim said, “Crossman had an envelope of laminated poppies that match the one Kara found in Merrifield’s apartment. All of them are on their way to the lab for analysis, but I’m working off the assumption that Merrifield’s came from Crossman. There was nothing like that at Benson’s?”

Matt shook his head. “We didn’t find a laminated poppy. However, we didn’t do a deep search. I don’t know that it will be necessary, but if it is I’ll reach out to Benson’s widow.”

“Though I’ll await confirmation, I agree,” Catherine said. “Kara’s discovery that the suitcase in Merrifield’s apartment and the money envelope match those found at Crossman’s, tells us that Jane was likely at Crossman’s house at some point. This is a clear, personal connection between two of the three victims.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “Matt reached out to Mrs. Benson, and she stated that her husband didn’t have a similar suitcase, at least she had never seen him with one. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have one in the year before they married, just that he didn’t bring it to her house.”

“One of the things I’ve been thinking,” Jim said, “what if Crossman was like the underground railroad, taking in people who needed help, giving them supplies, cash, sending them on their way?”

“His house is set up that way, isn’t it?” Catherine concurred. “And you may be right, except if that’s the case, what’s the motive? We know that Robert Benson had an emotionally abusive partner. If Jane had an abusive boyfriend, that would be a connection. How did they know about Crossman? Did they find him on their own, or did someone introduce them? The victims could also have been on the run because of a criminal reason—maybe they witnessed a crime, feared for their life and don’t trust the authorities.”

“You’re thinking,” Kara said, “that maybe these people had a run-in with the criminal justice system in Colorado and went to Crossman to get new identities? Either because they committed a crime or witnessed a crime? Crossman ran his own personal WITSEC program?”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Catherine said with a half smile, “but yes, that’s plausible. Until we know more, it’s really just conjecture. Still, Crossman was a way station, at least for Jane Merrifield and—very likely—her former roommate, Riley Pierce, since interviews have indicated they knew each other before college. Kara, you seem to have a grasp on the girls. Thoughts?”

“According to Jane’s boss, Jane and Riley had been childhood friends and went to college together,” Kara said. “Everyone we spoke to said they were very close, but that Jane was the friendly one and Riley was standoffish and brooding. Neither of them talked about their childhood in any detail.

“My big question, which I wrote in my report, is how and why did Jane go off with her killer? Either she left her apartment with someone she knew and walked or was driven to the park nearly two miles away, or she voluntarily met with someone there. No defensive wounds, no sign that she was restrained or fought back. Ditto for Crossman. I can’t believe that they stayed still and let someone slit their throats. Benson was restrained, but he didn’t have defensive wounds either.”

“It’s a valid point,” Catherine said. “I have said from the beginning that they knew their killer, and the forensics support that theory.”

“But even if you know someone, you don’t just let them kill you,” Kara said. “So what if each scene has two killers—one who lures the victim to a private location. Maybe says, ‘Don’t tell anyone, this is between you and me,’ and then when they arrive, they’re talking and the killer comes up behind them and slits their throat. Or, in Benson’s case, tied his hands.”

Kara frowned, and Matt understood her frustration. The victims had no defensive wounds at all, and because they weren’t drugged, it stood out. As if they were resigned to die.

“That is a logical theory,” Catherine said. “And it lends credence to the idea that even if the victims didn’t know each other personally, they all knew their killer. I agree that Riley will have more information. She traveled across the globe to Ashland, yet didn’t contact law enforcement. She could be in danger, and she may know why. She also may understand the meaning of the poppies.”

Kara’s shift in focus toward Riley Pierce was warranted, but it was nice to have Catherine back it. “She could have gone into hiding,” Matt suggested. “After finding out what happened to Jane, she was scared and disappeared.”

“But she didn’t return to France,” Catherine said. “She hasn’t used her passport.”

Sloane spoke up. “Could she have been lured to the States? Perhaps the killers used Jane’s murder to bring her back. She might already be dead.”

Catherine considered that, nodded. “Yes, that’s possible. I fear there is a list of targets. That these people will continue down the list until they’re done, and then it’s over. They aren’t spree killers or serial killers, not in the traditional sense. There is no escalation, no cooling off period. The murders themselves are quick and efficient. The flowers... I’m having a harder time nailing down their purpose. I thought I knew—I thought it was either as a sign of remembrance or forgiveness, possibly remorse.

“Now?” She shook her head. “Now I think it means something completely different. But I have no idea what.”

Ryder burst into Matt’s office, stopped halfway in. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “But I found something important.”

“You have the floor,” Matt told him.

Ryder looked a bit sheepish at having interrupted the meeting, but Matt motioned him to sit and said, “You were talking with Agent Stewart in Denver?”

“Him, others,” Ryder said. He pulled out his tablet and brought up a set of notes. “It was Crossman’s birth certificate that made me believe we’re dealing with an organized criminal group of some sort. It’s a real document, issued from the State of Colorado, with an authentic seal. But it’s false. Not fake, but we confirmed with the hospital administration that Chris Crossman was not born at St. Matthews Hospital on that date. Agent Stewart went to the county office and there is birth data for both Benson and Merrifield at St. Matthews Hospital.”

Catherine frowned. “So they were all born at the same hospital, years apart? There could be a motive here, though I’m not seeing it.”

Ryder shook his head. “No, I’m saying the birth certificates are falsified, that someone inserted the birth information digitally into the system, so the county issued official, certified birth certificates.”

“Is that even possible?” Catherine asked.

“Yes,” Ryder said, “for an extremely skilled hacker who has deep knowledge of the Colorado systems.”

“I spoke with the US Marshals when we couldn’t confirm Jane Merrifield’s identification,” Matt said. “None of our victims are in Witness Protection or known to any other agencies. None of their fingerprints have popped either. And while the Marshals are capable of creating false identification, there is a record.”

“It’s a hacker,” Ryder insisted. “I’ve reviewed all government-issued documentation that we have on all the victims, and Agent Stewart helped with the field work. Crossman had a Colorado driver’s license when he moved to Santa Fe ten years ago when he used that legal ID and his birth certificate to obtain a New Mexico license.”

“He was a certified teacher,” Catherine said. “He graduated from college, he received his credentials—he had to take the test, be verified.”

“He may have taken the certification test,” Ryder said. “I’m still verifying that. But according to the school district where he substituted, they never followed up to confirm his college degree from University of Colorado Denver. I asked Agent Stewart to contact the university directly for proof of his attendance.

“If it was one oddity, it would be interesting but not suspicious,” Ryder continued. “While we have yet to find any official documentation on Robert Benson, his social security number was issued in Colorado. Crossman and Merrifield have documentation from Colorado, but it’s incorrect or false. Merrifield’s home residence is wrong. The high school listed on her college records said she never attended. The local police and Agent Stewart haven’t found any individual in Denver who personally knew Jane Merrifield. Crossman has a suspicious birth certificate and no record that he was born at the hospital listed. And while Mrs. Benson said that her husband had lived in Colorado, we can find no records on him. She’s looking for his birth certificate now, said she saw it once before they married, but it’s not in their important papers. We have more to go through, but he never had a driver’s license in Colorado.”

“What about social security numbers?” Catherine asked. “False documentation is difficult but not impossible. False social security numbers are much more difficult.”

“Merrifield’s was issued over three years ago—the same month she applied to SOU. And Crossman’s was issued ten years ago, before he bought the house in New Mexico.”

One person not having a social as a child was possible, Matt thought. Some parents didn’t apply when they were born, and after birth there was a longer process. But two was definitely unusual.

“What about Benson?” Matt asked.

“His was issued eleven years ago in Colorado, shortly before he turned up in Weems,” Ryder said. “To get a social security number as an adult, you have to submit your birth certificate and a second document proving identity. Plus, you have to show up at the SSA in person and explain why you don’t have a number. There will be a log, and I’ve requested the information, but they’re telling me it’ll take weeks to retrieve the data.”

“Write up exactly what you need and I’ll get Tony to flex his muscle,” Matt said, speaking of the assistant director in charge of their team.

“Already done,” Ryder said. “I have a theory, though.”

He looked a little sheepish, but Matt nodded, urged him to continue.

“Someone with incredible skill to cover their tracks hacked into multiple systems to insert falsified information for these people. Their licenses are real, their birth certificates are real. They are real people—but they were not born under those names at St. Matthew’s. This is well above my abilities, but I’d like permission to talk to the cybercrimes team at the lab. They might have some ideas about who could be behind this.”

“Do it,” Matt said. “This is the first solid lead we have. Does anyone have questions?”

“Ryder,” Kara said, “when you and Agent Stewart follow up with the agencies in Colorado, can you add Riley Pierce to your list?”

“Sure.”

Matt saw where Kara was going with this. “You think she’s also living on false identification.”

“Yep,” Kara said. “Riley and Jane knew each other before college. They were roommates for three years until Riley took an internship in France. It reasons that Riley at a minimum knows more about Jane’s past than we do, and could have her own false identity.”

Ryder nodded, jotted down the information, turned to Matt. “If you don’t need me for anything else, I’d like to get started on this.”

“Go,” Matt said.

After Ryder stepped out, Matt said, “Catherine, what do you think?”

“That Ryder is one of the smartest people I know.”

Matt smiled and nodded his agreement. He said, “Do you think these people wanted to disappear?”

“It makes sense from what we know, though with the time differences, I am less inclined to believe they witnessed or were involved in a singular event that prompted them to change their identities,” Catherine said. “What’s also clear is that Crossman was central to the organization.”

Sloane said, “Even if Crossman didn’t graduate from college in math, he was known to be a gifted substitute teacher. I don’t have documentation of his computer skills, but his colleagues all said he was their go-to guy to help with computer problems.”

He could be like Ryder, naturally gifted in electronics without advanced training, Matt thought. Or he could have superior skills.

“You’re suggesting,” Catherine said, “that Crossman may have created these identities.”

“It’s possible,” Sloane said. “His computer is on its way to the lab here at Quantico. If there’s anything there, they’ll find it.”

“It’s one more piece,” Catherine said, “but we need the information from Colorado. There should be a trail leading to when and where they were created. If, as Ryder said, an individual has to go in person to the SSA, those records could be vital. The victimology is important to every case, but here, it’s critical. Why were these three people targeted? What do the poppies mean to the victims and to the killer? Is Riley Pierce a threat or in danger?”

“Catherine,” Jim asked, “are these killers a threat to others? Meaning, other than their specific targets, which you earlier said were premeditated and well planned, are they a threat to, say, someone who might stop them from achieving their goals?”

Catherine thought on that. She rarely spoke without thinking through what she wanted to say. “I can’t give a definitive answer, but based on their methodology and detailed planning, I think they will avoid indiscriminate violence. They don’t want to be caught. This isn’t a killer who has remorse for his actions. They are intelligent, especially the organizer. That individual would understand if they kill wantonly, they will have more eyes on them, more law enforcement involved. They don’t want that.”

“Excuse me a second,” Jim said and stepped off camera.

“Then why the theatrics?” Kara asked.

“Theatrics?” Catherine asked.

“Yeah. Leaving the bodies where they’ll easily be found. The flowers. It’s bold. It feels like a statement.”

“It may well be a statement,” Catherine said, “but also consider how quickly the murders happened. No one heard anything. No scream. No fight. No defensive wounds. There was far more time and care taken in planning the murders than the act itself, which was quick and efficient.”

Kara leaned back, thought. Michael said, “Matt, you want us in Colorado?”

“You read my mind,” Matt said. “Are you wrapped up there?”

“There’s nothing we can do that the local team can’t,” Michael said. “They have a task force, and they’re following through on each piece of evidence. This afternoon we received Riley Pierce’s college file, which includes her family’s address in Denver. We can help Agent Stewart follow up. And if anything breaks here, or they locate Riley, they’ll call us.”

Matt agreed. “Ryder will have tickets for both of you out of Medford tomorrow morning. Probably early, so get a good night’s sleep. Sloane, you and Jim need to meet the Evidence Response Team from the Albuquerque office at Crossman’s place tomorrow morning. Anything they learn, you learn.”

Jim came back in view. “We got something else. Sloane noticed food in the trash—pasta and frozen broccoli. The ME just got back to me about Crossman’s stomach contents. His last meal was four to six hours before his death, and it wasn’t pasta. He ate stew—beef, potatoes, carrots, onions—along with red wine. Suggests dinner. Doesn’t mean he didn’t have the pasta earlier, but the trash was empty except for those items.”

“You think someone came in after he was killed,” Matt said. “The killer?”

“Possibly, but why clean up? Nothing else was out of place. They still don’t have a clear TOD because of the temperature and animal activity, but they have an entomologist from the university coming in to analyze insects and larvae, so they should be able to narrow it down. However you slice it, my professional opinion is that Chris Crossman died at most twenty-four hours before Merrifield and Benson.”

Matt asked, “Do you think that’s how the killers found Benson and Merrifield? That maybe Crossman had their locations? A full day would be enough time to travel from New Mexico to Oregon and Virginia.”

“Possible, but we didn’t find anything in the house. Might be in his computer, or the killers took the information, or they tortured him—though there is no evidence of physical torture. If Crossman was involved in creating the false identities, then it’s plausible he was killed first.”

Matt wrapped up the video chat. He said to Catherine, “I’ve never had a case like this.”

“Neither have I. Kara is correct that Riley Pierce is a person of interest.”

Matt rose, paced his office. “Do you think she’s a threat?”

“I couldn’t say, but I would be cautious,” Catherine said. “She was informed of Jane’s death, but never contacted the police. She was seen near Jane’s apartment, but ran from law enforcement. She might be scared if she knows who the killers are, but then why would she have left France? If she thought there was a threat against her here, why not stay across the Atlantic?”

“I need to be in the field,” Matt said, “but there’s too much to do here. The lab hasn’t given me the results on the poppies, and they should know more by now.”

“I’ll follow up first thing in the morning,” she said. “But some tests take time, not because they’re dragging their feet. You’ve been working this case nonstop for more than a week, Matt. Come to the house for dinner. Chris made his famous steak chili and homemade corn bread. And Lizzie would love to see you.”

Matt had been friends with Catherine and her husband, Chris, since Catherine and Matt went through the FBI Academy together fifteen years ago. He’d been the best man at their wedding and was Lizzie’s godfather. Their friendship had ups and downs over the years, and the last two years had been particularly rocky for many reasons. But they were working through it and they’d always worked well together.

Matt couldn’t help but think that Catherine would never have invited him if Kara were in town. Catherine and Kara did not get along, even before Catherine found out that Matt and Kara had a personal relationship. Over the last few months they had developed a manageable working relationship, but the tension was constant, and it bothered Matt that Catherine always seemed to be waiting for Kara to make a mistake that could be used to push her off the team.

“Do you have other plans?” Catherine asked pointedly.

“All right, I’ll be there.”

Catherine smiled warmly, pulled out her phone. “I’ll text Chris and let him know. It will benefit both of us to put this all aside for the evening and come back fresh in the morning.”

Maybe that’s what Matt needed—a break.

“I have to talk to Ryder, then I’ll head down there.” Catherine and Chris lived in Stafford, about thirty minutes south of Quantico. Matt lived in the opposite direction, but he had an overnight bag and would stay in the Quantico dorms. They were in the midst of a partial hiring freeze and could only train enough agents for replacement. There was a whole wing of vacant dorm rooms. Kara had been living in one for the last several months—when she wasn’t at his place.

Matt found Ryder in his large cubicle talking on the phone. He waited until the analyst was done, then said, “I’m going to leave in a few minutes. Any news?”

“Balls are in motion, but it’s near end of business in Colorado so nothing will happen until tomorrow. I have Michael and Kara on a flight first thing in the morning, and Agent Stewart will meet with them when they arrive.”

“Good. Now, go home.”

“I will. I’ll be late tomorrow—I have a meeting at headquarters with the head of Cybercrimes. They might have something for us. They’ve been tracking a hacker in Colorado, but that’s all I know right now. They were very interested in what we had.”

“Be careful with them,” Matt warned. “Cybercrimes likes to play games, and if this hacker is connected to these murders—either because he helped the victims or maybe turned on them—then we need to know everything they know.”

“Understood, sir.”

Ryder left and Matt shook his head. Sir . He’d tried for the last year to break Ryder from that habit, and sometimes it worked—but more often than not, it didn’t.

He finished work so he could go to Catherine’s with a clear conscience. He considered calling Kara, but she and Michael were working, and his call would be personal. Instead, he sent her a text message.

Wish you were here. Heading to dinner at Chris now, it was April and he didn’t even know who had made the final four until they turned on the television.

“Dinner was great, buddy. Thanks,” Matt said. “I know it’s cliché, but Lizzie has grown too fast. I can’t believe she’s twelve. Wow. She’s an amazing kid.” He sipped his drink. “I need to get down to Miami and visit my brother and his family. I’ve only seen the new kid twice, but she’s a cutie.”

Matt’s brother, Dante, was a doctor like Chris, though Dante was a pediatrician and Chris a pediatric surgeon. He had been married for ten years and had three young kids. Matt wouldn’t be surprised if they had more.

“Did you take Kara down to visit?”

“Not yet.”

“You seemed serious about her.”

Chris had met Kara a couple of times, but they hadn’t really socialized.

“I am.”

“Then why not introduce her to your brother?”

“I wanted her to come down for Christmas, since we both had the time off. She went to visit her grandmother in Washington.”

“And?”

“And that’s it. I told you, Kara and I are taking this one day at a time. Her family isn’t like mine or yours. She doesn’t expect anything to last.”

“Then introducing her to your happily married brother and sister-in-law will show her there’s another way.”

“I’m not going to push her. She’s buying a house, so she’s putting down roots. She needs her space and privacy. I’m okay with that.”

Chris didn’t say anything.

“I am.” Mostly, but he didn’t say that.

He loved Kara and would have been ecstatic if she’d moved in with him. But, she valued her own space and it was a big step for her to sell her condo in California and buy a house here. She probably would have been content living in the dorms at Quantico indefinitely.

“Okay.”

“What’s with the third degree?” But he knew, and didn’t wait for Chris to answer. “Catherine. You know Catherine has problems with Kara. It’s an off-limits subject with her now, and I can make it off-limits with you, too.”

He didn’t know why this conversation irritated him, but it did.

“Catherine recognizes that her feelings toward Kara are partly because of your past relationship with Beth,” Chris said. “She’s working on that. And I don’t hold the same views about Kara’s abilities—I trust your judgment there. You wouldn’t have her on your team if she wasn’t among the best at her job.”

“Thank you,” Matt said, lifting his glass in a mock toast. “I appreciate your approval.”

“But,” Chris said, ignoring his sarcasm, “while your job has always been important to you, so is family. Kara doesn’t seem to have the same foundation, or desire to make one. I don’t want you giving up those dreams.”

“I haven’t.”

“Matt—you’re one of my closest friends, and I’ve never seen you committed to one woman before. I’m glad you found someone, but I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Matt didn’t know how this conversation became so personal, and he was about to completely change the subject when his phone vibrated. It was Kara. He bit back a smile and said to Chris, “I have to take this.”

“Feel free to use my office.”

Matt answered the phone as he walked down the hall to Chris’s home office. “Hey,” he said, then closed the door. “What’s up?”

“Michael says we have to get a good night’s sleep because we have to be up at three thirty in the morning. It’s seven here. I can’t sleep at seven.”

He smiled. “Nothing good on television?”

“I wouldn’t know. I might go down the street to the pub—we had an amazing dinner there.”

“What did you have?”

“Steak smothered in mushrooms so perfectly cooked it was orgasmic.”

“Wish I were there.”

“Me, too,” she said. His heartstrings tugged. “How was your dinner with Catherine and family?”

That she said it without sarcasm was a feat. “Good. I’m still here. Chris and I were having a glass of whiskey.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You didn’t. I miss you. I’m glad you called.”

She didn’t say anything for a beat.

“Kara?” he prompted.

“I just heard back from my Realtor,” she said.

“And?”

“I’m one of three offers, and the seller is looking at them on Saturday. She wanted to know if I was willing to go up, and I said no. If I don’t get it, I don’t get it.”

Matt frowned. Kara sounded so...nonchalant.

“What?” Kara said when he didn’t immediately speak. “You think I should go into huge debt just for a house? I’m happy living at Quantico.”

“You want to live in a dorm for the next couple years?”

“I had a lot of equity in my condo, and my living expenses are low. I put what is a fair offer for that house and I have the plus of a large down payment and pre-approval for a loan and a fast close. It’s what I offered, and I’m not desperate. If it doesn’t work out, it wasn’t meant to be and I’ll find something else.”

“I thought you loved the house.”

“I do. But I try not to get too attached to things. It’s just a house.”

Chris was right about one thing. Where Kara was concerned, Matt’s heart was on the line.

“By the way,” Kara said, “Ryder seemed frustrated when I talked to him earlier. Everything okay?”

“He’s working with multiple agencies and jurisdictions. I would have lost it days ago. But he has a lead from Cybercrimes and I’m hoping we have more by the time you land in Denver tomorrow.”

“Good. Okay, you get back to your bestie and I’m going to channel surf until I get tired.”

“I really wish I were there. You wouldn’t need television.”

She laughed, and his heart lifted. “It won’t be long. I mean, if I do get this house, we’re going to have a lot of work to do.”

“I didn’t think it needed that much work.”

She laughed harder, and then he realized what she meant.

“Aww, you got me. Yes, every room needs to be given a lot of personal attention.”

“I can’t wait,” she said.

“I love you.”

“Ditto.” She ended the call.

Kara rarely said I love you , but she showed it. That was what mattered. And Matt didn’t care. Most of the time.

He definitely wished she was here.