Page 27 of Vortex (FBI Thriller 25)

“I don’t know if you remember Gail Ricci, but she found some photos on her old iPhone from that night at the rave. Our photographer here at the Guardian enhanced them. They’re still not very clear, but I’m sending them to you.”

When Tommy had the photos, he said only, “Two blurry guys, and you don’t know who they are? What do they have to do with Serena? Talk to me, Mia.”

“No, I didn’t recognize them, either, and neither did Gail. I wanted you to see them. They were at the rave, Tommy. I was thinking maybe facial recognition? Compare them to photos you already have that the police might have collected from cell phones that night? Ask the police chief to show them to some of the students who were interviewed?”

“Yes, of course, I can do all of that, but what makes you think they could be the guys to take Serena? And that’s what you think, isn’t it, Mia?” She hadn’t heard such excitement in his voice since he’d told her he’d been accepted into the FBI.

“Yes, I’m sure leaning that way.” Mia pointed out the earlobe tear, the bracelet, told him about the gamer. “And look, Tommy, couldn’t he be ready to put something in Serena’s drink?”

“If it is her drink.”

“It is, it has to be.”

He paused a moment. “Mia, tell me who you think these two men are. Where did you spot them? You’re going on a torn earlobe and a bracelet? A gamer?”

“Yes. Tommy, I don’t want to tell you yet. I don’t want to prejudice you or the sheriff.”

Tommy had learned over the years how stubborn Mia could be. “All right. But don’t you go showing these photos around, all right? If you have come across the two men who took Serena, you know they’d do anything to keep from being exposed. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. You know that, right? Come on, Briscoe, I don’t hear you nodding.” He sighed deeply. “You’re not going to leave it to me, are you? You’re going into full reporter mode.”

She said, “Tommy, be realistic. It’s nowhere near a sure thing that these photos show the same two men. And yes, I’ll be careful, just in case. Please don’t worry. You’ll keep me posted, all right?”

“Only if you promise you’ll tell me what you’re doing on your end.”

“Sure, of course, we’ll see. Now, before you head off to arrest some crooks, tell me, how are your folks?”

When she punched off her cell, Mia felt a blast of guilt. No, she’d been right, it was too soon to tell him about Harrington and Harper when she had no real proof. She couldn’t ask Tommy and the FBI to investigate a candidate for mayor based on a hunch, it wouldn’t be fair. She had to learn more first and she fully intended to. Sins of omission, she thought, weren’t really sins if there was good reason for them. That was her reasoning and she was sticking to it.