Page 17 of Everything We Found

Now Thomas worried Fernando Ruiz’s escape and today’s attempt on his life would further trigger Claire’s revulsion towards him. She’d never understood his reason for faking James’s death, that he’d been protecting their family. And she’d never forgiven him.

She was going to blame him for today.

A robotic recording answered. “You’ve reached the voicemail box of…” Pause. “Claire Donato.” Pause. “Please leave a message at the tone.”

He spoke with forced steadiness. “It’s Thomas. Call me. I need to know you’re okay.” He recited his new number and disconnected.

Phil was next and he didn’t answer the phone either. Thomas left a brief message and his new number. It shouldn’t surprise him that nobody picked up. But he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was missing something about their absence.

He called Kane Mitchell again. In all the years they’d worked together, Kane had never let him down—not when they were setting up James in his new life in Mexico, not during theendless depositions and court appearances throughout the cartel leader’s trial, not even when Thomas had been pushed out of his own company. Kane was methodical, thorough, and—most importantly—he understood the stakes. Thomas needed that steady hand now more than ever.

“It’s Thomas,” he said when the special agent answered.

“Whose number are you calling from?”

“Mine. It’s temporary. We ditched our phones.”

“Got it. Did you make it to the house?”

“About twenty minutes ago.” Thomas checked his watch.

“Nadia still with you?”

“Yes. Did you reach James?”

“No. But I got in touch with my counterpart at the FBI and they’ll contact local law enforcement about checking on their property.”

“My mother?”

“No luck there.”

His muscles seized with alarm. “Did they send anyone out?” Claire lived in a gated community of luxury townhomes. But his worries didn’t ease. It wasn’t difficult to find a way into the community.

“They did and she wasn’t home. We’re taking the attack against you very seriously. We’ll keep trying to reach her. We’ve got people watching her house too. Now let’s talk about yours since I’ve got you on the phone. Law enforcement has been out there all day collecting evidence. Tell me everything you remember about the attack. Every detail, no matter how small.”

Thomas roughed up his hair and paced the room, recounting every moment. Kane peppered him with questions, taking notes. Thomas knew the drill. He spent years relaying information to Kane. The special agent ate details for breakfast. The most trivial item could lead to a break in a case.

“All right,” Kane said when he felt Thomas had exhausted every angle. “We’ll cross-reference this with the evidence that’s been gathered. It might give us a lead on where Ruiz is headed or what he’s planning next.”

“Was it just my place shot up today?” He couldn’t be the only one the cartel was after. Donato Enterprises hadn’t been the only business raided all those years ago.

“I can’t report on that yet.”

“Kane—”

“Tom, you understand how these things work. I’m limited on what I can share with you when there’s an active investigation. We’re doing everything we can to get Ruiz back in custody. Every federal and local law enforcement agency is actively working on this case. We’ll do our best to track down your mother.”

“My brother too. Check on Phil. I haven’t been able to reach him either.”

“Got it. Stay safe and don’t leave the house. Keep your phone on you. I’ll be in touch.”

The call ended and Thomas tried his mother again. Still no answer. Feeling uneasy, he completed another circuit of the house, double checking locks and sight lines. The neighborhood was quiet with families tucked away in their homes for the night, the street dark except for a smattering of porch lights. A car slowed in front of the house and turned into the driveway across from them, pulling into the garage. Thomas waited until the garage door closed again before he moved away from the front window. Everything seemed secure and he was confident they hadn’t been followed, but the knot in his stomach refused to loosen. It wouldn’t until he knew James and Claire were safe.

At least Nadia was with him. Close enough to reach for, protect. He’d be out of his mind with worry if she’d gone home. Though, having her here came with its own torment.

He glanced at his watch and frowned. Fifty minutes had gone by and she hadn’t returned. She’d been in the bathroom for a long time. Too long. The house was too quiet.

He pictured the narrow bathroom with the high window he’d poked his head into when he first checked the house and swore under his breath. The burner phone. She better not have called an Uber and slipped out the window.