What she couldn’t understand was why.
A clanking sound had her looking up from the cot she’d been on since he had tossed her into this cell. He must’ve used something to knock her out, because she’d been drowsy, drifting in and out during the car ride, more when she’d arrived here. She had no idea where he’d taken her, how long the drive had been.
The door at the top of the stairs creaked open, followed by footsteps. They were lighter than his, which meant this was the woman coming down. Cori hadn’t yet seen her face. The one and only time she’d been down here before, her long, stringy hair had been hanging down, shielding her face.
There was a clank as the pass-thru at the bottom of the door was opened. The scrape of plastic on concrete drew Cori to a sitting position even as the woman slammed the little door closed, locked it as though Cori might possibly be able to squeeze out of that tiny opening. It was hardly big enough for the tray of food to pass through.
When the woman started up the stairs, Cori was on her feet in an instant, racing over to the bars, gripping them tightly. “Please let me out! I need to go home! Please!”
The shuffle of feet was the only sound she heard, but even that was drowned out by the sobs that escaped as she let herself slide down to her butt.
That woman wasn’t going to save her.
Chapter Thirteen
The security cameras were a bust, but with the way their luck was going, Brantley had expected no less.
“Kinda convenient, don’t you think?” Reese said as Brantley steered his way toward the capitol building.
“Too damn convenient.” No way it was a coincidence, and Brantley was almost positive the squirrelly leasing agent had something to do with the recording’s vanishing act. There was something up with him, Brantley just wasn’t sure exactly what. Yet.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a grown man turn that shade of pink before,” Reese muttered. “I thought he was gonna piss himself when you told him you’d be lookin’ into why the complex was having such problems.”
Brantley grinned, although he didn’t find it funny. However, the leasing agent had gone some interesting shades of color when Brantley started asking questions about the footage after the woman agent explained they’d been having issues for months, a lot of the footage was disappearing. And it was random.
“Where’re we headed?” Reese asked.
Peering over at the man who’d uncovered clues that they should’ve unearthed during their first pass at the apartment, he exhaled. “Figured we’d stop in, give the governor an update.”
“Good idea. Though we don’t have much to go on.”
More than they’d had. Thanks to Reese wanting a second pass.
Back at Cori’s apartment, he’d had an opportunity to observe Reese, see him in action, so to speak. He’d been intrigued watching him move from place to place, taking it all in. He had a different approach to things than Brantley, that was for sure. While Reese was the contemplative sort, Brantley was more of a brute-force kind of guy. It was the first time he’d really seen Reese dig in. With their last case, it had been personal for all of them, which had made their actions a bit more … reactive, rather than proactive.
He could admit, he liked to watch Reese work.
Of course, it was possible Detective Buchanan would’ve uncovered what they’d missed. As it was, he’d taken the phone and had a crime scene unit coming by to dust the place for prints. If they were lucky—which was sincerely doubtful—they’d find something that would give a clue as to who Corinne had left with. No doubt in Brantley’s mind, she’d left. Whether on her own accord or by force, he didn’t know.
“What I wanna know is when we’re gonna stop for food,” Reese grumbled. “I’m even willin’ to eat the crap food you’re so fond of.”
Just the word made Brantley’s stomach rumble. “Next stop. Deal?”
Reese offered a nod, his attention out the window as they made their way to the parking for the capitol.
Brantley remembered the last time they’d come here. It had been when Kate Walker had disappeared from these very halls. Brantley and Reese had come to do their own check of the premises. Despite the fact they hadn’t found the little girl, the trip had provided them with much-needed clues as to her location.
Fifteen minutes later, Brantley was pacing the governor’s outer office while Governor Greenwood’s secretary announced their presence.
As he was on another return from the small window, he paused, looking at Reese. The man was smoothing down his shirt, then staring down at the boots on his feet.
“You look pretty enough,” Brantley told him with a smile.
He earned a glare in return.
“Coulda warned a guy he’d be payin’ a visit to the governor of Texas today.”
