Minutes to Kill (Scarlet Falls #2)(18)

Brody hesitated. Why couldn’t he ever bring her good news? “The defense attorney for Lee and Kate’s killer has filed for another postponement.”

She leaned back and crossed her legs. “What’s their claim this time?”

The trial had already seen delays due to a mental health evaluation for the defendant, assault charges filed against Grant by the defendant, and a psychological examination of Carson, who the defense attorney insisted testify though the prosecutor said it shouldn’t be necessary.

“They want to move the trial, claiming that publicity has tainted the potential jury pool.”

“I’m not surprised. I should have predicted it.” Hannah’s expression turned stormy.

“The prosecutor will be in touch later this week. I just wanted to give you a heads-up.”

She lifted her eyes. “I know notifying families isn’t your job, so thank you.”

“I didn’t want to see you blindsided.” Brody wished he could make it all go away. She and her family deserved peace.

“I appreciate it. Grant will be away, but I’ll meet with the prosecutor this week.” Hannah hugged her waist. Despite her confident tone and words, she looked vulnerable, and when Brody imagined a man hurting her, he wanted to break something. Like a head.

Through the door, Ellie called Grant’s name.

“Excuse me for a minute.” Grant went into the hall, leaving the door open.

“Now you want to tell me what really happened in Vegas?” Brody asked. “Unless you fell into a fist, you’ve been bullshitting me with that accident story.”

Hannah got up and closed the door. Turning, she gave him her opposing-counsel scrutiny. “Grant told you, didn’t he?”

Brody leaned forward, hands clasped, forearms resting on his thighs. “He said you intervened between a man and his girlfriend.”

“That’s not exactly what happened.” She shivered. “I didn’t tell Grant everything. The man got away—with the girl.”

“Oh.” Brody sat back. Shock and alarm filled him as she told him her story.

“And yesterday I got an e-mail that appears to have come from that girl.”

“And you’re just telling me now?”

Hannah glanced away. “I reported it to the Las Vegas police. I was waiting to hear back from them. I didn’t think I was in any immediate danger.”

“He took your purse?”

“My phone, too.” Hannah nodded. “He has my e-mail and cell number as well, though I had my provider disconnect service and remotely wipe the contents of that phone.”

“Does he have this address?”

“Yes. He has my driver’s license, et cetera. But he’s thousands of miles away. The Vegas cop was more concerned with identity theft.”

Thousands of miles didn’t feel like enough distance to Brody. “What did the e-mail say?”

“?‘Help. The end comes Tuesday.’?” Hannah’s voice broke. “That’s it. The subject line was the girl’s name. The detective in Vegas said it was untraceable. It was sent from an anonymous e-mail account called Hide My Identity, and the IP address of the computer was shielded with a virtual private network. He suggested I let my local police know about the incident.” She smiled weakly. “So I called you.”

Because he was the only cop she knew? Part of Brody wanted the reason to be more, but Hannah Barrett was a complicated woman. She stirred up too many unknowns in his gut. It was easier to date women who didn’t keep him up at night, not that he dated much. The shooting in Boston and his subsequent divorce had driven him to Scarlet Falls in search of a fresh start. The events had also left him wary of intense experiences, and Hannah Barrett’s intensity meter was stuck on high.

“I don’t want to unnecessarily alarm Grant,” she said. “He knows the man took my purse and has this address.”

“Your brother installed a very high-end security system. Your assailant is probably thousands of miles away, but you should keep the alarm on at all times. If you forward me the e-mail, I’ll have a look at it.” Brody rubbed his jaw. “I don’t know what this means, but I don’t like it. Please call me if anything seems odd. Anything.”

“All right,” she said. “I don’t know what ‘the end’ is, but it doesn’t sound good, and Tuesday is only a few days away.”

“Try not to think about it. You notified the Las Vegas police. There’s nothing else you can do.” But Brody wasn’t going to be able to put it out of his mind. “And do not respond. This could be a trick to get more information from you, like your current whereabouts. Anyone who is good enough to conceal his own current location has enough skill to trace yours.”

Tormenting a woman could also be some sick bastard’s idea of fun—or revenge.



Mick pulled up to the pump. Colored light from a gas station sign gleamed off the hood of the car. The V-8 engine was powerful, and the tank emptied like there was a siphon attached. But they were in Scarlet Falls on Saturday night, just as he’d planned. With pit stops, the trip had taken a little longer than he’d anticipated. He stretched his back. Considering how many hours they’d spent in the car, he didn’t feel too bad. Alternating sleeping and driving had helped, so had the coke.