If the killer was still out there, then he'd realize soon that he'd lost his kill basement. The police and FBI were all over it looking for DNA and clues, but Nicky knew she'd get a call the moment something came up. They were also staking the place out, just in case he hadn't already seen the commotion. There were officers and agents patrolling the area at all hours.

But still.

The guy could slip by. And if he did still intend on killing Meghan, and he picked up his new victim today, then that likely meant Meghan was due to die tonight.

If the killer didn't have his basement, where would he go?

He'd likely want another spot similar to the warehouse, as it had been working for him for so long.

Bernard Brown's message slid back into Nicky's mind.

So far, the word "home" had led her down several paths. Maybe it could lead her down another.

"What are you thinking, Lyons?" Ken asked.

She frowned. "I'm thinking we need to look for other abandoned buildings with the word 'home' in their title. Defunct businesses like Home Furniture."

It could be a shot in the dark, but Nicky was used to taking those. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

But this one needed to work. Meghan's life depended on it.

"I think we should call Grace on this one," Nicky said.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The stars were slowly emerging, one by one, from behind the dark clouds. Nicky tore out of the police station's parking lot, Ken in the passenger seat. The tires screeched and the engine roared, the car leaving dust in its wake. Grace, the tech genius she was, had pulled up two potential matches within thirty seconds. One old abandoned apartment building called 'Sunrise Homes,' that had shut down after a bad fire, and another old warehouse of a defunct business that was once called 'Home Furniture Factory.' The latter was the most similar to the other location, so Nicky had her sights set on that one first.

Maybe it was a longshot, but she had to try. There was no losing here. Katz was in custody, so if he was the killer, he wouldn't be able to finish the job anytime soon. If he wasn't the killer, though, then it was worth looking further into.

The only thing Nicky wished was that this car could drive faster. She was already running the damn thing into the ground.

Nicky was driving fast down the highway, the night's darkness quickly overtaking her.

"Lyons," Ken said.

Nicky glanced at him.

"We're gonna find her," he said. "One way or another."

Emotion struck her chest. "There's only one good way to find her and that's alive."

"I know," he said, "and I agree. But if we don't..."

"There's no if we don't. We find her alive. That's it."