‘Before we do, I’m going to ask Phillip to dispatch the tow company out here so our technicians can go over it.’

‘Already made the request.’

Alyssa bumped him with her shoulder as they headed toward the parking lot across the street. ‘You’re okay, Cord Roberts. I don’t care what others say about you.’

At the store, a jingling chime above the door announced their entrance, and the attendant behind the counter squeaked and clapped a hand over her heart when she whirled around.

A warm smile replaced Alyssa’s all-business expression when she recognized who the woman was. ‘Lorna Price. You’re looking well. How are you doing?’

Alyssa knew Lorna from her last major case. She had worked as the night receptionist at the rundown hotel that was the pickup point of the drugged girls kidnapped for the sex trafficking ring. And despite her absolute fear that someone would discover she was the one who’d gone to the police with what she knew, she had still snuck out of the hotel lobby one night to snap a picture of one of the suspects before placing a frantic – and crucial – call to Alyssa, helping her team rescue the girls.

Lorna returned Alyssa’s smile. ‘Detective Wyatt, what a surprise, though I suppose it shouldn’t be.’ She nodded her head towards the parking lot across the street. ‘But to answer your question, I’m better, thanks. After everything that happened at The Hotel Camino… Every time I walked in the door, I couldn’t shake what had happened.’

‘It’s good you got out of there then.’ Alyssa stretched her hand over the sticky counter where someone had spilled their drink.

Lorna met her halfway with a firm handshake. ‘I’m putting myself through business school now.’

Overwhelming pride filled Alyssa, especially considering what a skittish and anxious-ridden woman Lorna had been the first time she’d come to the precinct. ‘That’s great! I’d love to chat more some time, but for now, did you call about the BMW out there?’

‘Yes, ma’am. It just didn’t seem right that a fancy car like that would be parked there during the light of day, much less all night. I didn’t want to make the same mistake as before and wait, just in case something bad had happened.’

‘You did the right thing. Did you happen to notice anyone in the area, either with or outside the vehicle?’

‘No. Just that it was there when I left here last night about eleven, and it hadn’t moved when I arrived today.’ Her eyes skated toward the back of the store while she chewed the corner off one of her fingernails. ‘We have security cameras if you want to have a look.’

‘Are you allowed to give us permission?’ Cord asked.