As I stood from the chair, Channing added, “He can’t keep you there. You’re not being detained for anything. Don’t look at him. Walk out. Keep me on the phone as you go. Tell me where you are.”

I expected Detective Brennan to say something, but he didn’t. He stared at me, his eyes turning a mean shade, and I reached for the door. I half-thought it’d be locked. It wasn’t.

I narrated, “I’m leaving.”

I went down the hall, telling him as I moved throughout the precinct.

I went past the front desk, and I told him that.

As I went through the door, feeling the sun back on me, I told him, “I’m heading for my car.”

“Okay. Put me back to speaker. I want to be there as you drive to the house.”

My hands were shaking once I got in, and I dropped the keys twice before inserting them all the way. As I pulled out from the lot, I said, “You’re scaring me, and I don’t scare much.”

“I know.” He let out a breath of air. “Just keep driving. I’m going to hang up. I need to call Brock. Is Cross at the house?”

“Yeah. It’s Sunday.”

“The others?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see them when I left.”

“Okay. Just call ’em, but Bren, I have to ask…did you recognize any of those guys who took Harper?”

I didn’t answer. I made a vow last night not to tell anyone. The only person I was going to tell at a later time was Cross, when that later was going to be, I hadn’t decided. Knowing me, it probably would’ve been as soon as I got home after talking to Detective Brennan.

“Fuck, Bren!”

“They weren’t cartel.”

He was quiet. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay. That’s—that’s better, at least. But I have to ask, is there anything I need to know? And I’m saying anything. Anything weird. Anything odd. Anything that doesn’t make sense to you.”

I frowned. “No—” Drake. “Wait.”

“What? Wait, what? What?”

“Drake.”

“Ryerson? Your ex?”

“Yeah.” My heart was beating fast.

“What about him?”

I ran down the phone call to him, and again, my brother did one of his silent spells.

It took until I was pulling onto the block for the house before he said, “Bren. If it was who I’m thinking you recognized, then word did get to them who the witness was.”

“That cop said the case was done. That the cartel wouldn’t let him testify—”

“But the information was correct. They’re like the cartel. They don’t let loose ends stay loose. You know what I’m saying, right?”

Fuck.

My palms were sweaty.

My heart was trying to beat out of my chest. “Channing—”