“This is Sunita Cadre. Sunita, these are the experts I told you about. Don’t worry. Go ahead and charge the credit card I gave you for all your rooms tonight. This person,” he indicated Yael, “will be looking at your computer system and making copies of your reservation list and any security footage for the last few days.”

Sunita bit her lip. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“You won’t have any,” Alex promised.

Shane flashed his gold FBI shield and Sunita’s eyes went huge but then she seemed to relax. The woman nodded, processed Alex’s payment, then leaned over and turned off the vacancy sign.

“Did you happen to note any men staying here Tuesday night?” Shane asked.

Sunita frowned. “I’m not sure. We have a man booked into unit eleven for a week. He checked in on Tuesday evening but I haven’t seen him yet. My shift normally ends at six p.m.,” she explained. “I don’t generally run the desk at night but our nightwatchman called in sick yesterday morning and couldn’t work last night, so I had to take over.”

“You spoke to him?”

She shook her head. “He texted me.”

Shane got one of those feelings in his gut, one that told him things weren’t looking good for the nightwatchman.

“Can I get his name and contact info?” Shane asked. “I’d like to talk to him. And any information you have on all your guests from Tuesday would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.”

She pulled the contact information for the nightwatchman from her cell and wrote it on a yellow post-it.

Shane took it and read the name. Wayne Stockwell. “Thank you. We may need to interview you further so if you could remain available?”

Her mouth turned down at the corners and she backed away a step. She must know it wasn’t good when the FBI turned up on your doorstep.

“I need to check on my kids.” As soon as she’d moved into the next room, she closed the door.

Alex lowered his voice. “Cops found a white van this morning that matched the description you gave from yesterday, burned out on a rural road about two miles from here. They called the Bureau immediately. FBI has an Evidence Response Team retrieving the vehicle and taking it back to Quantico for forensic examination.”

Shane knew there was more.

“I got a hit on a cell phone number that bounced off a tower near where the van was dumped and then off another tower here in town about an hour later. The phone went dead shortly after that.”

“He walked into town from where he dumped the van.” Shane slid his cast into his sling because the sooner his arm healed, the sooner he could strangle the EG with his bare hands.

Alex nodded. “Then presumably removed the sim card and battery and tossed the phone.”