“I think we need to brace for the fact that we are far from the only ones who know that Brandi blabs for dollars. And it wasn’t long after you and Aug talked to her that you connected the dots on the setup and handed that shit to the police in an official capacity, which meant Hattie’s stalking stopped,” Jorge replied. “They took out two of their own. If Brandi becomes a liability, they wouldn’t blink in erasing her. And she might not be a bright bulb, but she knows this is ugly. So it might be her that decided on a new location that doesn’t include the Denver Metro Area or anywhere near it.”

If he was her, he’d be gone about ten minutes after he and Aug left her apartment.

He was not her, which was why he wasn’t stupid enough to be on her side of the game.

“So right now, dead in the water…again,” he finished.

“Yeah. For now,” Jorge confirmed.

Axl heard him, but he was focused on something else.

He’d found Hattie’s note.

As well as other.

“Lee’s got guys on the camera work,” Jorge said in his ear as Axl moved to his dresser. “Lynn’s feeds will come into our monitors. Heidi’s will go to Nightingale.”

“Right,” Axl murmured, staring at the top of his dresser.

“That’s it for tonight. Meet tomorrow with all the players to brief and reassess,” Jorge said. “Nine, at our offices.”

“See you there,” Axl said distractedly.

“Right, brother, uh…you good?”

Axl stared at the picture frame by Jordan’s flag, more precisely what was in it, and said, “Yeah, I’m great. Hattie left me a present and I just found it.”

“Cool.” Jorge sounded amused. “Later.”

“Later, man,” Axl said and disconnected, eyes still to the picture.

They’d been on leave.

They’d taken it in the Keys.

Beach bar.

A babe in a bikini top and short sarong who had a thing for Jordan took that shot of them.

Three inches taller than him, Jordan had been fucking around, got Axl in a headlock.

They were both pretty significantly drunk and laughing.

During that vacation, they’d sprung for separate rooms.

It had been a good call.

That night, Jordan had tagged the girl in the sarong.

Axl had spent the night, and the rest of his leave, hooking up with a tall blonde who gave shit head and he’d discovered had fake tits. But it wasn’t a bust because she was seriously funny and she was a local, so she knew all the best restaurants.

Call him crazy, but he’d take laughs, good food and good company during a vacation fling over good head and real tits any day.