“A truck matching the description of the one on the office building security footage was following Bowie’s SUV. The driver was a Bowie employee. Shotgun was the off-duty cop. When the SUV turned for the airport, the truck followed. SacPD was called. A cruiser tried to stop the truck, but it pushed it off the road and sped away. The two cops pursued. They were instructed to wait for backup, but did not. They were shot in the head. One of the bodies was missing his shirt, vest, and gun belt. The truck is still on the scene, along with the two bodies.”

“Belmont,” Tom said grimly. “And the cruiser? Did he steal it?”

“He did, but didn’t take it far. It was found on the shoulder of Airport Boulevard with the body of a young woman in the back seat.”

“Fucking hell,” Tom whispered.

“You have all the information. I’ll expect you to be at the scene as soon as you can.”

Tom had bounded down the stairs and was already in his own vehicle. “Sir? Mercy’s birthday party tomorrow is at the Sokolovs’ house. If Belmont followed Bowie Security’s SUV, he was in the Sokolovs’ neighborhood.”

“I’ll tell them to cancel the party.”

“I think it’s too late for that. All of the guests were to have arrived by now. They’re all in the Sokolovs’ house. Rafe Sokolov hired the off-duty cops as security. Ten of them. I hired six more of Bowie’s employees. I think we should have Bureau presence on the Sokolovs’ perimeter. If Belmont tries again, we can find him.”

“I’ll arrange it,” Raeburn promised.

Tom started his engine. “Do we have an ID on the victim left in the cruiser?”

“Not yet. Belmont destroyed her phone and she had no other ID. Midtwenties, Caucasian, and dead. That’s all we know.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll be there in thirty or less.”

TWENTY-TWO

GRANITE BAY, CALIFORNIA

SUNDAY, MAY 28, 3:15 P.M.

I’m glad that you came today,” Irina said, sitting on the sofa beside Liza. The Sokolov house was brimming with people, Mercy’s party in full swing. “I feared you would not.”

“I almost didn’t,” Liza admitted, watching Abigail play with Irina’s grandchildren. Liza had retreated to one of the quieter corners. “But I didn’t want to hurt Mercy’s feelings.”

“You have a good heart, lubimaya.” Irina gestured to the children sitting in a circle on the floor playing a card game. Abigail was listening to the rules with the attention of someone learning the nuclear codes. “I’m so glad that she’s having fun.”

“She was nervous,” Liza murmured. “Wanting to be ‘normal.’ She had a meltdown this morning. She’d insisted I put her hair in rollers overnight, but a few of them came out and her puppy stole them. One side of her hair was ringlets and the other was like cooked spaghetti.”

“So you fixed it?” Irina asked fondly.

“I did. It didn’t take long. Just took a curling iron and most of a can of hair spray.”