Page 110 of Fatal Mistake
He flipped through Tara’s drawings and noted a bright red circle drawn around a small hole located in the same place as the one he observed on June. Okay, so Tara must have seen it in Keeler’s drawing this way, and the hole wasn’t an error. Cal needed to see the x-rays of June’s device to determine a reason for the hole. Problem was, he didn’t have them.
He’d left June’s farm before the tech had finished taking x-rays, and when Cal called to follow up on his lack of an e-mail copy, the tech had said they were having internal server issues, and he couldn’t forward them on until the issues were resolved. If that didn’t happen in the next fifteen minutes, Cal would pick them up himself.
His cell rang, and hoping it was the tech now, Cal eagerly grabbed his phone. Brynn’s name popped up instead.
“Tell me you have something for me,” he said.
“It’s a long shot, but maybe.”
“Go ahead.” He wished she was in D.C. rather than at the lab so they could talk face-to-face, but a call would have to do.
“I was waiting for a DNA sample to process and started looking at Keeler’s journals. I—”
“I’ve read those things cover to cover and back again too many times to count,” he interrupted, and continued pacing. “So has Shane. You couldn’t have found anything we missed.”
“It’s not Keeler’s words that are intriguing me. It’s the paper.”
Cal came to a stop. “Say what?”
“I noticed that the pages of the two most recent books were more textured than the paper found in mass-produced journals. So I analyzed a sample of the fibers. I discovered it’s treeless paper made from grasses and bamboo. This type of paper is frequently produced in India.”
India. Cal’s heart started pounding. “We think one of the switches Keeler used could have come from India,” he said. “If the paper is from there as well and we find a place where the import of both items intersect, we might find Keeler.”
“Okay, good.”
“You’re brilliant! If you were here, I’d kiss you.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m not there.” She laughed, but he could tell she was proud of her discovery, and well she should be.
“I’ll get Kaci on searching for a connection right away.” He almost ended the conversation, but stopped. “Thanks, Brynn. I mean it. Thanks a lot.”
“Yeah, well, name that lovely child after me that you and Tara are going to have someday.” Laughing, she hung up.
“Kaci,” Cal shouted as he rushed across the room. “I have a lead, and you’re just the person who can save the day.”
* * *
The cold PVC pipe rested against Tara’s neck. Ironic, she thought, when it contained items that if Oren so chose would combust and create a swirl of fiery warmth.
He bent over her wrists and snipped the zip ties. “There. Now that you know I can end your life at any moment, you won’t do anything foolish, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
Really? Did that thought actually make sense in his twisted brain?
“So you plan to kill me,” she said, no longer avoiding the elephant in the room.
“I have no choice.”
“Because of your belief that I’m promiscuous.”
“No, no, you cleared that up for me.”
“Then why go through with it?”
He sat in a chair facing her. “Because of the hold you have on me. You distract me from my cause. I can’t let that happen.”
Unbelievable. “I have to die because you can’t control your thoughts.”
He jutted out his chin, the scraggly whiskers catching the overhead light, making him appear even more evil. “Everyone who doesn’t embrace our beliefs will die eventually. So why not now?”
