Page 61 of Lost Truth
“I think so, yeah.” He cleared his throat, but didn’t elaborate.
Okay fine.She’d give him a little information to get a little more from him. “Did you happen to run across a man named Kai Nakoa?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I did.” His tone grew more animated. “He seemed to be the money man for the Emerald Scorpion Group. Company’s registered in Delaware, but definitely has Chinese backing.”
Cady shot Hayden a glance and saw the same shock that swept through her when Fletcher mentioned the name of the group she’d discovered in the documents. “So you think Emei was smuggled into the country by this organization?”
“I do, though she was unable to identify any of the officers of the company or Kai Nakoa. But…” He let his voice drop off in a dramatic pause. “I dug into three other locals in this investigation too.”
Three? Only two suspects were on their radar, Palmer and Collins.
Cady worked on calming her nerves. If she seemed overeager, he’d know he had the upper hand. “Care to share their names?”
“Sorry, no can do. I don’t have actual names, which is why I couldn’t use them in my story. I only had code names from the dark web that I wasn’t able to connect to actual people.”
Oh man, if he’d only had names… But this was a lead nonetheless. “Can you email me the code names and the websites where you found them?”
“Sure, yeah, but you better hold true to your promise.”
The implied threat didn’t have any impact on her. Not when she was already planning to follow through on her promise. “I will, and if you can think of anything else that might help, include that in the email too.”
“Just like a reporter. Always wanting more and more and more.” He huffed and ended the call.
She flashed a look at Hayden. “That’s a start, right? With your computer skills, you should be able to do something with the code names.”
“Maybe.” He kept his attention on the road as he turned the corner. “The dark web is a whole other world. It’s tough to navigate and almost impossible to locate information. After all, it only exists to hide illegal activities from authorities.”
“Sure, yeah, I’ve run into that in my investigations, but it’s not impossible for computer professionals, right?”
He white-knuckled the steering wheel again. “I’ll give it my best shot, but I can’t promise anything. I have legit skills, if I do say so myself, but I’m an amateur compared to guys like Nick at Veritas. This might be another job for him.”
Please let one of them discover the identity of these local men.
“I know you’ll do your best, and if you can’t figure it out, you’ll call Nick.”
“No point in waiting to contact Nick. Not with Kai missing and these very dangerous people in his life.”
She didn’t need to know Kai personally for her stomach to twist at the thought of him in the hands of killers—imagining what he might be enduring, or worse, what terrible things had already happened to him.
She swallowed away the discomforting feeling and went back to reviewing the documents, only putting them away when they neared Palmer’s house. Hayden located a wildlife area with a dense cluster of trees that offered cover from the neighbors while still providing a clear view of the house.
“Nolan’s not here yet.” Hayden shifted into gear and grabbed his phone. “I’ll text Nick so when you get the info from Fletcher, we can send it right to him.”
He thumbed his phone, and Cady took a long look at Palmer’s expansive house perched on a hill overlooking the ocean. Stone steps led up to the two-story building featuring double-height windows with tall shutters, all fronted by a large, perfectly manicured lawn.
The guy had money. No doubt. Question was, did it come from human trafficking or from his work as a lawyer? If the lawyer, then was there someone else in the area with CAP initials? Actually, the person wouldn’t even have to be from the area. Deciding the handkerchief belonged to Palmer was a long shot. One she didn’t have a lot of confidence in at the moment.
Were they better off reviewing the documents in further detail, or for Hayden to search for the men behind the code names shared by Fletcher than watching this guy?
Hayden’s phone chimed. “Nick’s on board.”
“I hope I get to meet him and offer my thanks.”
“That can probably be arranged.” He looked up at the rearview mirror. “Nolan’s pulling up behind us now. I’m going to greet him.”
He didn’t suggest she should stay in the vehicle, so she slid out too, bringing the documents with her. She paused to take in the bullet-riddled vehicle, stifling a gasp that might tell Hayden how afraid she’d been in the shooting. She ran her finger over a sharp hole in the rear door. Then over another one. A shudder ran through her body.
She couldn’t let Hayden or Nolan see how the damage upset her, or they might suggest she go back to the inn and not participate in any of the missions. She couldn’t have that happen. Not at all.
