“Yeah, well, I’m at the pizza place. You need to get down here. There is video evidence of him putting something on the pizzas last night, and I found a powder in his locker.”
“Son of a bitch. I’m on my way. Listen, the neighbor said he’d left hours ago and was wearing his pizza uniform. Is he working today?”
I turned to Bradford. “Is Conrad working today?”
“He was. He just left for his lunch break.”
I glanced at my watch. “Is it his normal lunchtime?”
“He got a call on his second cell,” Avery said.
“Second cell?”
“He said it’s reserved for his art contact.”
“Art contact? I was under the impression you guys were students,” I said.
“He claims to have a connection with some rich couple who pays him to buy art for them. He drops everything when they call,” Avery said. “He got a call and left in a hurry. He mentioned heading to the art gallery.” Avery walked over to the locker and gestured to the bag at the bottom. “He keeps his other cell in the outer pocket of that bag.”
My heart seized. Conrad was headed to the gallery. Fear and anger turned my insides to stone. The only thing that kept me rooted in place was knowing Stella wasn’t alone and that cops were protecting her inside the building.
Avery squatted next to me and reached for the bag to show me where, and I grabbed her hand, stopping her.
“You got some gloves?” I asked Bradford, who opened a supply closet and took some out, handing them to me.
I searched the outer pocket and found the cell phone stuffed inside.
I turned it on and hit Redial, pressing the phone to my ear.
After three rings, the voice mail picked up. The voice made my heart tighten. “This is Jenny. I can’t come to the phone right now…”
I hung up before listening to the rest of the message.
“You got a safe?” I asked George.
He nodded. “In my office.”
He took me to the office and opened the safe, where I put the phone and the white powder inside. “Detective Morrison is on his way. He’s the only one that is to get near that stuff, you understand?”
He nodded.
“And what if Conrad comes back before then? Should I try and keep him here?”
“Just act natural. The local PD will arrest him,” I said, heading to the door.
A look of panic crossed Avery’s face. I stopped and met her gaze. “Stella’s been good to you, right?”
She nodded.
“I think Conrad is trying to hurt her. So don’t call him after I leave.”
She nodded and swallowed.
I hurried for the door, and Avery ran after me. “Let me come with you to the gallery. I can help. He’ll listen to me.”
“It’s too dangerous,” I said, unlocking the SUV and slipping into the driver’s seat. She took off her smock and jumped into the passenger seat. “You need me.”
“What I need is for you to get out of my car. You’re wasting valuable time.”
