Jack placed a call to the support team watching over Ruby and Zoe, then contacted the tech expert assigned to the investigation team. He got one of the team to pass on a message to Shoana that her phone would be returned.
Jack needed to know where Shoana’s phone was located and he needed to know urgently. He wouldn’t be getting to sleep any time soon.
<°)))><
Forty-five minutes later, Jack turned into the sleepy street lined with large trees. The trees gave the effect of entering a tunnel—a dark tunnel. He hadn’t noticed this on his last visit to the house. Had his perception changed? Was he viewing reality through a different lens—a spiritual, supernatural lens?
He sensed a coldness about the street. A chilly atmosphere. Yes, his perception had changed.
He passed a rugged-up man walking a large black dog. He turned the car into another dark, tree-lined street. The coldness remained. A jogger passed on the other side of the street. A few cars were parked in the shadows and someone stood at the heritage bus stop.
Jack parked his car and walked up the pathway to safe house number two. He’d texted Catherine and told her to catch up on some sleep just in case she needed to back him up later. A constable greeted Jack at the door and let him into the house.
Ruby and Zoe were watching the television and from the clear and slow voice coming from the box it had to be the early edition news. They both turned towards Jack as he entered.
“Where is he, Jack?”
No ‘hello Jack’, no ‘how are you’. He was tired and oversensitive. “Who?”
“The man who killed T1 and T2. The media are saying he’s still at large and warning people to be vigilant. They’re calling for witnesses. Is he still here, Jack? Or would he be gone?” Zoe asked.
Jack was about to answer when he heard the front door open.
“You expecting anyone else, detective?”
“Yep, just the tech expert we asked for. Just check their ID and let them in. Thanks.”
A tall girl dressed in black denim jeans with a white batman logo t-shirt walked in. “Detective Kinnaird?”
Jack hadn’t met this one before. “Yes.” Jack walked over to the technical expert. The saying about IT people having little time to think about clothes was true. Jeans and t-shirts were always the go-to uniform. “Welcome to the team.” He shook her hand.
“Believe you have a technical issue you’d like me to look into.”
Jack introduced Ruby and Zoe.
“Ruby, could I borrow your phone for moment?” Jack asked.
Ruby hesitated.
“We just want to check something.”
She picked up her phone from the coffee table and walked over to Jack. “I’ve been wanting to call Shoana, but I’ve been a good girl and resisted. Thinking about it, I’m surprised she hasn’t called to tell us about her trip up the coast.”
“Shoana says she’s lost her phone.” Boom. An alert signal went off in Jack’s head. “How do you know she’s up the coast?”
Ruby unlocked her phone, swiped and then tapped on an app. She showed Jack the phone.
A number of inverted-drop-shaped icons were displayed on a map. Ruby used her fingers and zoomed in on some icons to the map location they were in. Jack saw Ruby and Zoe appear in pop-ups. Ruby then moved to the icon on the map further north. Shoana’s head popped up.
“Guess you won’t need me now,” The technician said.
“Could I still borrow your phone, Ruby, just for a tick?” Jack asked.
Ruby obliged and Jack walked out to the front porch, indicating for the technician to follow.
A screeching noise caught their attention. Jack located the source: a tree branch pressing against the roof of the bus shelter. “So, Ruby’s phone is telling us Shoana is up the coast, but actually it’s not telling us where Shoana is—only where her phone is.”
A bus pulled up at the bus stop.
“Correct,” the technician said, “and I’m sure you know the important thing.”
“What’s that?” Jack watched the people disembark from the bus. Why his focus was on the bus he wasn’t sure.
“Whoever has the phone knows where these girls are as well.”
That comment brought his focus back.
<°)))><
Another bus pulled in. The same number bus he got off about half-hour ago. Toby watched it drive off, and sat down on the bench. It was an older bus shelter, from the days when catching buses was what people did because not everybody had a car. Now people liked to drive by themselves. To look after number one. He could understand that.
The house was smaller to the one they were in before—less flash holiday home, more suburbia. The front yard had a wire fence while the neighbouring front yards had brick walls. The bus shelter provided a good view of the house, so he stayed there. Less conspicuous, less suspicious. Just waiting for a bus and they didn’t run too frequently which helped his cause. But then not too many people would sit at a bus stop for half-hour. He best be careful.
Large trees lined the street, providing a green canopy and forming a dark shadowy tunnel. Night was approaching, but darkness got to this street well before its scheduled time.
He’d seen a car pull up at the house not long ago. A man had climbed out, had a quick look around, and rushed to the house. Not long after another car had pulled up. This time, a lanky chick got out of the car wearing a tee shirt with what looked like a bat symbol on her chest.
Another car sat across the street. Probably part of a surveillance team.
A big, black dog ran up and scared the living daylights out of him. It gave him a dorky look, with its tongue hanging out. Stupid animal was just seeking attention, or a friend. There was a leash attached to his collar. It had probably escaped from its owner. Tentatively, he patted it.
“Bit lost, hey?”
The dog’s tail worked overtime. Toby looked up. There were no panicky owners running up or down the street. In fact, there was nobody in the street except him and his new friend. He tried to shoo the dog away, but it just tilted its head as if to ask ‘why?’, and made itself comfortable next to his legs. He was sure the bus shelter shook when the dog’s body touched the ground.
The groan of a tree branch rubbing against the bus shelter made them both look up. The dog gave a woof and Toby gave him a pat.
“It’s just a branch that needs to be cut.”
The dog didn’t add to the conversation.
Toby looked over at the house. The dog’s puffing was echoing in the shelter but its heavy breathing was slowing down. Still no owner. He reached for the leash. The dog lifted its head off the ground, in anticipation of a walk.
“No, lie down.” The dog obeyed, and Toby tied the leash to the bench. Maybe the gods sent him the dog but he didn’t have a clue why.
<°)))><
Jack stared at the bus shelter. Was it the heritage look that drew his attention? A bring back the old times feeling but his thoughts returned to the man who had Shoana’s phone. He needed to find him.
