Flashback (Kendra Michaels #11)

“Neither do I. My powers will be far more useful somewhere else right now.”

“Where?”

“Zeke’s Coffee, of course.”

A few minutes later, Kendra and Lynch walked into Zeke’s Coffee, a charming neighborhood shop with well-worn furniture that looked as if it could have been purchased secondhand. Lynch glanced at Kendra and nodded his head toward a camera mounted high in the back corner.

Lynch immediately went to work, charming the barista and her manager with small talk. Kendra could hardly believe it as she watched him coax those workers into giving him what he wanted. She’d always been aware Lynch could be as hypnotic as a snake charmer when he made the effort, and he was definitely making the effort at the moment. It took him only another five minutes before the supervisor ushered them back to the office to show the security camera video files on a laptop.

Lynch gave the manager the day and time as noted on Chloe’s phone’s tracked location. Fortunately, the video files were stored for thirty days before being automatically erased, so it only took a minute for her to scan back to the exact moment that Lynch had requested. There, on the laptop screen, was a clear image of a young woman sitting at a round table near the door.

“That’s Chloe,” Kendra whispered.

A moment later, a tall figure entered the shop, momentarily silhouetted by the bright sunlight outside. As the door swung closed behind him, the figure came into view.

It was retired detective Todd Williams.

He joined Chloe at her table as he looked at some documents she had spread in front of her. After a few moments, he folded up the papers and leaned close and spoke to her again, as if whispering. He stood and quickly left the shop.

Kendra and Lynch stared at the screen for a moment longer, watching as Chloe made a quick phone call, then stood and walked out the door.

Lynch turned and thanked the coffee shop employees for their assistance. He leaned toward Kendra. “I think we’re done here,” he murmured. “Unless there’s something else you want to see.”

“No,” Kendra said. “Let’s get out of here.”

They left the shop through the same door they’d watched Chloe and Williams use. “I have a feeling that your reality distortion field is already starting to wear off on those people. They’re realizing they’ve been conned. Is that why you didn’t ask for a copy of the video?”

“Have you no faith?” Lynch asked. “My phone interfaced with their laptop and downloaded the video file as we were watching it.”

“Naturally,” Kendra said.

“And as far as their willingness to help me goes, you’ve just seen a prime example of a citizen trying to maintain her basic freedoms with our humble help.”

“Humble?” Kendra repeated. “There was nothing humble about that display. It was pure camp and bull.”

“But effective,” Lynch said. “It showed us that Williams was lying when he said he hadn’t seen Chloe or Sloane in years.” He led her toward his Lamborghini. “However, it’s only fair that you do your share to help out on the next bit of business. In the name of our partnership, of course. It’s the way that we should handle this.”

“What bit of business?” she asked warily.

“To Williams’ house for a pointed discussion with him.”

“I thought you were confident that your powers of persuasion—or bullying—would work with him.”

“Part of that ability is knowing the best approach to apply in any given situation. And I could see that you made a much more favorable impression on Williams than I did. You’re clearly the best one to talk to him about his rather obvious lie. I’ll wait outside again.” He tilted his head. “Make sense?”

She sighed. “Yes. I’ll talk to him. But I still think the staff of that coffee shop is already seeing through your bullshit.”

Five minutes later, Kendra left Todd Williams’ house and walked toward Lynch.

“That was quick,” he said. “Did Williams throw you out on your ear?”

“No. He isn’t there. I spoke to a very nice maid who cleans his house once every two weeks. She said he packed his bags and left town about an hour ago.”

“What?”

“You heard me. He left behind a note saying he wouldn’t be needing her services until his return at some unspecified future date.”

“Suspicious timing,” Lynch said. “This leaves us with zilch, unless you let me go and take a look around and see if Williams might have left something in the house that gives us a helpful clue. Naturally I’d be careful not to disturb anything that might fall in the category of evidence tampering.”