Flashback (Kendra Michaels #11)

She nodded. “You and me both.”

At that moment, a black Lincoln town car swerved in front of them and abruptly stopped. Lynch had to jam on his brakes to keep from hitting it. “Shit!”

The town car’s back door opened, and an elderly man in a turtleneck and a blazer stepped out. He looked up and down the deserted side street, then waved to them.

“What’s he doing?” Kendra said.

“Saying hello.” Lynch gave a slight nod back. “I know him.”

“From where?”

“From work. That’s Joseph Highcastle, former attorney general of the United States.”

The man walked toward them with a stiff gait and stepped around to the driver’s side window. “Mr. Lynch, Dr. Michaels… I would very much like to speak to you. If you would like to join me in my car, I promise to take only a few minutes of your time.”

Lynch nodded. “Sure. But not in your car.”

“I assure you that—”

“Downey Square is a couple of blocks down on the right. We can talk there.”

Highcastle shrugged and walked back to his car.

“You don’t trust him?” Kendra asked.

“I trust very few people in this world. It doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

They followed Highcastle’s car to a corner plaza adjacent to one of the city’s largest office buildings. They parked on the street and climbed out of their cars. Highcastle motioned toward a bench across from a low fountain, and Lynch nodded. They joined him on the bench.

Highcastle leaned toward Kendra. “Pleased to meet you, Dr. Michaels. I assume you’ve been told who I am?”

She nodded. “Yes, Mr. Highcastle. I’ve just been filled in.”

Highcastle turned toward Lynch. “And it’s very good to see you again, Mr. Lynch.”

“It’s been a few years. I thought you were retired.”

“I am. I’ve been enjoying it thoroughly. But I occasionally help out where I can.”

“Is that why you’re here? Helping out?”

He nodded. “You two have been creating quite a stir.”

“Only in the best possible way,” Lynch said. “We’re just trying to find Chloe and Sloane Morgan.”

“Or were they creating a stir, too?” Kendra blurted out.

Highcastle smiled. “They were, actually. But I have nothing but admiration for those two young ladies. They’ve been incredibly persistent in investigating their mother’s murder. I think their efforts have been so inspiring that a former government employee recently revealed some extremely sensitive information to them.”

“Information like the Dayton Group?” Kendra asked.

“Among other things. The man’s name was Justin Setzer. I’m sure his heart was in the right place, but it immediately placed the Morgan sisters’ lives in great danger. And his own. He was murdered shortly before those women disappeared. And it might just place your lives in danger.”

“How?” Lynch said. “Tell us about the Dayton Group. What are we up against here?”

“I don’t suppose you’ll just accept my warning and let it go at that.”

“Not on your life,” Kendra said.