Flashback (Kendra Michaels #11)

Highcastle walked back to his town car and climbed into the backseat. The car pulled away from the curb, leaving Kendra and Lynch still staring stunned on the plaza bench.

“We have to find Chloe and Sloane,” Kendra said. “Fast.”

“I may have found something that will help us.”

Kendra stared at him. “When?”

“When we were in that factory. I told you I was able to get the contents of Williams’ phone, but his email was encrypted. I turned it over to a miraculous friend of mine based in Romania. She cracked it and sent the unencrypted email files back to me. That’s what I was looking at when you and Perry were talking to the building owner.”

“What did you see?”

Lynch pulled out his phone and showed her the email. “A booking confirmation for a charter boat trip leaving Catalina Island. The charter is for Williams and two other passengers, the day after Chloe and Sloane went missing.”

Kendra took the phone and looked at it. “Does it say where he was planning to go?”

“Afraid not. But it looks like they went to Catalina and hired a charter. We’ll have to contact the charter boat company and see if they know.”

Kendra smiled. “He took them there.”

“We don’t know that for sure.”

“But don’t you think it’s likely? He tells Chloe he has someplace safe for her, and within forty-eight hours he’s booked a boat charter that departs from Catalina, and she and her sister are gone.”

Lynch nodded. “I think it’s very likely. I’m just saying that it’s not enough to go to Griffin with.”

“Of course not. I’m just saying… We have to go to Catalina.”

“Even if Chloe and Sloane were with him, they may not be there any longer.”

“I know that. The fact that he booked a charter there makes it a strong possibility he may have taken them somewhere else from there. We need to find that charter service and find out where they went.”

“I agree.” Lynch punched a phone number. “And I have just the way to get there.”

“You know we have to bring Harley, right?”

Lynch looked back at his car, where Harley had pushed his snout out the slightly open back window. He sighed. “Yes, but I’m not sure that island will ever be the same.”

CHAPTER

16

Kendra and Lynch valet parked at the Hilton Bayfront and walked around the hotel plaza to a line of yachts lining the harbor. Lynch motioned toward a sleek blue craft that was almost stunning in its appearance. “There’s our ride.”

“Sure it is,” she replied. “Come on, how are we going to get there?”

“I’m serious. The Starshadow will be our home for as long as we need it. It belongs to a friend of mine. He’s in Brazil for the season.”

“Another one of your insanely wealthy and well-connected friends?”

“What can I say? I move in interesting circles.”

“Obviously.”

“Another friend down here has a yacht with a helicopter pad on the top deck, but I’d need a full crew to help me with that one.”

“You know, with a coupon, I think the Catalina ferry tickets are only forty-nine dollars.”

“I’m guessing that’s what Williams and the Morgan sisters took to get there, and their charter boat took them someplace else. But this cruiser will fit the bill nicely for us.”