The Betrayal of Lies by Debra Burroughs Read Free Book Online Page A

“Can I please talk to my wife? I need to know she’s okay.”
    “Don’t worry about her,” the caller said. “Worry about getting the two million dollars and delivering it on time.”
    The phone line went dead. Patrick slowly lowered his cell and stuck it in his pocket. Despair and uncertainty tugged the corners of his mouth downward. His eyes were red and dark shadows had begun to form below them.
    “Got it!” the tech yelled, giving Patrick’s expression a lift. “Looks like the phone signal is emanating from a rest area on Highway 21, just north of town.”
    “We’ll check it out, Mr. Murphy.” Emily placed a reassuring hand on the mister’s shoulder. Then she and Colin headed toward the front door.
    “I’m coming with you,” Isabel said, and the three of them dashed out.
    “What about the Governor?” Emily asked, stepping into the elevator.
    “With all those security vehicles filling the driveway,” Isabel said, “I think there are plenty of others here to take care of him.”
    They exited the building, ran to Colin’s vehicle, and sped off. He stayed in phone contact with the tech who guided them as they raced toward the location of the GPS signal.
    “Let’s just pray we find this guy and that Elise is okay,” Emily said, as they flew through town.
    Colin was still on the phone as he careened through the streets, lights flashing and siren blaring. “Has the signal moved?” he asked the tech.
    “No, it still shows the same location.”
    Colin skidded the car to a screeching halt in the rest area. The three jumped out, eyes darting around. The place was empty. Not a single car.
    Isabel drew her gun as she circled the small building that housed the restrooms and then entered the women’s side. Colin checked out the men’s, with his gun held close to his thigh.
    Emily, keeping her weapon low, methodically searched behind trees and around the vending machine kiosk. The three of them scoured the entire rest area, looking for signs of anyone, but the place was eerily empty.
    “Are you sure you sent us to the right place?” Colin asked the tech.
    “The monitor shows that’s where the signal is coming from.”
    They began frantically searching for the device, scanning the ground, rechecking the restrooms, looking on and under the picnic tables, around the vending machine kiosk, in the grass, at the curbing.
    Isabel looked in one of the trash bins and dug around in the garbage. “I found it!” she yelled as she uncovered the cell phone. Pulling on a latex glove, she plucked it out of the garbage and waved it in the air as Emily sprinted toward her. “It’s still on. Looks like the kidnapper wanted us to find it.”
    Emily studied it closely as Isabel held it out to her. “Oh great. It’s a burner phone, untraceable.”
    “Maybe, if we’re lucky, the forensic lab can lift some prints,” Isabel said. “I’ve got a few evidence bags in my purse.”
    “You really think they’d be stupid enough to handle it without gloves?” Emily asked.
    Isabel pulled a thick paper evidence bag out of her shoulder purse and dropped the phone into it. “We won’t know until we try.”
    “No one’s here.” Colin got back on the line with the tech as he monitored from the Murphy home. “But we did find the phone. It looks like a disposable. We’ll drop it by Nelly’s lab.”
    “Now what?” Emily asked Colin, after he stuck his phone back in his pocket.
    “We go back to Murphy’s place after we get that phone to Nelly.” He motioned to the women to get back in the Jeep. “Remember, Ernie said he had some info for us on Mitchell.”
    Isabel’s eyebrows raised with a quizzical expression. “Who’s Mitchell?”

Chapter 5
    On the ride back to the luxurious company apartment, Emily filled Isabel in on Jake Mitchell and his suspected involvement in the case. By the time they reached the building, the Governor and his entourage had left, but there were still a number of policemen and sheriff’s