Player was grateful the two of them had such an intimate connection they could talk mind to mind. They would have an advantage if something went wrong. He didn’t like using her as bait to draw the thieves out, but he knew the robbers were getting desperate. Better to be ready for them, draw them out into the open, have them make their move on Torpedo Ink’s terms, than have to scramble to keep Zyah and Anat safe.
Once Zyah laid out her concerns to him, that Francine was the local snitch, he was certain she was right. He already had his suspicions about Terrie Frankle working with the thieves. He had no real reason, other than she had access to every household where the robberies had taken place other than Perry’s parents. He’d asked Jackson Deveau to check for him. The deputy had done so and confirmed Frankle had been the therapist for someone in each household.
Code had checked further to see if the therapist had worked in any of the other small towns where the robberies had occurred prior to Sea Haven. In every other case, Frankle had worked as a therapist. When she hadn’t, a man by the name of Lester Gibbons worked as a traveling therapist. They alternated. While Code was following that trail, apparently Jackson had been doing the same thing. It hadn’t taken much to convince Jonas and Jackson to let them give Frankle and the crew their shot at the Gamals.
Destroyer is in the house with Anat. Lana is on the roof across the street, and she never misses. Jackson Deveau is right there to stop anything, and Czar has the other half of Torpedo Ink watching over her. I’m telling you, baby, she’s safe. Just please stay close to Alena when you walk into the kitchen. We have no idea if they’ll take the bait, but if they do, that’s where it might happen.
Zyah suddenly stopped right at the door of the kitchen, pulling her phone from the pocket of her jeans and looking down at it. “Francine is calling me. She never calls. She always texts.”
“Answer it,” Steele commanded. He was used to running their operations, forgetting Jonas was also wired in.
“Act normal, Zyah,” Jonas counseled.
Zyah kept the phone close to her ear so the extremely sensitive wire in her ear could pick up Francine’s voice.
“You said to call if I needed you, Zyah. You have to come get me right now.” There was a sob in Francine’s voice. She sounded frantic—and genuine.
“What’s wrong? Where are you?”
“I was so stupid wearing Gran’s jewels. I was robbed. They beat me up. You have to come get me right now.” “Do you need an ambulance? Where are you? I can’t come get you if I don’t know where you are, Francine.”
“Are you at home?”
“No, hon, I’m at Crow 287. I’m interviewing for another job, but it doesn’t matter, I’ll come get you. Just tell me where you are. I can send someone if I’m not close enough.”
“No!” Francine wailed the denial so loud it hurt Player’s ear. “It has to be only you. I don’t want anyone to see me like this. I don’t know what I’m going to tell Gran. I wasn’t supposed to be wearing the jewelry. The insurance won’t cover it.”
Francine sounded like she was babbling. The way she went from sobbing to talking almost crazy to then insisting that Zyah come alone puzzled Player. He found himself nearly believing the woman, that she’d been robbed and was terrified and wanted her friend to help her. That she couldn’t get herself under control and didn’t know how to face her grandmother. God only knew what had happened to her or how severely the thieves had hurt her. On the other hand, why was she insisting Zyah come alone?
“Francine.” Zyah poured authority into her voice. “Honey, I need to know where you are. I’m coming to get you, but you have to tell me where you are. Do you need anything?”
“Promise me you’ll come alone. You won’t bring Player.”
“Why do I need to come alone? Why is that so important?”
Francine shrieked unintelligibly into the phone, her words nothing but gibberish, crying so loud that if Player could have easily done so, he would have removed his earpiece. He was fairly certain all of them would have. Why would she specifically tell Zyah not to bring Player with her? That raised all kinds of red flags.
“Calm down, Francine. I can’t understand anything you’re saying.”
“You have to come get me right now. Just you. Please, Zyah. I know I haven’t always been a very good friend, but I really need you. I’m at the headlands. You know where the blowhole is, right? Just there.”
Zyah looked up, straight toward the shadows where Player was concealed, her expression sorrowful. That particular spot was on the bluffs, overlooking the ocean. Down from the headlands, in the town of Sea Haven, Zyah’s grandmother lived on one street, and a street over, with the blowhole centered in between, was Francine’s grandmother’s home. Francine could easily walk to where she lived. In the time it would take for Zyah to drive from the restaurant in Caspar to the headlands in Sea Haven, Francine could easily be home.