“Billy Kidd,” Asa supplied when I blanked. “I’ll check the second recording for credits.”
Less than a minute later, he came back with confirmation the same agent had done all the camera work.
“The Bureau called in multiple teams.” Clay watched his screen, a deep line bisecting his wide brow. “It’s not surprising one guy, let alone a junior agent, got stuck with the drudgework.”
Grasping at straws, I was grasping at straws, and I didn’t care. We had no other leads. We had nothing.
“Get the Kellies to draw us a timeline of Billy Kidd’s movements the last few days.” We could start there. “If they push back, tell them we have an eyewitness account. Our suspect is, or might be impersonating, a Black Hat agent.” I had another idea. “Can you pull up a photo of Agent Kidd?” I flipped through my files and hit pay dirt. “I’ve got one of Olsen.”
In seconds, Asa emailed me the image, and I carried my laptop to where Colby sat in her rig.
“Hey, punk.” I tested a theory. “Can you look at a couple of pictures for me?”
The quick swivel of her eyes toward me confirmed she had been listening in and not playing her game.
Given what she had been through, I didn’t have it in me to scold her for disobeying me.
“Yeah.” She removed the headset. “What kind of pictures?”
“Nothing bad,” I rushed to assure her. “I have two headshots of possible suspects.”
“Okay.” She studied my screen when I pivoted it toward her. “I don’t recognize either of them.”
I didn’t ask her if she was sure. I didn’t want to pressure her into making a false ID to please me.
“Thanks.” I lifted her headset. “Try turning this on next time.”
Her antennae drooped at having been caught, but she didn’t apologize, and I doubt she obeyed me.
Kids these days.
This was why I wasn’t cut out to be a mother. I could do the auntie deal, but parenting was too hard.
Back at the table, I joined the others and shook my head, though I was sure they overheard us.
“She cleared Olsen and Kidd.” I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but disappointment pushed it out of me. “That doesn’t mean much, as far as Olsen is concerned. We don’t know who took over his identity.” That brought me to another salient point. “And, if there are two of them, they might both be wearing masques.”
Humans had it so much easier. Their criminals’ disguises were laughable in comparison to the magic that allowed skilled practitioners, in multitudes of disciplines, to fundamentally change their appearance on a whim. Some paranormal creatures, like fae, were even born with the skill as camouflage to protect them from human detection.
But it also made it twice as hard to pin a crime on them without DNA evidence left at the scene.
“The Kellies checked in.” Clay had his phone in hand, but his gaze swung to mine. “Kidd is MIA.”
A tiny flame of hope kindled in my chest. “How long?”
“He hasn’t been back to work since the day we examined the third crime scene.”
“Okay.” I itched to jump up and pace. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“They’re going to check flight manifests and car rental services, see if they can pin down his movements. It says here they checked his hotel. His room was empty. There were no signs of foul play. He appears to have left of his own free will.” Clay frowned. “They’re sending a unit to his house in Oregon for a welfare check.”
“What about his partner?” I couldn’t recall his name. “Does he know why Kidd bolted?”
“Their hotel was booked solid. A fishing tournament.” Clay shook his head. “They had separate rooms on different floors. Both singles. No suites available. The senior agent went to check on Kidd when he failed to show at the car.”
“And found the room empty,” I finished for him. “Are there security cameras at the hotel?”
Kidd was a warg. He couldn’t cloak himself and walk out unnoticed. He would be visible.