“Yes. Remember how to get to the mini-mart?”

“Sure.”

“How long will it take you to get there?”

“About forty-five seconds.”

Drex thought about it, then chuckled. “Who figured it out?”

“Mike. Said you had to be inside the house because a woman couldn’t possibly have dressed that fast.”

Talia had changed into jeans, a black t-shirt, and a rain jacket with a hood. A small bag hung from her shoulder. “You’d be surprised,” Drex said and winked at her. “We’ll meet you at the mini-mart.”

“You don’t have to go there. We’re on the next street. Where you and Talia had a four-minute chat that morning after I let you out at the mini-mart.”

“You sly dog.”

“Don’t get caught.”

They clicked off. Drex motioned to Talia’s bag. “I hope you chose well. I don’t know when you’ll be able to come back.”

She walked over to the nightstand and worked her wedding ring off her finger. With a plink, it landed on the crystal tray. “I’ll never come back.”

As they exited through the kitchen door onto the screened porch, Drex paused to set the alarm.

“Why are you doing that?”

“To piss off Rudkowski when he comes back.”

“He’ll know you’ve been in here.”

“That’s the beauty of it.”

“What’s with the two of you?”

“Long story. I’ll tell you sometime.”

He wasn’t as confident of making an escape unseen as he’d made out to be to Talia, but it had begun to rain harder. That helped. Plus he had cut through the lawn and the green belt enough times to know what areas of the back of the property were visible from the street in front.

Gif’s sedan was parked where he’d said it would be. He and Talia scrambled into the back seat, shaking off rainwater. “In the nick of time,” Gif said. “A convoy of squad cars just went through that intersection behind us.” He headed in the opposite direction. “Where to?”

“Just away,” Drex said. “Let me think.”

“We got a room at a suite hotel,” Mike said. “Within minutes of checking in, I figured out you’d never left the house. Where did you hide?”

Drex told them.

Mike grumbled, “Should’ve remembered that space from the floor plan.”

As though sparked by that comment, Talia spoke for the first time. “I’ve remembered something.” She turned on the seat toward Drex. “Were you watching us that day before we went to the airport?”

“Like a hawk.”

“Jasper went to the country club to swim that morning.”

“He left at ten something.”

“The time isn’t so important. Did you see him return?”

“I saw him pull into the garage, around—”

“But you didn’t see him?”

“Only the car.”

“I don’t think he came back with his gym bag.”

“Maybe he left it in the trunk of his car.”

“He didn’t. I was with him when he loaded our suitcases for the airport. The bag wasn’t there.” She leaned forward and said to Gif, “Do you know where the country club is?”

“No, but I can take directions.”

She told him the first turn to take, then said to Drex, “I have the code to his locker. He left his wristwatch in it once. I was at the club having lunch with a couple of girlfriends. He called and asked me to retrieve his watch. He didn’t trust the attendant with the code to his locker, so he gave it to me, then alerted the attendant that I would need brief access when no one was in there.”

“He might have changed the code since then.” That from Mike.

Talia said, “It’s worth a try.”

“How will you get into the men’s locker room?” Drex asked.

“Can’t you tell that I’m on the verge of a meltdown, worried sick over what’s become of my husband, frantic over the failure of the authorities to find him? Possibly there’s something in his locker that would prove helpful to the search. Who’s going to deny me access?”

Mike harrumphed his opinion of the plan. Gif raised his eyebrows in the mirror. Drex grinned. “I’m rubbing off on you.”

“God help us,” Mike grumbled.

She insisted on going in alone. “If we all go, it’ll look like a parade and call attention.”

“Not all of us have to go. Just me,” Drex said. “If I’m with you, and someone denies you access, all I have to do is flash my—” He broke off.

Talia gave him an arch look.

Gif offered to go in with her. “If the occasion calls for it, I’ll use my badge.”

“Since you’re not stupid enough to have surrendered it,” Mike said, turning his head to glower at Drex. “Still, somebody should go with her.”

She addressed the back of Mike’s head. “So I won’t skip out on you?”

“Just sayin’. Somebody should go.”

By the time they’d reached the country club, it had been decided that Gif would accompany her into the clubhouse. As she got out at the entrance, Drex wished her good luck and squeezed her hand. He waved off the valet and took Gif’s place behind the wheel. “I’ll park over there.” He pointed out an area of the lot.

Talia was recognized by staff, but all seemed shocked to see her looking so bedraggled. Her trek through the green belt in the rain had contributed to the overall impression of a woman in desperation.

The attendant on duty at the desk outside the men’s locker room seemed downright alarmed. “Mrs. Ford?”

“Hi, Todd. It is Todd, isn’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He was young. Gauging by his physique, he availed himself of the club’s weight room often and for hours at a time. “Any word about Mr. Ford?”

“No. Which is why I’m here. Is anyone in there?”

“In the—?”

“The locker room, the locker room.” With impatience she thumped the countertop in beat with her words. “I need to go in there.” For good measure, she made her voice thready. “I want to check my husband’s locker. Maybe something he left in it will—”

“It was empty.”

“What?” Talia said with genuine dismay.

“Two detectives already came.”

“When?”

Todd scrunched up is face. “About an hour ago, I guess. They had the club manager open your husband’s locker. It was empty. Saw inside it myself.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but Gif stepped forward and laid a cautioning hand on her shoulder. “They explained that to her, Todd. Or tried to. Sergeants Locke and Menundez?”

“I never got their—”

“Was Special Agent Rudkowski with them?”

“The third guy? I think he was their boss.”

“Yes, he thinks so, too. They assured Mrs. Ford that her husband’s locker was empty, but she’s, uh, terribly distraught, as you can imagine. She insisted on checking it for herself. I volunteered to bring her.”