Page 60 of Juan

He watched as Anthony, dressed in slacks and a button-down, poured himself a drink and walked to the tall windows that looked out onto the backyard. Three hours ahead of California, soft evening light filtered through the lush trees, casting the manicured lawn into shadows. Juan had spent his childhood moving around from house to house on the East Coast. He could almost smell the sweetness of cut grass and new growth that, in the humidity of late spring, hung in the air, heavy and thick.

Anthony’s phone rang and he glanced over, as if debating whether to answer, before walking to the counter and picking it up. He looked at the screen, muttered something Juan couldn’t catch, then answered.

“Hey, babe,” he said. Juan frowned. Was it a call from Johanna?

“I know,” he continued after listening. “I’m sorry I had to cancel, too.” The man did not look sorry. The set of his jaw and the tightness in his eyes suggested annoyance more than sorry. “No, don’t come over. I’d worry that you’ll catch whatever stomach bug I have.” He took a sip of his whiskey. “Sipping ginger ale like you suggested,” he said. Juan narrowed his eyes. Anthony looked as if he enjoyed lying to the woman on the other end of the line. “I’ll be fine in a day or two, Johanna.” Juan sat up. Not that sitting up would make him hear better, but he did it anyway. “Then I can take you to that new French place Marcel recommended in the city. I know how much you like French food.” The man was setting himself up to have some breathing room from Johanna. Was it because he didn’t enjoy her company? A very real possibility. Or because he needed a few days to do something else without her popping up? Although what that could be, Juan didn’t know. So far, Anthony had made no moves to leave the area where he lived, and there was no indication he knew they were investigating him.

“Look, Johanna, I appreciate your concern, I really do,” he said, swinging away and walking back to the windows. “But I’m going to head to bed in about fifteen minutes and will probably be crashed out by the time you get here. I just need to rest for a few days.” Silence filled Juan’s AirPod as Anthony took another sip of his drink. “I appreciate that. I’ll check in with you tomorrow,” he added before ending the call and tossing the phone on a nearby table.

Not that they needed it, but they now had proof of Anthony and Johanna’s relationship. Although given the bugs and cameras weren’t exactly legal, they couldn’t do much with that information.

Anthony downed the rest of his drink, then poured another. The doorbell rang as he capped the decanter. He glanced at his watch, then walked to the front door.

Juan followed his progress through the various cameras Toni installed. Anthony didn’t hesitate when he reached the foyer and opened the door. He’d been expecting whoever stood on the stoop.

“Calder,” Anthony said, shifting back to let his guest in.

“Ely.” A tall, gaunt man stepped inside and waited until Anthony shut the door. He wore a suit that fit his rail-thin frame perfectly, and his sharp eyes, set in a face that was all bones and angles, and which seemed at odds with his thick sweep of gray hair, swept the space.

“Drink?” Anthony asked, leading him into the sitting room to the right of the foyer. It was the kind of room that begged for a Christmas tree to be decorated and lit, visible for the neighbors to see and enjoy. But between the line of privacy trees at the front of the property and the drawn curtains, no passerby would see a thing in that house. No doubt, a conscious choice by Anthony.

Calder shook his head and walked to the mantel. He didn’t lean against it as Juan thought he might, but rather stood, feet shoulder-width apart, hands crossed in front of him, shoulders straight. A military man. Or a former one, Juan would bet.

“What do you have for me?” Anthony asked, taking a seat and leaning back. His forearm rested on the arm of the chair, and the tumbler dangled from his fingers. He gave the impression of a man trying to convey his power through appearing unbothered. But even Juan saw the tightness of his grip on the glass, the tap of a finger on his knee, and the slight tension in his shoulders. He doubted Calder missed it either.

“There was a confirmed sighting of the two women and the little girl in Montana.” Juan straightened as Calder delivered the report. “They weren’t registered at any of the local campgrounds, but the diner in town had CCTV we managed to gain access to. All three look well,” he added. Calder’s eyes stayed fixed on Anthony, as if studying his client’s reaction, making Juan wonder what he’d been told about this search. And if he was beginning to doubt whatever story he’d been given.

With his back to Juan, Anthony’s physical reaction wasn’t visible to him, but his verbal response told him enough. “When?” Sharp, demanding.

No interest in the welfare of the three people he’d obviously tasked Calder to find. It didn’t surprise Juan at all, but he wondered what Calder thought of it. Judging by the slight tic of the man’s right eye, he wasn’t feeling the love of a man searching for people he cared about.

“Three and a half weeks ago.”

“Where’d they go after that?”

“Still unknown. But given they seem to be heading west, our search area is narrower, and it will get easier to find them.”

Anthony drummed a finger on his tumbler. Calder remained standing, reminding Juan of a butler awaiting his master’s orders.

“They are definitely headed west?” Anthony asked.

“They’ve created a seemingly random trail, but if we clear out the noise, they are definitely headed west.”

Anthony muttered something.

“I beg your pardon?” Calder said.

“They’re headed to California.”

“Do you want me to narrow my search there?”

Juan’s blood turned to ice. He didn’t think he was wrong in his assessment that Calder might be reevaluating his client, but he didn’t like the idea of Anthony sending anyone anywhere near Amber, Zoe, Clara, or Adrian. Nor did he like the idea that Anthony knew Amber was in California in the first place. The divorce had been completed through a series of intermediaries, each designed to disguise her whereabouts. He’d have to let Mantis know that somewhere in that chain, someone leaked information they shouldn’t have.

“And expand it to include Amber Murray.” Juan was reaching for his phone before Calder acknowledged the request with a nod.

“Any particular place?” Calder asked.

Juan paused.