Page 83 of Keeping Zita

But the cops weren’t going to let him within ten feet of the man. They were currently holding him on some bullshit charge…Obi-Wan didn’t know what it was, nor did he care. All he cared about at the moment was fucking finding Zita.

It was time to call Tex back. He’d given him plenty of time to find something. Obi-Wan was done waiting.

As if thinking about the man had conjured him out of thin air, Obi-Wan’s phone rang. One look at the screen confirming it was Tex.

Wanting some privacy to talk to him, he walked down the hall that led to the bathrooms and kept going, right out into the bright sunshine. He had the fleeting thought that it was weird how beautiful it was outside, when it felt dark and dangerous inside his head. It should be raining, gloomy, a fucking piss-poor day. Instead, the birds were chirping and singing…and it felt like an afront.

Not to mention, remembering the last time he was out here, with Zita, felt like a dagger to his heart. He could almost feel her arms around him, as they’d been when they stood in this very spot and talked. When she’d calmed him down after Carmen had shown up at the bar unexpectantly the first time.

“Did you find her?” Obi-Wan asked, the second he opened the connection on his phone.

“No, but I’m finding out some interesting info. Did you know that Silas and Carmen still communicate?”

Obi-Wan didn’t, but he wasn’t surprised.

Tex didn’t give him time to respond, just kept talking.

“They’ve been texting nonstop since she left. I don’t have the transcripts of what they’ve talked about yet, but I’m working on it. They’ve also spoken on the phone at least once a day. Except in the last twenty-four hours, when all communication seems to have stopped. As if the idiots think that not speaking to each other for a day will somehow indicate they’re both innocent. Also, Silas’s phone was turned off for about eight hours yesterday. Starting at four in the morning until almost noon.”

“Zita was taken around five-fifteen or so.”

“Yeah. So I can’t track him using cell towers, but Carmen St. James isn’t the only person Silas has been talking to recently. He’s got quite an extensive list of buddies who have questionable morals. I tracked the numbers he’s texted in just the last two weeks, and they include three men who were arrested for armed robbery, one for conspiracy to commit murder, two for soliciting underage girls, and another who’s currently in jail. Was picked up just last night for fraud.”

Obi-Wan grunted. Again, he wasn’t surprised.

“Silas was hired by the studio because he doesn’t have a record. So when they did a background check, he came back clean. He’s had quite a plethora of past jobs as well, mostly security guard gigs. Department stores, a scrapyard, and his latest gig, before being hired as Carmen’s bodyguard, was a bouncer for a nightclub downtown.”

Obi-Wan was having a hard time keeping his cool. Why was Tex telling him all this shit? The only thing he was interested in was any information on Zita.

“My point being, this guy is shady as shit. He could’ve used any one of his criminal friends to help him. I’m sending you a picture. Check your texts.”

Obi-Wan was two seconds away from hanging up. He needed answers, and Tex wasn’t giving him any. Still…he took his phone from his ear and clicked on his text messages.

The picture that filled his screen made him gasp in shock.

It was Silas Graves. A booking photo. Dated yesterday. And the man had obviously been in one hell of a scuffle. He had scratch marks all over his face. As if someone had raked their fingernails down his cheeks. Not only that, but his eye was swollen and bloodshot. He looked like shit.

Zita had done that. He knew it down to his bones. Zita had fought like the devil. He was prouder of her than he could put into words, but the picture didn’t lessen his worry one iota. His woman was tiny compared to Silas. If she’d done this kind of damage to him…what had he done to her in return?

He heard Tex saying his name through the speaker, and Obi-Wan slowly brought the phone back to his ear. “I’m here.”

“That’s his booking photo. The cops aren’t letting him go anytime soon, not with the evidence clear as day on his face that he’s been in one hell of a fight. I have no doubt whatsoever that he took Zita. I’m working as fast as I can to try to get transcripts of his texts and to track down the assholes he spoke to right before his phone was turned off. Oh, and one more thing…Carmen St. James is on her way to Norfolk. She landed not too long ago.”

“She’s here. Or was. Don’t know if she is anymore.”

“What’d she want?”

“Me,” Obi-Wan said with no conceit. “Said she left as soon as she heard Zita was missing. Offered to help in any way she could. Basically saying she’d throw money at the problem.”

“Hmmm. How’d she know she was missing?”

“That was my question too. Rumors fly fast and hard on movie sets, but shooting in Virginia is done, and she’s been back in LA for two weeks. And it’s not as if the producer who’s still in town would call to let her know the set medic has gone missing.”

“Unless Silas called to let her know the job was done.”

Obi-Wan clenched his teeth. He didn’t like the finality of those words.

“Right, sorry,” Tex added at Obi-Wan’s silence. “And also sorry my warning about her arrival is too little, too late. But I’m on her too, by the way. If she had anything to do with this, she’s going down. Don’t care how rich or famous she is.