Page 39 of Grayson’s Challenge

Virginia’s forehead furrowed. “Then where else would they have been staying?”

“Probably some private lodgings. I did find that two American women in their twenties flew into Bern. But they weren’t from New York, they came from Alabama, though they changed planes at JFK.”

Cooper exchanged a surprised look with Virginia. “Hey Pearce, it’s Cooper. Were those the only American women who fit the age profile?”

“I’m afraid so. So, unless the two women who invited David and Zach to a cabin have been in Switzerland for more than just a couple of weeks, it has to be those two: Sharleen Harlow and Barbie Franklin.”

“Thanks, Pearce.”

“Pearce,” Virginia added. “Do me a favor: run their credit cards and find out where they used them last. And check their backgrounds.”

“Give me a few minutes. I’ll call you right back.”

Virginia shoved her cell phone back into her pocket. “If those are the women David and Zach met, then why would they lie about where they were from? And how would they even pull it off? David and Zach would recognize their accents easily.”

“Lots of people are good at pulling off different accents. Actors do it all the time,” Cooper said, shrugging.

He met Virginia’s gaze. “You’re right. Actors learn it so they can slip into different roles.”

“You don’t think—?” He didn’t finish his sentence.

“That’s exactly what I think.”

“Fuck! If they were hired to lure them somewhere remote, David and Zach would have been unprepared for an attack… We could already be too late.”

“We’d better find out where the car service dropped them off,” Virginia said.

It didn’t take long to access the records of the car service the hotel used. Cooper had to admit that Virginia’s ability to make herself invisible was handy. A few moments after getting an address, they were sitting in a stolen four-wheel drive heading south.

It was pitch-black on the street that was still covered in snow. Luckily, the car they’d stolen was equipped with chains, and the gas tank was full. The headlights penetrated the darkness, but it started snowing again, and it was hard to see where the road ended and the wilderness began.

Cooper was driving, thankful for his superior vampire vision. He drove fast.

Virginia’s phone rang. She set it to speaker mode. “Pearce? What have you got for us?”

“The two American women are adult actresses.”

“Adult what?”

“Porn stars,” Pearce replied, the sound cutting out for a moment. “…their agent and pretended I wanted to hire them. I was told they’re currently on a job abroad.”

“Oh fuck!” Cooper cursed. “You think they were hired to lure David and Zach to catch them off guard?”

There was some crackling in the line, then Pearce’s voice was back. “…assume that. Be care—” Pearce cut out completely.

“Pearce? You there?” Virginia asked. “Pearce?” She looked at her cell phone. “I just lost the signal.”

“Fuck!”

“Cooper, step on it. There should be a fork in the road in about two miles.”

“Okay, almost there. Left or right?”

“Right.”

The turnoff came too quickly, and Cooper had to turn the steering wheel hard to the right to make it. The back of the car spun out, but he managed to keep control of the car.

“In another three miles there should be a turnoff to the left.”