Page 44 of Isabelle’s Forbidden Love

“It’s still our best lead.” Samson scrolled through his contact list and tapped on Gabriel’s number.

After the first ring, the call was connected. “Samson? How close are you?”

“We’re just getting off the freeway. Thomas called. Orlando bought a ticket to Montreal on Canadian Airlines. Go to the International Terminal. Check with the staff at the ticket counter, and see if he ever went through security. He might have never boarded the plane. Thomas is trying to find out. Use your gift, if you have to.”

Gabriel’s gift was unique: he could see into people’s memories to see what they had seen.

“All right,” Gabriel said.

“The rest of us will split up. Amaury, you will sweep the arrivals level, Haven, head for the tunnel that leads to the BART station. When we’re at the terminal, Cooper and Benjamin will sweep the garages for his car, and I’ll meet you inside the departure terminal. Everybody know what to do?”

Everybody replied in the affirmative, and Samson disconnected the call.

* * *

Cooper dropped Samson off just outside the main entrance to the international terminal, and Benjamin hopped onto the passenger seat, before they drove into the first of the two garages for the terminal.

“Do you believe it?” Cooper shook his head. “Orlando killing Hong and Jessica?”

“I didn’t see it coming,” Benjamin replied. “But Samson wouldn’t initiate a manhunt, if he didn’t have any evidence.”

Cooper shrugged, while he drove slowly through the rows of parked cars in search of Orlando’s Hummer. “Do you think he might just be overreacting a little because Isabelle is sleeping with Orlando?”

Benjamin whipped his head to him. “Where did you hear that?”

“I was up on the executive level earlier, dropping something off for Quinn, when Isabelle and Samson practically had a screaming match going, so I ducked into another office to get out of the line of fire. But I heard Isabelle say that Orlando couldn’t have killed Jessica. Apparently, she’s his alibi.”

“Whoa! So Damian isn’t totally wrong after all. I’ll have to tell him.”

“Wrong about what?”

“My dear brother noticed how Orlando looks at Isa. Apparently, all lovey-dovey. Well, I didn’t wanna believe him. I mean, can you picture Orlando all lovey-dovey?”

“Not in a million years,” Cooper said. “And what does she even see in him? I mean, the guy barely talks. I can’t get more than a couple of grunts out of him whenever I see him.”

“Yeah, he’s not a chatty one, is he? But a killer?” Benjamin rubbed his neck. “I don’t know. Isabelle is too smart to fall for a cold-blooded killer.”

“Exactly. Plus, you know what else doesn’t gel?”

“What?”

“The night Hong was killed, Orlando was on duty at the Mezzanine. I was there,” Cooper said.

“You saw him the entire time?” Benjamin asked.

“No, but honestly, somebody would have noticed if he’d been gone for an hour. Patrick would have flipped a lid if the entrance wasn’t manned. Has anybody even checked his alibi?”

Benjamin shrugged. “I wasn’t asked to, because nobody told me he was a suspect. If you ask me, all this is a little weird. We should talk to Isabelle.”

“Yeah, we should.” Cooper stepped on the brakes. “There it is, Orlando’s Hummer.”

He switched off the engine and got out. Benjamin had already reached the driver’s door of the Hummer when Cooper came around the van.

Benjamin opened the car door. “Not locked.” He dipped his head inside.

Cooper went around to the other side, and opened the passenger door. Together they quickly examined the car. Cooper found a cell phone below the passenger seat, and Benjamin pulled the car key from beneath the driver’s seat.

“He dumped the car here,” Cooper concluded. “And he wanted us to find it.”