Page 133 of Until Joy

“Locked in a bathroom,” Z said. “No food, no water. Hardly moving. Brought it so July could take a look.”

“It’s Rosebud. That bitch!” July stormed over to the carrier and knelt down, making soft cooing sounds. The kitten mewed in response, pressing against the bars.

July's voice carried the protective instinct that made her such a good veterinarian. “We'll get you fixed up.”

“Any word from London?” I asked.

Evan looked up from his computer, excitement and frustration warring on his face. “That's the thing. We just got confirmation that the original stalker was apprehended in Scotland four days ago.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. “Four days ago?”

“He attempted another kidnapping in Edinburgh. Same MO as Dublin and London, matched the description Joy gave them. Scottish police caught him in the act.”

“Son of a bitch.” I ran my hands through my hair. “If they'd told us four days ago, we would have known to look elsewhere.”

“Yeah, well, bitching about that now isn’t helpful,” Wes said.

“Hey,” Kayan said into the heavy silence. “What about her ex-boyfriend Rob that we told you about. Any word on him?”

July nodded. “She said he was possessive and controlling. That they'd broken up recently.”

“Here's the weird thing.” Evan pulled up a screen full of search results. “I've been through Glenda's tablet, her social media, her email accounts. There's no mention of anyone named Rob or Robert. No photos, no messages, nothing.”

“Maybe she deleted everything after the breakup,” Kayan suggested.

“This deep? I'm talking about cached files, deleted emails, browser history. It's like this guy never existed in her digital life.”

Cobi walked over from where he'd been studying crime scene photos. “Could be she made him up. Created a fictional boyfriend to seem more normal.”

“I could see that,” Kayan nodded. “Everything about her is fake, why not a fake boyfriend.”

“But not totally fake,” July interjected. “She would have made up something about some real live guy she fixated on, like Joy.”

“Yeah,” Kayan said excitedly. “You’re right.”

“So, a neighbor maybe,” Evan said thoughtfully.

“Or a coworker.” Cobi nodded.

“Give me a minute.” Evan started furiously typing.

Evan's fingers flew over his keyboard. “Pulling up Glenda's employment history now.”

Minutes passed while Evan searched and cross-referenced databases. I found myself pacing the small space, my ribs protesting with each step. The pain helped keep me focused.

“Got something.” Evan's voice cut through the tension. “Robert Chen, age thirty-four. Worked in the same accounting firm as Glenda for eight months last year.”

“Where is he now?” Wes asked.

“Dead.” Evan's voice turned grim. “Hit and run accident. Never found the driver.”

Kayan's sharp intake of breath made everyone turn toward her. “When exactly?”

Evan checked his notes. “Middle of May.”

“Be more specific,” Kayan shot out the question. “And tell me the day of the week.”

He looked down at the computer. “Friday, May fifteenth.”