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“Cohen bought her the test.” Owen Bridges’ voice came through the phone clearly. They were using Cole’s encrypted cell phone to discuss the case. “I found it in his credit card statements.”
“You ran a financial check on my cousin?” Gennessey shivered when a cold chill scurried down her spine.
She sat in the chair in front of where BB had been pacing. When he placed his strong hand on her shoulder, she jumped at the sudden contact.
“It’s just routine. No one’s suspecting Cohen of anything. We’re gathering information.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I know. It’s just weird.”
Wings’ voice boomed out through the room, deep and loud. “So maybe the couple talked about it. He surprises her with a kit. She thinks what the hell, she’ll give it a try. She sends it in for kicks. Makes sense to me.”
“Me too,” Cole agreed. “We know the results triggered something with the U.S. Marshals, and they halted the test. Autumn receives inconclusive results, but she’s getting ready for her wedding. She decides it doesn’t matter, and she focuses on her upcoming nuptials. Cohen was the only other one who knew she took the test, so how could anyone else know she was Big Tommy’s daughter?”
Isobel offered an answer. “We haven’t been able to find out. Tristin and I tried talking with contacts with the Marshals, but they stonewalled us. They’re closing ranks over this and aren’t too happy we’re looking into it. We’ve been warned off the case.”
“Fat chance of that.” Wings said the words Gennessey was thinking.
“It supports the theory there’s a mole inside the Marshal service. They aren’t going to be a reliable source, but that’s still a big question we need answered. We need to consider other sources,” Cole mused. “What about the wedding? Any chance we found video footage that could give a shot of everyone at the wedding?”
“All the cameras were pointed at the couple and wedding party and not at the back where Gennessey saw the shooter,” Owen answered.
“So how did you end up seeing the shooter?” Cole asked Gennessey.
“I was scanning the area and noticed movement in the bushes. Something about it felt off, so I kept watching until the sun glinted off the gun barrel. Then I reacted. I yelled the warning. Cohen grabbed Autumn, and I pushed them both down.”
“Why scan the area? Were you expecting trouble?” Sam asked.
“Just habit, I guess. I mean, how many of us always do a visual sweep of the perimeter when we’re somewhere?”
The men all nodded. The habit was part of their training and, in this case, was one which proved beneficial.
“I saw the reflection about the same time she did,” BB said. “I saw her fixate on something, and I was curious about what got her attention. I turned and saw it a second before she yelled the warning. Then I went in pursuit. The gunman was fast and must have had a car waiting. The escape was too smooth for him – or her - not to have had an escape plan.”
“And the plan included knowing how to stay off the grid. Being a residential area, there were no traffic cams to pull video footage from. I even searched the neighborhood for a video doorbell or some kind of residential security system which might have picked up the car, and there was nothing,” Sam explained.
“What about the footage of Autumn leaving the hospital?” Gennessey asked.
“I’ve looked it over a couple of times,” Owen interjected. “A car waited for her outside the main entrance. It drove west out of the parking lot. I figured it was an Uber, but when I hacked her phone, I couldn’t find the app or a phone call to a ride share service. She did receive a text and a phone call right before she left. The text came first and said answer the phone. The call came next from an unknown number. Probably a burner phone. I’m still trying to trace the number, but there’s been no luck so far. I tracked Autumn's cell signal for the first few miles away from the hospital and then nothing. Either she turned it off or ditched it.”
“How are we supposed to find her?” Gennessey mused aloud. “How do we even know if the Irish mob is involved in any of this? Maybe it was a delusional ex-boyfriend trying to stop the wedding? Or…I don’t know. But there’s so little evidence to go on. I don’t know what to think.”
“That’s why I’ve been digging into the O’Banion crime family,” Isobel said. “He has some slick attorneys on his payroll, and they’ve managed to put off his trial for a while. He’s out on bail, which makes no sense considering the charges against him, but I guess they felt comfortable releasing him since he agreed to electronic monitoring. From everything I’ve found out, O’Banion is sticking to the rules of his release. He has enough guys working for him though to handle his dirty work, so he can stay clean until his trial. But according to my sources, O’Banion has a hit out on Big Tommy. A quarter of a million dollars for a lead on his location or, better yet, Big Tommy’s head on a platter.”
“What is it with mob guys and their stupid nicknames?” Wings mumbled, and Gennessey managed a weak smile at his attempt to lighten the heavy conversation.
“Was the shooting an attempt to draw out Big Tommy or to send a message to O’Banion?” she asked.
“How do we know Big Tommy is even aware Autumn is his daughter?” BB queried. “Sure, the Marshals know. But I doubt they told him. If he doesn’t know, why would an attempt on her life draw him out? Would he even care? And how would he find out when no one’s determined where he is?”
“I don’t think we’ll find answers until we find Autumn.” Gennessey wrung her hands. “Could she be behind this? I mean, I ran a background on her and her parents, but nothing like this came up. Obviously, I should have dug deeper.”
“No looking back.” Even over the phone, Jay’s commanding presence as the leader carried through. “Second-guessing serves no purpose. What do we do now?”
“Trace Autumn’s movements over the last few days,” Zane offered. “She could have been contacted by the unknown number before.”
“Zane, you and Sam work with Owen on that. What else?” Jay demanded.
“Millforth is a small town. There can’t be a lot of places for Autumn to disappear to where someone wouldn’t see or know.”
