Page 103 of Fracture

The next night, Lorelei was waiting for Vinnie to get home from work when her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but she knew there were likely people whose numbers she never saved, so she answered it.

“Hello?”

“Lorelei?”

“Yes. Can I help you?”

“I hope so. I wanted to meet with you again. You said to call if I had new information. I have something to share with you. Something you’re really going to want to hear.”

Lorelei closed her eyes. The memory came back in a rush, too fast for her to capture it all. Too much.

“You were there,” Lorelei breathed.

“Where?” the woman asked.

“I… I was kidnapped,” Lorelei admitted.

“What? When?” she gasped.

“I… When we met before. My memories have been slowly coming back.”

“Wait, you have amnesia? You don’t know who I am, do you? Oh, God, how do I know they didn’t flip you? You could be working for the other side.”

“I’m working for the FBI. I’m not a double agent.”

“Isn’t that what anyone would say? I never should have called you.”

“You said you have information. That it’s something I would want to hear.”

The woman was silent. Her soft breath was the only sound coming through the phone.

“Are you still there?”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“I was the one who was kidnapped. How do I know you weren’t involved?”

She gasped. “I would never.” A soft sob came through the line. “I went to you because you said you would always fight for the right people. That you wanted to stop the people who’ve been killing and kidnapping others.”

“I do. I’m still trying to do that.”

“You don’t even know what you’re looking for.”

“It sounds like you do.”

The woman sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly.

Lorelei waited. She knew this was the informant she spoke to the night she was taken. More memories were trying to fight to the surface, but she needed to set a meeting with this woman. She needed her to trust Lorelei.

If she was involved, she could lead them to whoever was in charge. If she wasn’t, she had information that could help. Either way, Lorelei needed to meet with the woman.

“You can tell me what you want to say over the phone,” Lorelei prompted. It was never a good idea, and it wasn’t something she’d ever advise anyone. If they were sharing information, there was a chance their phone was being monitored by someone. But if the woman refused to meet, Lorelei was willing to take the chance.

“You said never to do that. Always meet in person. Never share information that could blow up an investigation over the phone.”

“Then we need to meet.”

“Fine, but it has to be tonight. I don’t want the people who took you to come after me.”