Page 89 of Rescuing Ryder
Entering the dining room, Ryder showed the team what he discovered.
Their faces turned grim when he showed them the title of the book.
Saint returned to the team building with a broad description of the car the neighbor witnessed Claire entering. Ryder ran his hand through his hair as Matthew called out Klein’s last known address.
“Saint and Taco, head to Seattle. Check out the addresses. Whiskey, make sure the women congregated at Kassie and Chase’s. Count them,” Leo added as an afterthought.
“Don’t we need him here? What can the women possibly do?” Ryder’s voice rose in desperation.
Chase put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re relatively new to Serenity. There are things you don’t know about the women and if given an opportunity, they’ll hunt this man down themselves. We don’t want anyone else to fall victim. Don’t worry, Ryder. I know it’s easier said than done.” Chase threw Claire’s file on Kilner in front of him. “Kassie highlighted Claire’s handwriting and comments Klein made. Go through each one and see if you see a clue or any lead. Another set of eyes won’t hurt.”
Ryder nodded, relieved at being given something to do. He breathed in through his mouth and out his nose, concentrating on his chest moving up and down as Claire taught him. Then he went to work searching for any lead.
Minutes turned into hours and day turned into night. Ryder imagined every horrible detail of what she must be feeling or going through.
Saint and Taco returned from Seattle. Saint approached the table where Ryder, Chase and Leo laid out a map of Seattle and made crosses on places Klein mentioned in his notes. Saint glanced at him as he addressed Leo. “Klein left the practice six months ago.”
“Then how did he show up at the early release hearing?” Leo asked. When no answer came, Ryder wanted to throw something across the room. He felt useless all over again. He felt himself slipping but realized he’d do Claire no good if helost it. These men needed to focus on finding Claire. The older woman, Victoria, brought Kassie and Catherine down with food for the team. Somehow, it felt as if they were there to offer silent support for him. He knew until he saw Claire, nothing promised to comfort him.
Dr. Klein left the practice six months ago. Around the time Matthew guessed Kilner figured out a way to escape the mental hospital. Then how did he reappear for the early release hearing?
Leo’s phone rang and Matthew’s name flashed across his screen.
“Leo.” The leader put the phone on speaker.
“Klein held privileges at the mental hospital. Want to take a guess at his patient load?” Matthew informed the team. “Tex helped me sift through some of his records. He prescribed meds to Kilner known for putting people in a psychosis state. He merely visited and suggested things. At some point, I suspect Kilner caught on or became resistant to the drug.”
Ryder’s stomach felt tangled in a web of knots and his head pounded with each failed lead.
Shadow leaned over the table. “I visited the address listed on Klein’s bank records, employment records and taxes. It’s an abandoned house.”
Ryder closed his eyes, wanting to howl in rage. Didn’t they understand, she might be suffering or hurt right now?
Kassie shoved a cup of coffee in his hand while Catherine handed him a sandwich. When he started to put it down, he heard a dark chuckle from the older redhead, who Claire referred to as Victoria. She held Tori in her arms and yet still appeared threatening. “Eat, young pup. Claire will need you, and you’ll act like the rest of these porpoises and refuse to leave her side. She’ll need you.”
Catherine chuckled next to him as he appeared confused by Victoria’s comments. “Victoria calls the team porpoises instead of SEALs. She’s a bit of an antagonizer.”
Ryder glanced at the woman in question, who arched her brow and motioned toward his food.
Never tasting it, he swallowed the sandwich.
Leo slammed his fists against the table. Ryder went to see what they discovered.
“She didn’t disappear into thin air. Taco traced a car coming from Serenity into Seattle. It’s taking time to comb through all the street cams to see what direction he went. We discovered it parked inside a parking garage, which means he carried her somewhere or switched cars,” Leo explained.
“Where’s the parking garage?” Ryder asked as he bent to examine the map of Seattle.
“Taco found the car here. The window appeared smashed and he searched the vehicle. Nothing indicates Claire rode inside.”
Ryder recalled speaking with the bastard about where to eat in Seattle. He mentioned Pier 66 and Freemont Street. “Wait. He said something about seafood restaurants at the pier and eating close to Freemont Street.”
Kassie’s head jerked up. “He said Freemont Street?”
Ryder moved before her and searched her face. “Does it mean something to you?” he asked desperately.
“Claire stayed in an apartment there because she wanted to stay close to her mom. I went there a few times when she moved between offices.”
“Do you remember the address?” Ryder took her by the shoulders. A growl behind him warned him how fiercely protective Chase acted concerning his wife. Ryder removed his hands. “Kassie?” he pleaded.