“You think Hennessey might’ve manipulated him, got him to take out Brenda?”

  “Possible.”

  Harris took a moment before continuing. He tapped his pen against his notebook. “Cundiff’s been laying low, but we’ve had our eyes on him. He’s definitely a person of interest, even more so now.”

  Reese clenched her fists. “If Mark is involved, we need to find him. He could be the missing link in all of this. What if he knows Hennessey’s plans? Or what Brenda was close to cracking?”

  Ben placed a reassuring hand on Reese’s shoulder. “We’ll find him. But we need to be smart about this. Rushing in could get us killed.”

  Harris looked at each of them. “I’ll help as much as I can, but we need to keep this quiet. If word gets out, it could jeopardize the entire investigation.”

  Jack took a deep breath as his mind raced ahead. “We’ll split up. Reese, you focus on gathering more information about Mark Cundiff. Talk to anyone who knew him and Brenda. Don’t go near him, though. We’ll handle that as a team. Ben and I will look into other connections Brenda had. Someone has to know something that can help us.”

  “I’ll start with Brenda’s close friends. They’re most likely to know Mark as well. Maybe they’ve noticed something off about him recently.”

  Ben glanced at Jack. “We should also go through the information on the USB drive. There might be something we missed that can point us in the right direction.”

  As they prepared to leave, Jack pulled Reese aside. “We’re going to find out who did this, Reese. Brenda deserves justice.”

  Reese’s eyes filled with tears. She wiped them away. “I know. I’m not stopping until everyone is brought to justice.”

  15

  After a few hours of sleep, Jack and Reese sat in the dimly lit cabin, the USB drive plugged into Ben’s laptop on the table between them. The glow from the screen cast shadows on their faces as they sifted through the documents they had retrieved. The tension in the air was palpable.

  “We need to dig deeper into Cundiff’s background,” Jack said. “There has to be something that ties him to Brenda’s death aside from the obvious.”

  “I’ll start with his criminal record. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

  They worked in silence for a few minutes, each of them absorbed in their task. Reese pulled up Mark’s criminal record. Her brows furrowed as she read through the list of offenses. “Assault, battery, restraining orders... This guy has more of a history of violence than I was aware of.”

  Jack leaned over to look at the screen. “And look at this. He was arrested for stalking his ex-girlfriend before Brenda. It’s a pattern.” Jack clicked on another document, his eyes narrowing as he read. “He was obsessed with Brenda. Threatened her multiple times when she tried to break things off.”

  Reese’s jaw tightened. “She only mentioned him threatening her once. I had no idea it was this bad. This guy is dangerous. And if he was willing to go that far with Brenda, who knows what else he’s capable of?”

  Jack closed the laptop and stood up. He walked over the window, peeled the curtains back. The sun was rising. “We need to talk to Brenda’s friends. They might have noticed something off about Mark recently.”

  Reese grabbed her jacket and followed him to the door. “Let’s start with Sarah. That’s her best friend since childhood. She’s most likely to know if something was going on.”

  “I spoke with her the other day. Maybe she’ll have more to say now.”

  They drove to Sarah’s house. Jack knocked on the door, and a moment later, Sarah answered, her eyes red from crying.

  “Jack, Tanya,” she said, her voice trembling. “Come in.”

  They followed her into the living room and sat down. “Sarah, we’re so sorry for your loss,” Reese began. “We need to ask you a few questions about Brenda and Mark Cundiff. It’s important.”

  Sarah nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. “I’ll do anything to help. Brenda was my best friend.”

  “Think about everything she ever told you,” Jack said. “Anything you might have forgotten last time I visited you.”

  Reese leaned forward. “Did Brenda ever mention any recent interactions with Mark? Anything that might indicate he was threatening her?”

  Sarah wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Brenda told me Mark had been following her more frequently. She was scared. He sent her threatening messages, saying she couldn’t escape him. She tried to get a restraining order, but it didn’t stop him.”

  Jack exchanged a glance with Reese. “Did Brenda ever mention anything about Mark being involved with someone else? Maybe someone who might have helped him?”

  Sarah shook her head. “No, she always said Mark acted alone. But she did mention seeing him talking to some shady characters around town. She thought he might be getting involved in something dangerous. Said she spotted them near her house, too.”

  Jack and Reese exchanged a look, the implications of Sarah’s words settling heavily between them.

  “Shady characters?” Reese said. “Did she ever describe them or mention any names?”

  Sarah hesitated a moment as she searched the ceiling for answers. “She said they were well-dressed, like businessmen, but there was something off about them. She thought one of them looked familiar, like she’d seen him around town before.”

  Jack leaned in. “Did she ever mention the name Hennessey?”

  Sarah’s eyes widened. “Yes, she did. A few times, actually. And she recently told me she saw Mark talking to a man who looked like Hennessey outside a bar. She thought it was strange, but she didn’t think much of it at the time.”

  Could that be the link they were looking for? Was it enough that Brenda had confided to Sarah that she’d seen two men who might want her dead?

  “What else did she tell you about Hennessey?” Jack asked.

  “Not too much. I know he’s involved in some of the things Brenda was crusading against.” She leaned back and rubbed her eyes. “Do you think he’s involved in her disappearance and murder?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Reese said. “Is there anything else you can recall?”

  Sarah shook her head. “I’m just in such a state of shock. I can’t believe she’s gone.”

  Jack offered her his hand. “Sarah, thank you. You’ve been incredibly helpful. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  Sarah wiped away her tears. “Please, find out who did this to Brenda. She didn’t deserve any of this.”

  Back in the car, Reese looked over at Jack. “If we can prove Hennessey and Mark are connected, we can blow this whole thing wide open.”

  “Let’s get back to the cabin. We need to go through the information on the USB again.”

  Back at the cabin, Jack and Reese pieced together the information they had gathered. Jack spread out the documents on the table. The dots were there, they just had to connect them.

  “Mark’s history of violence, his obsession with Brenda, the threats, it all fits. But we need more. We need to find a direct link between Mark and Hennessey.”

  Reese picked up a photo of Brenda and stared at it. Her eyes teared up. “Brenda knew something. She was close to uncovering the truth, and it got her killed.”

  Jack placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I think we need a one on one with Mark Cundiff soon.”

  16

  Jack and Reese sat in the car outside Mark Cundiff’s rundown apartment. The parking lot was full of older vehicles, all of which were dented and dinged. The sunlight did little to help the appearance of the dilapidated building. They had been watching for a while, seen Mark enter and exit his apartment, never going far. The time had come to confront him.

  “Are you ready for this?” Reese asked, her eyes fixed on the entrance to Mark’s apartment.

  Jack nodded. “He’s likely to be defensive and might try to bolt. Or worse.”

  They stepped out of the car and made their way to Mark’s unit. The apartment complex was in a state of disrepair, with peeling paint and overgrown weeds. They climbed the creaky stairs to the second floor and found Mark’s door. Jack knocked firmly.

  A moment later, the door swung open, and Mark stood before them, his eyes narrowing as he recognized Reese. “What do you want?”

  “We need to talk,” Jack said. “It’s about Brenda.”

  Mark’s face contorted with anger. “I’ve already told the cops everything I know. I didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance or death.”

  “We’re not here to accuse you,” Reese said. “We just want to hear your side of the story. Can we come in?”

  “You’re not cops,” he said. “Why should I talk to you?”

  “You’re right,” Jack said. “We’re not. And that means we don’t have to play by their rules. Talk to us now, or I’ll make you talk to us later.”

  Mark hesitated, his eyes darting between them. Finally, he stepped aside and allowed them to enter. The apartment was a mess, with empty beer cans and dirty clothes strewn about. The air was thick with the smell of stale cigarettes.

  “Make it quick,” Mark muttered, slumping into a worn-out chair. “I’ve got nothing to say to you.”

  Jack and Reese took seats across from him. “We know about your history with Brenda,” Jack said. “We know about the threats, the stalking. We also know she saw you talking to some dangerous people. We need to understand your relationship with her and what you know about these men.”

  Mark clenched his jaw and exhaled loudly. “I loved Brenda, okay? But she didn’t want anything to do with me after we broke up. She got that restraining order. After that, I stayed away. I only followed her to make sure she was safe. I never hurt her.”

  “Why did you feel you needed to make sure she was safe?” Reese asked.

  “Because of things,” Mark said.

  Reese leaned forward. “What about Hennessey? Brenda saw you talking to him. What was that about?”

  Mark’s face paled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know any Hennessey.”

  “Don’t lie to us,” Jack said. “We have witnesses who saw you with him. We know Brenda was onto something big, something that got her killed. You need to tell us what you know.”

  Mark shifted in his chair, his eyes darting around the room. “I told you, I don’t know anything. I’m just a guy trying to get by.”

  Reese stood and paced to the front door and back. “We’re not leaving until you give us something. If you’re innocent, you have nothing to fear. But if you’re hiding something, now’s the time to come clean.”

  Mark’s hands clenched into fists. His knuckles turned white. “Look, all right, I talked to some guys. They offered me money to keep tabs on Brenda, to find out what she knew.”

  “That’s how you kept her safe?” Jack said.

  “I swear I didn’t know it would get her killed!”

  Jack’s eyes locked onto Mark’s. “Who were they? Names.”

  “I don’t know their real names.” Mark’s voice was trembling and tears welled in his eyes. Were they for Brenda, or was he scared he was next? “They called themselves ‘associates’ of Hennessey. That’s all I know. They paid me, and I did what they asked. But I didn’t hurt Brenda.” He lowered his head and stared down at his hands. “I didn’t know they would.”

  Reese glanced at Jack. “You’re coming with us, Mark. We’re going to get to the bottom of this, and you’re going to help us.”

  Mark’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Fine. But I’m telling you, I didn’t kill her.”

  “Let’s go,” Jack said, guiding Mark out of the apartment. They made their way back to the car, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

  As they drove back to the cabin, tense silence filled the car. Jack kept glancing at Mark through the rearview mirror. The man seemed to grow more nervous by the second.

  “Why are you so jumpy?” Jack said.

  Mark stared out the window. “I’m not jumpy. I just–I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t sign up for murder.”

  “You said these men approached you,” Reese said. “Why would they pick you to spy on Brenda?”

  Mark shrugged, his voice shaking. “I don’t know. Maybe because I was close to her once. Because I knew her routines, her habits.”

  Jack pressed on. “You said they paid you. How much? And how often?”

  Mark hesitated, then muttered, “A couple thousand. Every few weeks.”

  Reese’s instincts kicked in. “What did they expect in return for that kind of money?”

  “Information,” Mark said. “They wanted to know where she went, who she talked to. I mean, these guys were more obsessed with her movements than me.”

  Jack’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “And you never questioned why? Never thought about what they might do with that information?”

  “I swear, I didn’t think they’d kill her. I thought they were just, I don’t know, business rivals or something.”

  “She’s a teacher. What kind of business rivals would she have?”

  “You know, all that eco-warrior shit she’s involved with.” Mark clenched his eyes. “Was involved with.”

  Reese exchanged a look with Jack. “This isn’t adding up. We’re missing something.”

  When they arrived at the cabin, Ben was waiting outside. He took one look at Mark and nodded. “Get inside. We need to talk.”

  They all filed into the cabin, and Ben closed the door behind them. The atmosphere was tense, the weight of their discoveries hanging heavy in the air. Ben gestured for everyone to sit down.

  “I’ve been going through the USB drive while you were out,” Ben said. “There’s something you all need to see.”

  He walked over to the laptop and pulled up a folder on the screen. “These are financial transactions. Large sums of money being moved between shell companies. And look here,” he pointed to a document, “payments made to a ‘Mark C.’”

  Mark’s face went slack. “I didn’t know they kept records.”

  “Of course they did,” Reese said. “They need to keep their associates in line.”

  Ben continued. “There’s more. I found communication logs—emails and messages between Hennessey and his associates. They discuss Brenda’s investigation and how close she was getting to uncovering their operations. Hennessey ordered her to be ‘dealt with.’”

  Jack’s expression darkened. “So it’s confirmed. Hennessey is behind this.”

  Reese turned to Mark. “Do you see now? They were using you. You were never safe.”

  Mark buried his face in his hands. “I didn’t know. I thought I was just spying. I didn’t think they’d kill her.”

  Ben crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on Mark. “We need everything you know about these men. Names, places they meet, anything that can help us take them down.”

  Mark nodded, still shaking. “I’ll tell you everything. There’s a warehouse on the outskirts of town. That’s where they meet sometimes. And there’s a guy named Marcus. He’s one of Hennessey’s top men.”

  Jack stood up. “We need to act fast. We’ll go to the warehouse, see what we can find. Ben, stay here with Mark. Keep him safe.”

  Ben nodded. “Got it. Be careful out there. Hennessey’s men won’t hesitate to kill if they’re cornered.”

  17

  Jack and Reese drove in silence as they approached the edge of town. The landscape became more industrial, the buildings larger and more spread out. Their destination, a seemingly abandoned warehouse, loomed in the distance. Jack parked the car a safe distance away, behind a line of trees that offered some cover.

  “Are you ready for this?” Jack asked.

  “We have to be. If Mark is right, this might our best chance to gather solid evidence against Hennessey.”

  They exited the car and moved through the woods. The warehouse was surrounded by a tall chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, but Jack spotted a potential weak point.

  “Over there.” He pointed to a section of the fence that looked less secure.

  Reese nodded, and they moved toward the spot, staying low to avoid detection. Jack pulled out a pair of wire cutters from his bag and snipped through the links, creating an opening large enough for them to slip through.

  Once inside the perimeter, they paused to assess their surroundings. The warehouse was a massive structure, with a few small windows high up on the walls and a single large entrance at the front. The area was quiet, the only sound being the distant hum of machinery from a nearby factory.

  “Let’s stick to the shadows,” Jack said. “We don’t know what security is like here.”

  They moved cautiously, staying close to the walls and using the sparse cover to their advantage. As they reached the side of the warehouse, Jack checked a door. It was locked, but not heavily secured. He pulled out a set of lock-picking tools and got to work. Within moments, the lock clicked open.

  “After you,” Jack whispered, pushing the door open slightly.

  Reese slipped inside first, followed closely by Jack. The interior of the warehouse was dimly lit, with only a few overhead lights creating pools of light on the floor. The air was thick with dust and the faint smell of oil. Given the large doors on either end, Jack figured they might repair farm equipment here. They moved through the large open space, their footsteps echoing softly on the concrete floor.

  They began their search, moving through the rows of shelves and storage crates. Jack’s flashlight beam cut through the darkness. There were stacks of old machinery and boxes labeled with cryptic codes.

  “Look over here.” Reese pointed to a small office space enclosed by glass walls at the far end of the warehouse.

  They approached the office, looking inside to ensure it was empty. The door was unlocked. They stepped inside. The office was cluttered with papers, ledgers, and a few old filing cabinets.

  “This looks promising,” Jack said. “Start with the desk.”