Hawk turned the device over.
The battery and memory card were gone.
“They wanted the phone found,” Marcus said. “Just not anything inside it.”
Hawk looked at the wreck.
The vehicle had not proved Emily was dead.
It had been built to make everyone stop searching.
Carl lowered his voice. “There’s more.”
He told Hawk that the accident paperwork arrived already completed. A man from an unspecified regional office ordered local personnel not to photograph the body or request additional testing. When Carl asked why, he was told the victim had already been identified.
“Who signed the order?” Hawk asked.
Carl looked uncomfortable.
“Detective Adrian Vale.”
Hawk recognized the name.
Vale had handled the death notification.
“Where is he tonight?”
“I don’t know.”
Hawk placed Emily’s broken phone inside his vest.
“We’re going to the harbor.”
Marcus gripped his arm.
“We need help.”
“We have each other.”
“We also have a warehouse full of captives. That means medical care, evidence, and arrests. We contact the state investigative unit before going inside.”
Hawk’s jaw tightened.