Cold Snap by Allison Brennan Page B

would have guessed older, just from the way the kid held himself. “Thanks for your help, Jazz.”
    “Eyes open, it’s been a weird night already.”
    Before Patrick could ask him what he meant, Jazz slipped away.
    He walked back to the car and pulled out his laptop. He sent Jaye a note to dig as deep as legally possible into Christopher Lee and TK, a clothing manufacturer in San Francisco, focusing on finances. Any business that regularly imported or exported could easily run drugs. Patrick had seen it quite a bit in San Diego because of the proximity to the Mexican border, but any city with a port was particularly vulnerable.
    On the map, TK was only half a mile from the teen center. It was definitely worth checking out the facility. He closed his laptop and put it under the seat.
    He considered going there without Elle, except that he didn’t know what Kami looked like, and she had no reason to trust him. He didn’t want to spook her. At least he had a viable lead to share when Elle came out, instead of trying to find the drug dealer who might want her dead.
    As Patrick watched the teen center, he saw several male youths approach the entrance, then lurk. Jazz knew about the situation with Elle and Kami; there could have been others who did as well. Someone could have tipped Lorenzo off that Elle was inside the building, alone, asking questions. Jazz and his friends knew Patrick was here; no one else did.
    He turned off the overhead light in the car and slipped out, quietly closing his door. The center itself was well lit, and the thugs didn’t seem to care if they were spotted. They were definitely waiting for someone. Patrick could see six, but because visibility was low, there could be more out of his sight. Jazz and his friends hadn’t come back out. It was eleven-thirty, and the center would close soon.
    Patrick decided he needed to be bold. He didn’t know if one of these kids was Lorenzo, but he doubted it. No one seemed to be a leader, they were all just … waiting. Patrick strode toward the doors without saying a word as he passed. They remained silent as well, but watchful. Patrick opened the door and went in with purpose.
    A twentysomething black girl with a nose ring and tight braids manned the front desk. She had a stack of textbooks next to her, two of which were open and marked up. “We’re getting ready to close, sir. Are you here to pick someone up?”
    She said it in a tone that implied she’d be shocked if he had a kid here.
    “Elle Santana.”
    “Oh.”
    “Where is she?”
    “I don’t know. She came in about forty-five minutes ago.”
    “Can I look around?”
    “The facility is for young adults under twenty-five.”
    “Elle’s thirty-two.”
    Elle stepped around the corner and said, “It’s not polite to talk about a girl’s age.” She smiled at the nose-ring chick and said, “Thanks, Mikayla, I got what I needed. And don’t forget, if you see Kami, text me.”
    “No problem,” Mikayla said, still looking suspiciously at Patrick.
    Elle brushed past Patrick and was about to walk outside when Patrick grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side.
    She glared at him and shook off his grip. “Dammit, Patrick, I don’t like to be manhandled.”
    “There’s six guys loitering outside.”
    “This is a teen center. There are always kids loitering. It’s not a crime here.”
    “In this weather?”
    “Are you always so suspicious?”
    “They arrived thirty minutes after you did. And they’re waiting. For you.”
    “Paranoid, too.”
    “You’ve got to trust my instincts because it’s pretty damn clear you have none of your own,” Patrick snapped. “I have a lead on Kami.”
    “You? From your trusty rusty computer?”
    “From the basketball players outside. She was seen earlier this evening at TK.”
    “No, she wouldn’t dare go there, especially since Lee suspects she’s turning evidence against him. She wouldn’t risk it.”
    “Unless she’s trying to find the