“It’s got to be a good sign, right?” Lyla looked over to Nicolás. “Genevieve turning on her phone.”
“Depends on the reason.”
“That’s one of the things I love about you, Nicolás.” She caught her words the second he glanced over. “You never mince words. Just tell it how it is.” Even when she didn’t always want to hear it. “But I need a little sunshine and ponies here.”
“I’m more of a partly cloudy and armadillo kind of guy.”
Her jaw went slack. “I’m sorry, what?”
Nicolás tugged on his cap and gave her a quick side-eye. “I’m not really the guy you come to for sunshine and ponies.”
“No, I get the partly cloudy. Makes sense because you’re a bit moody, but armadillo? I’m going to need an explanation on that.”
“Actually, I’m partly cloudy because it’s the perfect balance of weather—sun on your face but the shade to cool you down. You learn to appreciate partly cloudy days when you’re out in the field all day. And an armadillo because of its built-in Kevlar.”
Several beats passed between them before Lyla laughed.
“Of course you’d pick an animal because of its armor. But, Nicolás, you realize you could’ve picked a crocodile or a rhino for the same reason?”
“True.” Nicolás’s lip twitched with a smirk. “But can they roll into a ball like a Transformer?”
He was so serious about his reasoning, Lyla couldn’t help but laugh again, and this time Nicolás obliged with a few quick chuckles that reminded her of what she loved most about their relationship.
Lyla’s eyes had moved along the planes of his face as she listened to him explain. The hard lines of his jaw were softened by the scruff he allowed to grow there. His dark lashes were long and covered the kind of hazel eyes that had flecks of gold along their edges. They might be her favorite feature if they weren’t always hidden in the shadow of his ball cap, and if she wasn’t such a sucker for his smile. His smiles were rare, which made them all the more special. Lyla swallowed. That tickle was back, and it made her think of her mom’s va-va-voom comment. This was not that. Maybe it was ava, but it definitely was not a full-fledged va-va-voom. She quickly shifted her thoughts back to work.
“So, um, Mason said he would see what he could find out about R.D. Leto. He did an internship in Germany and thinks one of his colleagues did one for theLondon Telegraph. But don’t worry. I told Mason our interest in R.D. was out of concern for his safety, which wasn’t a lie, exactly. He seemed eager to help.”
“He seems like a nice guy.”
Lyla noticed the muscle in Nicolás’s jaw pop like it did when he was upset or...holding back. “He is. Although we didn’t keep in touch much after we left home. Only during the holidays when he’s home and his mother is Molly Matchmaker.”
“How come it never worked out between you?”
She let out a soft laugh, but the quick look he sent her way said his question wasn’t a simple inquiry. “There wasn’t anything to work out. We were friends. And I think dating someone like Mason would come with expectations I couldn’t meet. I mean, do you see me hosting dinner parties? Hosting soirees?”
Nicolás’s top lip edged upward. “I don’t even know what a soiree is.”
“Me either.” She glanced out at the neighborhood they were driving through. “I missed that day at the debutante academy.”
“There’s an academy?”
The bewilderment in his tone made her laugh. “No. At least I don’t think so.” She pointed at a ranch house with a carport, where Genevieve’s red car was parked. “That’s the house.”
Nicolás pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. Checking out the house, Lyla unbuckled her seat belt. It was cute. Redbrick, blue shutters, simple landscaping that a single woman could manage. That gave her pause. “I can’t remember if Genevieve had a boyfriend back when Jerry was arrested. Do you?”
“No.”
Getting out of the truck, Lyla paused by the car. She looked through the windows and saw nothing out of the ordinary. A few crumpled receipts in the cupholder. A shirt or sweatshirt in the back seat. Nothing that looked like she had just returned from a trip. Or was getting ready to take off.
A chill scuttled down Lyla’s spine. “Do you think she’s here, Nicolás?”
“I’m not sure.”
His straight answer didn’t assuage her worry, and she shouldn’t have expected it to. Nicolás was probably assessing the situation the same way she was. Why had Genevieve dropped from the radar after handing off the flash drive, and what had made her return?
Lyla continued toward the quiet house. The sheer curtains were drawn over the window near the porch, and she fought the urge to peek in. If Genevieve was anxious the night they met, she’d probably be shocked to find Lyla on her porch peering through her window.
Nicolás pressed the doorbell. A minute passed, and no sounds came from inside the house to indicate someone was inside. He pulled out his cell phone and hit a button.
