Page 40 of Knox

“We’re looking at Claire’s logbooks,” Sloane said.

Archer’s brows rose. “Find anything?”

“Yeah.” Sloane nodded. “But there’s a lot of information. Deciding what matters and if any of it fits together will take time.”

I filled them in on the contract termination and our plans to visit the vendor as soon as possible.

Colton formed a time out sign with his hands. “Real quick,” he said. “Before we dig in. Maggie’s all excited because word around town is that the two of you are dating. And I’d like to tell you I hate to be nosy, but I don’t.”

Archer chuckled.

Sloane smiled beside me. “I guess news really does travel fast.”

“You have no idea,” I said. I narrowed my eyes on Colton. “What do you mean, Maggie is excited? Why were you talking to Maggie?”

Archer’s deep belly laugh pulled my gaze to the giant, before it tracked back to the lanky tech guy at his side.

“What did I tell you about her?” I said, getting tired of repeating myself. “Leave her alone.”

“Wait,” Sloane interrupted. “How’d Maggie hear about us already?”

Colton raised his chin, eyes twinkling, the little gossip. “She said some douche was at the gas station throwing a fit about you two, and the clerk dates the dishwasher at Maggie’s family’s restaurant.”

Sloane blinked. “Well, okay then.”

I snorted a small laugh. “Told you.”

Colton leaned a hip against the counter. “Well, congrats to you both.”

Sloane’s answering smile was kind, and her cheeks turned pink under my friends’ scrutiny.

“Anyway,” Archer said, rubbing together his palms. “I think we have our answer on your love life. Now, how can we help with all of this?” He circled his hands over the piles of papers and notebooks.

Gratitude washed over me. “Your guess is as good as ours. We’re reading everything in the hopes that something stands out and leads to something else that’s relevant.”

“Do you want to divide the piles?” Colton offered. “We can take a bunch with us back to your place.”

I nodded. This was why these men were my brothers. They gave me shit, but when it mattered, they had my back without question. “Yeah, thanks.”

I explained about the local events happening at the time of each disappearance, the possibility of another trail guide, and what little else we’d turned up.

“What makes you think there’s a new vendor?” Archer asked. “There’s only one in the terminated file.”

I nodded. “Surely someone took their place.”

“What do we know about the guy she fired?” Archer asked.

“Walter Lehman,” Colton read the name from the contract. “Sounds like a place to start.”

I looked to Sloane. “He worked with Mom for years. Chances are good that he might know who else she worked with. Could be a solid resource if nothing else, and he’s local.” I pointed to the address on file.

“We should drive out there,” Sloane said. “It’d also be nice to talk to the victims’ families and see if any of them remember something that could help us. Local police have likely already done that, but sometimes time will loosen a memory. I’m sure these people were still in shock over the disappearances of their loved ones when police first spoke with them.”

“Good point,” I said. I barely remembered anything after getting the call that my mother had a heart attack. Maggie updated me from the hospital for two days, while Mom’s life was touch and go. Everything else in the week before I made it home was fuzzy. As if none of it was real.

Archer pulled out his phone. “Colton and I can canvass the local businesses while we’re out looking for the VW bus and checking out your hometown. You two can focus on the families.”

“We’ve been looking for the bus all day. No luck,” I said. “Nash sent a list of everyone with a vehicle fitting the description. I’ll forward it to you.”