Page 47 of The Missing Couple

Charly glanced at Perry, who was on his cell phone. He appeared to be scrolling or sending a message. Her heart started that impatient thumping again. They were definitely on to something here. As much as she would prefer to believe that no one in this town—especially anyone she knew—would do such a thing as to kidnap a person. To use or sell that person. This felt exactly like the sort of business these two were covering up. She shuddered at the idea.

“If,” Finn said, keeping his voice down, “I could find some info that would help, could I give it to you without anyone knowing my identity. People get upset when you share their business.”

“Sure,” Billie agreed. “I always protect my sources.”

Finn glanced back at Perry. “I’ll talk to my friend. See what we can find out. We know people who deal in all sorts of bad stuff. Not that we do.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “But there are those we’re acquainted with who do.”

“Why haven’t you gone to Sheriff Malone?” Charly demanded, more firmly than she’d intended.

Finn’s gaze narrowed on her. “Because I don’t trust him. Anyone who knows him doesn’t trust him.” He eyed Charly. “Didn’t your daddy ever tell you about him?”

The impact of his words shook her. “I’m not sure what you mean?” She wasn’t about to put words in his mouth.

“Well,” Finn said, his posture and tone going cocky, “I’ll bet if your folks could talk to you from the grave they’d tell you to beware of that particular badge.”

Outrage with no shortage of razor-sharp pain flew through her. “What’re you suggesting?”

“Ask the sheriff yourself,” he dared. “Why do you think their case has never been solved?”

“Finn!” Perry shouted.

He glanced at his friend, who had remained near the trailer. “What?” The single word was drenched in annoyance.

“We have to go.”

He looked to Charly then to Billie. “Be safe out there. You never know where the trouble is going to come from.”

They loaded back up in Billie’s SUV and drove away. As he turned onto the road, Charly asked, “What now?” She was still reeling with what Finn had said about her parents. The man couldn’t know this. He was just trying to get under her skin. Or confuse her.

Mission accomplished.

“We’ll find a place to park where we won’t be easily spotted and then we’ll see what they do next.”

She drew in a deep breath. “With the way we rattled them, they won’t be able to keep all this to themselves.”

She decided not to mention how badly she had been rattled.

“They will not.” Billie backed into a small turnoff that went nowhere except into the woods and then ended as abruptly as it began.

The position gave them a narrow view—between two trees—of where the Hillard driveway connected with the road. Charly twisted in her seat and set her gaze on that gap between the trees.

Silence filled the passenger compartment for a while, then Billie said, “You can’t be sure what he said about your parents has any merit. He may have only been trying to prod a reaction from you. To shake you.”

“I know.” She didn’t glance at him. She was too determined to keep her eyes on that spot. “I’ve always felt Sheriff Malone could have done a better job of finding the truth, but I have no proof. Those two PIs didn’t find anything either so I don’t know.”

“But,” Billie said softly, “that doesn’t mean it can’t be found.”

A smile nudged at her lips. He was right. Even in one’s darkest hour there was always hope and possibility.

TEN MINUTES PASSED before there was movement. The red truck pulled out onto Cha-La-Kee Road heading away from where Charly and Billie were parked.

“There they go,” she warned him.

Billie waited long enough for her nerves to be jumping before he followed.

Charly didn’t realize she was sitting forward until they stopped at a traffic light on Gunter Avenue. The red truck was at the next light ahead of them. So far the two didn’t appear to realize they were being followed. The lights changed at almost the same time. Both vehicles pulled forward.

This was the first time Charly could remember ever wanting to chew her fingernails.