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“Come on, Aiden. Where did you go?”
As he passed his Audi, with a new windshield but graffiti still painted across the hood, he saw a piece of paper shoved under the wiper. He picked up the note by the corner and read the familiar scrawl.
Leave. Get out while you still can.
Another warning?
“Come on, Aiden. Where are you?” he yelled, but no one answered.
12
Jacquie and Killerwere getting tons of attention, just like she hoped. She asked everyone who came up to her to talk about how cute her little dog was if they’d seen the two missing girls, flashing their pictures, and then casually asking about Aiden. Luckily, the girls were well-known and liked, but no one had seen them since early last week.
And no luck at all on Aiden.
How could he have come back to town, moved in with Sylvia, and been seen by no one? It made no sense. The man was a ghost. Or a very good criminal. Chase might not want to believe it, but no one goes through that much trouble to cover their tracks unless they’re up to no good.
She thought about everything Chase had shared with her about his home life yesterday. She’d known Chase had problems with his dad when they were kids, but she honestly hadn’t realized it had been that bad. He never talked about his dad abusing them, but a lot of things made sense now. He must have felt so guilty, and responsible, to leave the way he did. She just hoped he didn’t blame himself for his father’s death or for how Aiden turned out.
Her thoughts traveled down that road she had been trying to ignore—their kiss. She’d done her best not to think about it all night, but it hadn’t been easy. The way he felt when he held her, and the way he looked at her, it was like eight years hadn’t passed. As if it had only been a few weeks since they last spoke, and he hadn’t broken her heart and left her shattered. How was that possible? How could she get past what he’d done so easily?
Because the past didn’t matter. All that mattered was right now.
Could she trust her heart with him again? Should she? The better question was did she have a choice? The heart knows what it wants and it doesn’t always ask permission. Her best course of action would be not to get too close. Take it slow. See where it goes. She looked for his tall form, his wide shoulders, his dark hair, but didn’t see him anywhere.
Instead, she saw a tall, lanky man wearing a dark gray hoodie moving beyond the last row of booths as he slipped into the trees. Was that the same man she’d seen coming out of Rick’s gas station? She took out her phone and sent Chase a quick text.
Guy in hoodie moving into the tree line beyond the last row of booths on the west side of the park. Where are you?
She moved in that direction, keeping watch for the man to come out of the trees. He didn’t, and no response from Chase. She hit the speed dial for Josh. He answered on the first ring.
“I think I just saw the same man from Rick’s gas station last night here at the festival. He disappeared into the trees at the west end of the park. I’m going after him.”
“I just got here. Wait for me,” he insisted. “It will only take me a few minutes to get to you.”
“By then he could be long gone.”
“That’s an order,” her brother demanded. “Do not go after him alone. You’re not one hundred percent, and you know it.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, hung up the phone, and paced back and forth as she waited for her brother or Chase to show.
Her phone pinged. Finally. She looked at the display and read the message from Chase.
Thought I saw Aiden, followed him to the parking lot, but lost him. On my way back.
Josh is on his way. Going into the woods beyond the stage after the guy in the hoodie.
I’ll catch up. Be careful.
She grinned and was about to respond when Josh came running toward her. “Where’s Chase.”
“Following a lead on Aiden.”
“All right, which way did the guy go?”
Jacquie pointed toward the tree line. “That way.”
“All right, let’s do it.”
