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“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way.” Aiden glances at me, and my throat tightens.
Please don’t take everything back, I pray silently.
“Okay?” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth again.
His eyes go to my mouth then back to the road quickly, and he clears his throat. “Let me do all the talking with these guys. It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable. Clearly, you’re very good at your job. It’s more, these guys can be real shits, and I’d rather you listen and observe. Watch for anything you think we should follow up on.”
Exhaling softly, I nod. “I can do that.”
He turns onto a narrow road cutting through tall pine trees. Palmettos growing in sand line the shoulders on both sides of the road, which means this land isn’t good for farming or pretty much anything. I’m not sure if we’re even still in Eureka.
“Here we go.”
The dirt road ends at a double-wide trailer with an attached, screened-in front porch. Junk is scattered around the yard—old paint buckets, a broken laundry basket, and a tire with a little flower bed planted in the middle. The one bright spot.
Three lawn chairs are arranged around a fire pit, and it looks like somebody had a party here last night from the number of beer cans scattered around them.
An ancient El Camino is on cinder blocks off to one side, and a motorcycle is parked beside it. Behind the two is a covered area where a truck is stored along with something large under a tarp. My spidey senses are on high alert, and I wonder if it might be an old three-wheeler. It’s the exact place I’d expect to find one.
“How old is Thad?” I ask quietly as we approach the front door.
“Mid-to-late sixties.” Aiden lifts his hand and knocks sharply.
“Does he have both his legs?”
An older man in a dirty white T-shirt and jeans opens the door. “You’re back?”
“Morning, Thad, I was hoping to catch Bull and Raif at home.”
My eyes fly down to his bare feet—of which he has two. I exhale the breath I was holding. Like solving the case would be that easy. Edward is sniffing all around the property, but so far, he hasn’t barked or seemed to find any scents he recognizes.
The old man’s eyes narrow on me. “Who’s this?”
Aiden answers quickly. “Britt Bailey is working with us now. She’s Edna’s granddaughter.”
“I remember you, little girl.” He scratches the white scruff on his chin. “That your dog?”
I don’t say a word, and Aiden cuts in again. “He’s with me. Are the boys home? We won’t take much of your time.”
He leans into the house and yells their names, and I take a step back, going to where Edward is sniffing around the El Camino.
The slow thud of feet on the elevated porch precedes the appearance of two men I vaguely remember.
Bull and Raif Jones are older than Aiden, which means they were way out of school before I started—if they even finished. They never spent much time in town, and I think Bull is a welder. I vaguely recall Raif going out with the fishing crews.
“What’s up, Aiden?” Raif shakes his hand, but Bull stomps down the steps, walking straight to where I’m following Edward and itching to look under that canvas tarp.
“What are you doing over here?” My heart jumps, and I look up to see Bull Jones scowling down at me.
Bull is as tall as Aiden, with dark hair and menacing eyes. A tattoo is on his neck, and his bottom lip is sliced with a silver scar.
I’m not sure I can get away without speaking, but Aiden walks to where we’re standing, with Raif right behind him. Raif has lighter hair and isn’t as tall as his brother. He’s also way less scary, with only one visible tattoo on his forearm and no apparent scars.
“There’s been a series of burglaries and vandalism happening around town—” Aiden starts, and Bull’s quick to step to him.
“So here you are, rounding up the usual suspects.” He’s practically nose-to-nose with Aiden, and my throat clenches.
Aiden doesn’t back down, meeting Bull’s menacing glare with a pretty menacing glare of his own. Despite my nerves, I confess, it’s pretty hot to think he could take this guy if he wanted to fight.
