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She digs through her purse. A pained look scrapes across her face and her arms lift in a sorry-it’s-not-here motion.
Fantastic. Of course there’s no need for Tripp to make the six-hour drive, but I have no way to communicate that to him short of the truth. “Look man, take a breath. She could be anywhere. I mean, she’s a big girl, right? Maybe she…went home with someone.”
My former partner literally growls into the phone, and I know I’ve not helped our cause. Lise’s horror confirms I’ve made some sort of Freudian faux pas.
“With a friend. Went home with a friend, I mean.” So much for any illusion of big-tough-agent-who’s-cool-in-a-crisis.Goodnight.
“Nope. This isn’t like her, Gonz. And her phone is like, surgically attached to her hand, so if she’s not answering, something’s wrong.”
I hear—no,feel—his fear. He must be desperate if he’s turning to me for help with his sister, and I’m a louse for not putting him out of his misery.
But then I glance at Lise.
“Look, just…I’m out right now. I’ll go back to the house and see if she’s shown up. What if her car broke down and she got a ride home to borrow one of your parents’ cars?” I pinch the bridge of my nose.Oh, what a tangled web.
For all my clumsiness, I can tell he thinks my idea has merit, though he adds, “But she could have ordered a ride if she had car trouble.”
True. Ride-share has changed everything, especially for young people. “Look, let me go check the house. If you haven’t heard back by then and if she’s not there, you can come on down. I’m leaving right now.” I pull my keys from my pocket as if buying into my own story.
He agrees to my plan, and I end the call.
“What was that all about?” Annalise looks perturbed more than anything—withme. None of this is my fault.
Hah.
I explain that her big brother is in a tizzy because somehow word got back to her parents that her car was left at Jake’s overnight and subsequently towed.
She crosses her arms over her chest, more miffed than panicked—which I still am because I don’t want Tripp anywhere near me at this moment. He has a nose for sniffing out deception, intentions, and motivations. More than a nose. A sixth sense. If he got me in a room right now, he would catch wind of my attraction to his sister and, knowing me as he does, would know my intentions are less than honorable.
Were.Wereless than honorable. I’m going to give myself some credit here.
“Well, I guess everything makes sense now. The guy didn’t charge me for the tow. The owner and his wife go to church with my parents. I guess he saw their name on the registration.”
I stare. Mommy and Daddy still own her car? Imagine that. “Well. Sounds like your lucky day.” I’m thinking the rich have lots of those. “But you and I have a problem. Apparently Big Brother’s been blowing up your phone, and if he doesn’t hear from you like, ten minutes ago, he’s hopping a plane and hunting you down. I, for one, don’t think I can pull off telling him, to his face, that I haven’t seen you.”
She flaps the back of her hand at me. “Pfft.”
Yes, she actuallypfftsme.
“What? Mr. Secret Agent Man can’t lie? Isn’t that your specialty?”
I think…I think I don’t like the insinuation. But I take a breath and realize she’s only teasing, and actually, I’m glad her mood has recovered after the jerk at Jake’s.
“It’s one of them.” I pair the clichéd line with a rogue wink.
When her face sort of blanks, I realize I’ve tripped over some invisible line. I can see how that might have sounded—and I guess thatiswhat I meant. But see, I rarely think before I speak, in real life, at any rate. On the job, I’ve got it all under control.
To be honest, I’m thrown. Annalise is one toughchicato figure out. Is this blushing girl the same hottie who picked me up in a bar last night?
And women say men are from another planet.
I take a step toward the truck. “We better get going before Tripp calls out the cavalry.”
She rolls her eyes. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
I can well imagine, though I’m beginning to see that my former partner has earned those silver threads I’ve noticed creeping around his temple.
I wait while an attendant lets Lise inside the fenced area to claim her vehicle. I don’t have to. I suppose this is a point, one of many, no doubt, where we could part ways. But waiting feels like the right thing to do.
