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“Will you stop that?” Charlie shouts from the back. She was somewhat of a hot mess when we picked her up, and neither one of us is dumb enough to mess with her right now, so I calm my nerves.
“I should have married her. He’d have no claim to her.”
“He has no claim to her now. She can technically plea signing under distress, but she’d have an enemy for life. A powerful enemy,” Noah says.
“He doesn’t have power yet,” I mutter. “Have you heard back from your source yet?”
Noah shakes his head. “It’s quiet. My buddy says too quiet. Which means—”
“They have her.”
Noah pulls to a stop in front of Charlie’s four-story walk-up building and jumps out. “Stay here,” he says, racing into the building.
“What’s he doing?” Her voice is still cracked from crying this morning—and maybe a little bit on the drive home.
The drive we made without Pepper.
“I don’t know,” I mutter, resigned.
Noah jogs down the steps a few moments later and opens the car door.
She doesn’t move.
“Charlotte,” Noah stammers.
I glance in the rearview mirror, finding Charlie sitting with her arms crossed. “I’m helping you look for her.”
Noah sighs. “We don’t have a plan yet. Go home. Your mother needs you more.”
She pushes to her feet, and Noah grabs her bag, but she snatches it from him. “I’ve got it.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose again, I talk myself out of punching a windshield or dashboard while I have the moment to myself.
Noah returns and drives us straight to the Inn.
When we got to the girls at Lonnie’s apartment in Denver, she wasn’t doing so hot either. Ranting something about having one job and screwing it up and now we lost someone because of it.
I called Levi to deal with that meltdown because I didn’t have it in me. He sent Dad in his place since he’s stuck at home with Jackson, whose nanny mysteriously resigned after the birthday party Saturday night.
Which is highly unlikely. That woman had it made. Jackson’s the easiest kid in the world.
I’m willing to bet Levi fired her. The man has zero tolerance.
“What are you doing?” Dad asks when he makes it back to town. It’s dark out and I’ve been sitting here all day, people watching. Looking for anyone who might be spending a little more money than I know them to have.
The only thing suspicious at the moment is the new guy—probably an Inn guest sitting in the corner like he’s waiting for someone. Checking his phone every once in a while.
“Holding down the fort,” I lie.
“I’ve got a staff for that.”
“Yeah, well I got to head back to Denver soon.”
“You’re kidding, right? You just got back. Go to the cottage. Or stay in one of my rooms upstairs.”
I watch one of the regular patrons at the end check out the top shelf cabinet. “Doesn’t Bruce usually go for house liquor?”
“What?” Dad’s clearly not following.
