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“Yes, please. I can’t believe it’s already past noon. While we’re waiting for our food, we should call Jake and Thorn to see if they’ve had any luck.”
Griff nodded, pulled out of the parking lot onto the street and headed to the downtown area of Colorado Springs, where he found a café with outside seating.
They sat at a small bistro table, enjoying the view of the mountains.
Rachel ordered a club sandwich.
Griff ordered a Rueben.
After the waiter left to fill their order, Griff called Jake and put him on speaker.
The Navy SEAL answered on the second ring. “Griff, what did you find?”
“Nothing,” Griff reported. “Rodney Smith wasn’t in his apartment and, apparently, hasn’t been there for a while. His parole officer is out of the office until Monday, and we don’t have a forwarding address or phone number to track down Smith.”
“Great, the man is out on parole, and nobody knows where he is,” Jake said. “I’ll have Swede search the internet for more photos of Smith that aren’t as grainy.”
“What about your guys?” Griff asked.
“They had alibis for both dates.”
Rachel sighed. “We’re back to square one.”
“Not yet,” Griff said. “We still have to get more information on Smith and find him.”
“You two might as well go back to the ranch,” Jake said. “I have to stop for supplies; then I’ll be back to help gear up for a crazy, busy evening at the Watering Hole.”
Griff ended the call and drove out of Colorado Springs up through Ute Pass to Fool’s Gold.
“Could we stop by my apartment and the sheriff’s office?” Rachel asked.
“Sure,” he responded. He drove straight to her apartment complex and parked.
Rachel dropped out of the truck and started toward the stairs to her apartment.
Griff quickly caught up with her.
Rachel used the spare key to open the door and stepped back to allow Griff sufficient room to enter.
Once Griff gave the all-clear gesture, Rachel entered her room and went through her drawers, collecting underwear, another bra and T-shirts. In her closet, she took out another gym bag and stuffed it full of the items she’d need.
“Do you like living here?” Griff asked as they returned to the truck.
Rachel nodded. “In Fool’s Gold, yes. In this apartment, not so much. I had a nice house with a yard in San Diego. I hope to have that here someday.”
“I like the idea of a little acreage, but not too far out. As long as I’m working, I need quick access to amenities and a decent airport. Jake said working with Brotherhood Protector might mean deploying anywhere in the world.”
“Sounds like you’re committing fully to Jake’s organization.” She smiled. “I’m glad.”
“I like it here.” He reached across the console for her hand and held it for the few seconds it took to reach the sheriff’s office.
Inside, Sheriff Faulkner stepped out of his office to greet them. They filled him in on what they’d done so far and their plans for the evening.
“Do you need me to report for duty tonight?” Rachel asked. “I’m perfectly fine.”
The sheriff shook his head. “You’re not fine. You have a killer after you. I can’t have someone trying to kill you and then miss and hit a child. No, stay away from the job until all this dies down.”
“Or until I die?” She gave him a twisted grin.
