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“This is great.”
She chewed on her cuticles while he looked through the file. It was a nervous habit she thought she’d kicked, but Gavin’s presence in her home brought it back. Gavin turned his attention back to her, and she felt warmth rise to her cheeks. If he could read her thoughts, she’d be in trouble.
“Tell me about the day he went missing.”
“He went to visit the Clayburn’s farm out on Camp Lavigne Road. The folks out there were reluctant to sign a gas lease, but he hoped to convince them it’d be in their best interest.”
“And this was five years ago?”
She leaned her head back on the sofa. “No sign of him since.”
“No activity on his credit cards, bank accounts, investments?”
“Nothing.” She frowned. “He vanished. Not a single trace.”
“I see they talked to the family he visited last. Any reason to suspect their involvement?”
“None. I went to school with their son, Jeremy, Jr. and their daughter, Jillian. They were both in 4H with me. Uncle Richard had known them since my parents died, and he moved here, so I wouldn’t have to move to Texas.”
“That must’ve been tough for a man in the gas business.”
“Not really. Their deaths coincided with the sudden increase in drilling in the area, so he was never short on work.”
“Interesting.” He rubbed his chin. “Could he have attracted interest from eco-terrorists? People out to protect the environment at any cost?”
“Anything is possible. The company he worked for, NovaFuel, garnered plenty of attention, but Uncle Richard didn’t mention being targeted.”
“We can explore that angle, but I’m not sure we can dismiss his last appointment so easily either.”
“Why not? He was offering them a contract that had the potential to make them quite a bit of money. They wouldn’t have had a reason to hurt him.”
“Maybe if he pushed them, and they didn’t want to sign.”
She chuckled. “I didn’t make you disappear when you pushed me to sign your contract.”
His slow grin tugged at something deep inside. “Not yet, anyway. The night’s young.”
Chapter Seven
Gavinwasgettingblearyeyed from staring at case material from Richard Cleveland’s disappearance. There was nothing there. Not really. A missing persons report filed by Samantha, interviews, and statements. Just as Sam had told him, there was no activity on his credit cards or cell phone, but that didn’t mean someone hadn’t helped him create a new identity for himself. It happened all the time. People decided to leave their lives and start fresh elsewhere. From the looks of it, Cleveland had the financial means to have been stowing away a nest egg for just such an occasion.
Samantha stood and stretched. “I need coffee. Want some?”
“It’ll probably keep me up all night, but sure. If you don’t mind.”
A few minutes later, Sam returned and handed him a steaming mug before settling back onto the couch with her own.
He took a sip of the rich brew and set it down, then pulled out the employment contract again.
“We’ve been over this, Gavin.”
“Hear me out?”
Her eyes bored into his.
“Please?”
She gestured for him to proceed.
