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“Me too. They must have been up at the crack of dawn.” He shoved the keys he’d just received into the front pocket of his jeans. “I still need to stop by the courthouse to make an official police report for the insurance.”
“One of the deputies can probably help.”
“Let’s hope.” He stepped back. “Come in.”
She stepped past him to enter the small room, her eyes widening. It wasn’t so much the cheap furniture, which included a narrow bed and one dresser with a portable TV bolted to the top. This was Pike, not Beverly Hills. But she hadn’t been prepared for the orange shag carpeting, or the wallpaper that had splotches of brown and green with big yellow flowers. Or the Styrofoam beams glued to the ceiling.
It all swirled together to create a psychedelic nightmare.
“Oh. This is . . .” Words failed her.
“Groovy?” Kaden supplied, closing the door to protect what little heat was in the room.
She turned to face him. “That’s one way of putting it.”
He glanced around. “Weirdly, it’s not that bad to me. I have friends who’ve paid serious cash to get this retro vibe.”
“Some people have too much money.”
“No argument from me.” He returned his attention to her with a curious expression. “Did you have a specific reason for stopping by?”
She reached into the pocket of her parka and pulled out a piece of paper. Unfolding it, she turned it so Kaden could see the list that was written on the back.
“I spent yesterday trying to locate these businesses.”
He stilled, his body suddenly tense with anticipation. “Did you have any luck?”
“Yes and no.”
“I’m not sure what that means.”
Lia grimaced. She was nearly as confused as Kaden. She didn’t consider herself an expert in business, but she’d acquired a few skills over the years. It was frustrating and more than a little baffling to spend so many hours only to hit one dead end after another.
At last, she concluded it couldn’t be mere coincidence. There was a pattern that had to mean something.
“I discovered that each of the companies mentioned on this paper were legally incorporated.”
“Okay.”
“But none of them exist today.”
“None of them?” He frowned, as if considering the likelihood of five separate companies with overseas bank accounts being shuttered in the local area. “Were they closed by Vanna?”
That had been her first thought as well. But a closure by the EPA would have made big news in such a small community. If nothing else, the companies would have hired lawyers to fight the penalties. She’d found nothing to indicate a problem.
“As far as I can figure out, each of these were shell companies with no tangible assets that were opened and shut down in less than a year.”
“I thought shell companies were for avoiding taxes.”
“Sometimes, or they can be used to hide assets during a divorce or a hostile merger.” She ignored his curious gaze. Eventually, she might reveal that she was interested in more than a grocery store. Right now, they had more important things to discuss. “Unfortunately, I can’t access the names of the owners or even the location of the businesses. They were all incorporated overseas.”
“Damn.” He stepped forward, taking the list from her hand. “I was hoping this might hold the answers.”
The scent of warm skin and a tangy aftershave that clung to his clothes teased at her nose, sending shivers down her spine. Lia breathed in deeply, allowing herself to savor the sensation. It’d been a long time since she’d been so fiercely attracted to anyone.
No. She’dneverbeen this attracted before.
“I was thinking last night.” She was forced to halt and lick her lips. How did they get so dry? “And I have a theory.”
