Chapter 12
Austin
Ihad two hours in Tuesday morning rush hour traffic to construct a plausible reason to be in Weatherford and wanting to talk to Nina.
An excuse that wouldn’t set off warning bells in my aunt’s mind.
I may have lucked out by finding Nina so easily, but I’d have to dance through a fucking minefield to get the information I needed without starting a family feud.
No one knew what I did for the government, but I couldn’t use my normal insurance investigation cover story.
Think Winchester.
Why would I need to talk to Nina, given the logistics cover I’d given my family?
I wouldn’t. I’d need to find a different angle.
Nina was too young for me to play the infatuated love interest. They’d see through that lie faster than my insurance cover.
But I can play the concerned cousin. I’d stop by to grab a coffee, and while I was there, check on Nina. If I were lucky, I could get her talking about her family, while I reassured her I was fine and didn’t need her to pay for my cleaning bill.
Plan in place, I catalogued the facts I knew about the Singers.
My research, combined with Gibson’s, hadn’t yielded as much as I’d like, and I had a feeling Nina was the missing key to finding the treasure they mentioned in their private messages.
Maybe Nina is the treasure?
The Singers wouldn’t be the first couple to call their child a treasure. But they talked about Nina and the treasure as two separate entities, and the scant details we had mentioned them leaving the treasure for Nina.
This case keeps getting more complicated with every scrap of evidence we find.
Our cases were never walks in the park, but this one had more twists and turns than a rollercoaster.
I parked my rental a block away and walked to Grannie’s.
Downtown Weatherford was busy with early rising tourists enjoying the cool summer morning.
The bell above Grannie’s door made sure I didn’t walk in unnoticed.
“Good morning,” Beth called out without looking up.
Beth Wyatt, Grannie’s manager, Mary’s best friend, widow, mother to eight-year-old Chase, engaged to Doug Sharpe, the resident SSI tech genius.
We’d met once, at Jamie’s wedding, prior to seeing each other at Madi’s party.
“Morning, Beth.”
Shit, I didn’t think to verify Nina’s schedule before driving to Weatherford.
Before I could ask if she was flying solo, Nina’s head popped up from behind the espresso machine.
Her eyes widened. Sparkling cherries dangled from her ears. She opened her lips, but nothing came out.
“Morning, Cherry.”
Did I say it to sound friendly, or because I couldn’t resist using the nickname I’d given her before my professional and personal lives crashed into each other like soldiers on a battlefield?
I refused to acknowledge my inappropriate attraction to Nina. Not only was Nina too young, but she was a person of interest in my case.
Beth saved Nina by asking, “Did you want to talk to Mary?”
“No, though if she’s here, I wouldn’t mind saying hello while I drink my coffee. Large black, please.”
“She’ll be in soon,” Beth said while filling my cup.
“Would it be okay if I talked to Nina for a minute?”
“Why?”
Her guarded tone set off my alarms. What happened in the last thirty-six hours to make her so suspicious?
“I want to make sure she’s okay and set her mind at ease about our little run in.” I blended my practiced, professional charm with my personal request.
Beth nodded. “Nina, it’s okay with me if you want to take your break with Austin.”
I paid for my coffee and left a generous cash tip.
Nina reluctantly agreed to talk to me. Knowing I didn’t have much time, I’d need to keep it short and sweet.
Nina sat down and blew my game plan all to hell.
“Why do you keep calling me Cherry?”
I chuckled, and for the first time today, my smile was genuine. My hand lifted as if to reach out and touch her earrings before pulling back and gripping my cup.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
She touched her left earring. “But why?”
“I didn’t know your name.” Wanting to put her at ease, I asked, “Are they your favorite fruit?”
Nina’s laugh sounded like angels singing. I was about to rip myself a new asshole for thinking that when her answer caught me off guard.
“I don’t really like them.”
Interesting.
“So… why do you wear them so often?”
She hemmed and hawed, but didn’t answer. The sadness in her eyes told me there was more to the story, and much to my surprise, her sadness tore at my heart.
My first instinct was to offer comfort. I don’t do comforting gestures.
I reminded myself this was a job, and my uncharacteristic attraction to Nina, a person of interest, was not acceptable.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to answer.” It was the best I could offer.
When the bell jingled, announcing new customers, Nina stood. “I should go back to work.”
She didn’t get far before a well-groomed man in his mid-twenties strolled in like he owned the place, making a beeline for Nina, who slid back into her seat.
“Hey babe,” he said, plopping down next to her and giving me the stink eye.
Nina’s shoulders rounded, and she avoided making eye contact as she said, “Hi.”
A five-year-old could’ve picked up on her discomfort.
So naturally, I went on high alert.
“Who are you?” he asked, snaking one arm across the back of the booth.
Staking his claim?
I held my hand out and answered, “I’m Austin, and you are?”
His handshake was weak. Mine wasn’t.
“Her boyfriend, Dirk.”
Nina squirmed, creating distance between his arm and her back.
“Is that so, Cherry?”
Dirk’s face contorted at my use of the nickname.
Nina looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Here’s the thing, Jerk—”
“Dirk.”
“Right, as I was saying before I was interrupted.” Dirk scoffed, but I kept going. “Nina doesn’t seem to agree.”
“Well, we broke up before my vacation, but I’m back now.”
He’s one of those. I barely knew her, well, outside of my extensive dossier, but I knew she deserved a hell of a lot better than a douche who dumped her before his vacation and reappeared assuming she’d be waiting for him.
Bastard’s eating up what little time I have with Nina.
Without thinking, I said, “I think you’re lying because I have a date with Nina tonight.”
Dirk’s eyebrows rose.
Nina’s eyes shot to mine.
I smiled, hoping she’d play along.
“You? You’re old enough to be her dad.”
I wasn’t, but the words pissed me off because I’d been telling myself, on repeat, that Nina was too young for me.
Not that Dirk could tell. I’d never give him that satisfaction.
“Premature gray is a family curse.“ I shrugged. “It’s time for you to go.”
I stood and crossed my arms, waiting for him to get his loser ass off the brick red, faux leather bench.
“Nina, babe?”
“Don’t make me ask you again.” I hadn’t asked, and I wouldn’t. I used my law enforcement voice and enjoyed watching his skin blanch and his lips tighten.
Dirk wasn’t used to being put in his place.
“You should go,” Nina whispered without looking up from the table.
Seeing her act so small because of this guy added to my anger.
He looked like he was about to argue when I leaned forward and glared.
Dirk didn’t like being ordered around.
I didn’t like being disobeyed.
If he didn’t start moving, he’d find out which of us was truly stronger.
“Whatever. Have fun feeding your grandpa.”
I laughed. His cheap shot missed the mark. I wasn’t even old enough to be her father, even if I’d been careless in high school. I wasn’t.
Beth watched the scene play out, but didn’t interfere. After the bell signalled Dirk’s departure, I nodded to Beth. I’d have a talk with Mary later and ask her to ban Dirk so he couldn’t come back and harass Nina.
Beth returned my nod before going back to cleaning the counter.
“Are you okay?” I asked Nina as I sat back down.
“I’m fine.”
She was anything but fine. Dirk had piled irritation on top of the hurt Nina was already feeling.
Hurt I’d wanted to comfort away but couldn’t. What I could do was give her back some control over the situation.
“I’m sorry for overstepping; you probably didn’t need my help.”
“It’s okay. He would’ve convinced me to take him back if you hadn’t said anything.”
“Do you want to?” Please say no. That it was none of my business didn’t matter.
“Not really.”
Relief washed over me. If Gibson could read my mind, he’d never let me live it down.
“Can I ask why you broke up?” Maybe this would be the icebreaker I needed. Our time was running out, and I didn’t have any answers yet.
“He always breaks up with me before going out of town.”
Dirk really was a jerk. If I felt so inclined, I could hack Grannie’s security, gather everything I needed using facial recognition, and make his life a living hell.
Maybe I still would.