Chapter Thirteen
Hillard Residence
Billie turned onto the driveway of Perry Hillard’s property. “Stay low,” he said to Charly. “Just in case.”
She wasn’t sure what he expected might happen but clearly he was concerned. Shootouts and all manner of attacks whizzed through her head. “All right.” She eased down a little in the seat but not so far that she couldn’t see.
Perry sauntered out of the house, his two dogs running past him. He set his hands on his hips and stared at the SUV they were in. At least he’d put on a T-shirt and they were no longer forced to see his countable ribs. The man needed to eat.
Before Charly could ask what next, Billie opened his door and got out.
Her heart thumped against her sternum.
The dogs rocketed toward him.
“Easy now,” he said softly.
Charly shoved her door open in hopes of distracting them.
It worked. The dogs rushed to her side of the SUV. Maybe not a great move.
Her heart rocketed into her throat as she held stone still.
Perry called out a command that sounded indistinguishable to Charly, but to her relief the dogs alerted and then without hesitation bounded toward him.
Since Billie was already at the front of the SUV, likely headed in her direction, she joined him there.
“Not a good move,” he said in an aside to her.
“Yeah, well, it worked, didn’t it?” she whispered in his direction.
“Did you forget something?” Perry asked as he took his time strolling in their direction as if he didn’t want them to get too close to his trailer.
Still no sign of the other vehicle’s driver. She had no idea if it belonged to Finn.
“We were looking for Finn,” Charly spoke up.
“We were told he was here,” Billie added as he hitched his head toward the red truck. “That’s his truck, isn’t it?”
Perry stared at Charly for a long moment, then he gave Billie the same. “Finn,” he shouted over his shoulder.
The other man poked his head out the door. “Yeah?”
“Charly and her friend want to talk to you,” Perry called back, not turning in that direction as if he worried about giving his back to them.
With obvious reluctance, Finn Grayson stepped out the door and slammed it shut. He poked his hands into the pockets of his jeans and walked their way. He wore a tee that sported the logo of his business. Like Perry, he had long hair but his was stick straight and hung loose around his shoulders.
When he arrived at his friend’s side, he said, “What’s up?” He looked from Charly to Billie in expectation.
Since his gaze lingered on Billie, Charly stayed quiet.
“I’m looking for my sister, Briana,” Billie said. “She and her husband went missing Monday night. I was given a handful of names of people who might have the right connections to find information. Yours was one of them.”
“I know nothing about your sister and her husband,” he said without hesitation. “I never saw them around and barely even heard they were missing.” He glanced at his friend. “Perry here told me a couple days ago. That was the first I’d heard of it.”
“There’s a reward,” Perry said quietly, the words obviously meant for Finn’s ears.
“Ten thousand dollars,” Charly spoke up. “I’m sure you know plenty of people who could use ten thousand dollars.”
“The payment would be in cash,” Billie said, backing her up.
Perry and Finn shared a look. “Too bad we don’t know anything,” Finn said.
“That is too bad,” Billie agreed. “But if you know anyone who might know something, that could count, too.”
“Kerrick sounded like he might have some information,” Charly offered, pushing the point with a total lie. But Billie had said they were looking for reactions. Hoping to prompt actions.
“Then maybe you should talk to him again,” Finn countered. “I’d love to get my hands on ten k, but I’m not in the loop. Not even near it.”
“We’ve been looking for him,” Charly went on with another fib. “His mama probably has him running errands today.”
This prompted snickers from the two men. “Yeah,” Perry said. “He’s a mama’s boy all right. His mama tells him when to take a piss.”
“What loop did you mean?” Billie asked, ignoring the other comments.
Both men stared at him.
“You said—” he looked to Finn “—that you weren’t in the loop.”
Finn exaggerated a shrug. “I just mean whoever is working on the case, I’m not in the know.”
“You have friends in the sheriff’s department?” Billie fired back.
Finn grew still, dangerously still. “I have friends in all kinds of places.” There was no humor in his tone or his expression now. “Friends who look out for me.”
Billie made a confused sound. He turned to Charly. “Did Kerrick mention protecting either one of these guys?”
Charly shook her head slowly side to side. “He didn’t mention protecting anyone but himself.”
The two stared at each other again. “You tried to call him, right?” Perry asked Finn.
“Yeah. He didn’t answer.”
“I guess we’re not the only people he’s avoiding since he said more than he should have last night,” Charly said to Billie. “I suppose we could give what we have to your contact at the FBI.” She shrugged. “Then you can just keep the reward.”
“Guess so,” Billie agreed. He turned back to the two men. “Thanks for your help.”
They had just reached the SUV when Finn called out to them. Rather than remain standing next to Perry, he jogged to catch up with them.
“Was there something else?” Billie asked.
Charly glanced at Perry, who was on his cell phone.
He appeared to be scrolling or sending a message.
Her heart started that impatient thumping again.
They were definitely on to something here.
As much as she would prefer to believe that no one in this town—especially anyone she knew—would do such a thing as to kidnap a person.
To use or sell that person. This felt exactly like the sort of business these two were covering up. She shuddered at the idea.
“If,” Finn said, keeping his voice down, “I could find some info that would help, could I give it to you without anyone knowing my identity. People get upset when you share their business.”
“Sure,” Billie agreed. “I always protect my sources.”
Finn glanced back at Perry. “I’ll talk to my friend. See what we can find out. We know people who deal in all sorts of bad stuff. Not that we do.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “But there are those we’re acquainted with who do.”
“Why haven’t you gone to Sheriff Malone?” Charly demanded, more firmly than she’d intended.
Finn’s gaze narrowed on her. “Because I don’t trust him. Anyone who knows him doesn’t trust him.” He eyed Charly. “Didn’t your daddy ever tell you about him?”
The impact of his words shook her. “I’m not sure what you mean?” She wasn’t about to put words in his mouth.
“Well,” Finn said, his posture and tone going cocky, “I’ll bet if your folks could talk to you from the grave they’d tell you to beware of that particular badge.”
Outrage with no shortage of razor-sharp pain flew through her. “What’re you suggesting?”
“Ask the sheriff yourself,” he dared. “Why do you think their case has never been solved?”
“Finn!” Perry shouted.
He glanced at his friend, who had remained near the trailer. “What?” The single word was drenched in annoyance.
“We have to go.”
He looked to Charly then to Billie. “Be safe out there. You never know where the trouble is going to come from.”
They loaded back up in Billie’s SUV and drove away. As he turned onto the road, Charly asked, “What now?” She was still reeling with what Finn had said about her parents. The man couldn’t know this. He was just trying to get under her skin. Or confuse her.
Mission accomplished.
“We’ll find a place to park where we won’t be easily spotted and then we’ll see what they do next.”
She drew in a deep breath. “With the way we rattled them, they won’t be able to keep all this to themselves.”
She decided not to mention how badly she had been rattled.
“They will not.” Billie backed into a small turnoff that went nowhere except into the woods and then ended as abruptly as it began.
The position gave them a narrow view—between two trees—of where the Hillard driveway connected with the road. Charly twisted in her seat and set her gaze on that gap between the trees.
Silence filled the passenger compartment for a while, then Billie said, “You can’t be sure what he said about your parents has any merit. He may have only been trying to prod a reaction from you. To shake you.”
“I know.” She didn’t glance at him. She was too determined to keep her eyes on that spot. “I’ve always felt Sheriff Malone could have done a better job of finding the truth, but I have no proof. Those two PIs didn’t find anything either so I don’t know.”
“But,” Billie said softly, “that doesn’t mean it can’t be found.”
A smile nudged at her lips. He was right. Even in one’s darkest hour there was always hope and possibility.
TEN MINUTES PASSED before there was movement. The red truck pulled out onto Cha-La-Kee Road heading away from where Charly and Billie were parked.
“There they go,” she warned him.
Billie waited long enough for her nerves to be jumping before he followed.
Charly didn’t realize she was sitting forward until they stopped at a traffic light on Gunter Avenue. The red truck was at the next light ahead of them. So far the two didn’t appear to realize they were being followed. The lights changed at almost the same time. Both vehicles pulled forward.
This was the first time Charly could remember ever wanting to chew her fingernails.
When the pair made the turn that would take them in the opposite direction, then kept driving until they were outside Guntersville City limits, she glanced at Billie. “They could be driving to the Getaway.”
“The Rogerses’ place?” he asked.
“That would be my guess, but they could be going somewhere else. I can’t be sure.”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
Ten minutes later the truck turned into the drive to the Lost in the Woods Getaway. Billie drove past the driveway and found another spot to park where they could watch the comings and goings from that destination.