Liam’s hair hung wet at his shoulders. He smelled like soap. He’d also shaven in record time. Rae wasn’t sure which look she liked better.
“No,” he said. “I hope Leroy takes you out for a nice lunch too. Thanks, Evelyn.”
She smiled and left them to eat breakfast. He eased onto a stool.
“I wasn’t going to look at your laptop,” she said. “At first. I want to research. I should have grabbed my tablet, but I need to get a new laptop today and get my information from the cloud.”
“We’ll grab one when we’re in town.” He seasoned his eggs with Tabasco sauce. “You’re in charge here. This is your investigation. I’m only assisting as needed. I’ll type up an official document, short and sweet, that we can sign if it makes you feel better.” He held her gaze as he chewed a piece of bacon. “I’m your hired hand, though you know I’d be here with you even if you hadn’t offered to hire me, don’t you?”
“Maybe. Regardless, thank you for agreeing to help me.” She toyed with her cup. “I talked to Alan last night.”
“And?”
“Police found Zoey’s car at a grocery store parking lot. So they’re talking to people there and looking at video footage.”
He paused midchew. “You’re concerned that your trip here is a waste.”
She nodded.
Liam finished chewing, frowned, and pushed the eggs around on his plate. “Let’s give it more time, okay? Working multiple angles is the right thing. We’ll see what Sheriff Taggart says too.”
“Okay. You’re right. While the police are busy there, I can stay here.”
“What do you want to do next, then?”
“Let’s stake out this Enzo Astor guy’s home and look for signs of Zoey.”
“If he abducted her to get revenge because, like you’re theorizing, he believes she killed his brother, his own home or one of his main properties could be the last place he would take her.”
“Think again. Abducted women are often kept in the homes of their abductors, hidden in basements or secret closets.” Dead or alive. Rae shivered.
“Let’s see if we can talk to Sheriff Taggart first. I want to keep in close contact with the sheriff’s department. Plus, we can learn about other potential leads if he’s willing to share.” Liam finished the food on his plate and looked around as if he wished there were more. “I’d like to get a sense of whether they’re actually pursuing a search for Zoey in Jackson Hole or if the search is contained to Denver.”
“I’d like to know that too, but I don’t want that to throw me off. Still, what if we have this all wrong? What if we’re following the wrong guy? I’m in the wrong place? What if Zoey is on the other side of the country? Or even still in Colorado. What if she’s already gone?” Dead. Rae couldn’t bear to think of it.
She grabbed their dishes, took them to the sink to rinse, and then put them in the dishwasher. Liam followed and assisted.
Then . . . he stepped closer and gently gripped her arms. “Coming here to question her mother was the right way to go. You’ve learned a lot since being here. You know what you’re doing, Rae. Just keep those nosy investigative reporter skills going and stop second-guessing yourself.” He smiled, revealing those dimples and letting her know he meant to reassure rather than insult her.
It took a lot for him to encourage her, considering what she’d put him through.
His smile flattened. “Listen. I’ve worked in law enforcement long enough to know that law officers can’t always be there in time to save those in trouble. People die. Cases go unsolved. Bad guys get away. You came here to ask questions and search for answers and look what happened—your laptop was stolen. Someone followed you. We can only assume those things could be related to Zoey’s disappearance, and I’d say that’s as good a reason as any to stay in the valley and keep searching.”
She nodded. “That and I’ve pursued leads in the past that have been ignored by law enforcement—and that sometimes pays off.”
“I’m going to start my truck and let it warm up. Scrape the snow off. Please be ready to leave in a few minutes. Gear up, layer up to be out in the elements. Wear snow pants. Be prepared for anything.” He stirred his laptop awake and turned it toward her. “When you’re done, you can work while you wait for me.”