all kinds of trafficking. Was there something going on with that angle? What they saw was just a cabin in the woods, but Enzo Astor owned resorts. Was there a connection? “Well, I’ve given you everything I know. I hope you can do something with it.”
Liam wished he could do something himself. He wished he were carrying a badge and could wield it to enforce the law. But at the moment, he appreciated the fact that he had the freedom to protect Rae.
“You would be an asset to my team. You sure you won’t—”
Liam held up his hand. “Thanks for the offer.”
He could only imagine what working with Heath for the county would be like in addition to working for him at the ranch. No thank you. “Rae and I are actively looking for Zoey. And we already know someone doesn’t want us to find her.”
“That’s the theory you’re going with?”
“For now, yes. Why? You have another theory?”
“Not yet. We came up empty on the search for the Hummer. After the incident on the road, they must have parked it somewhere. Hid it away. Or hightailed it out of state. I have someone looking into witnesses and everyone who owns and drives a Hummer here as well as in neighboring states. There can’t be that many.”
“It all takes time,” Liam said.
“Too much time.”
A text came through on Liam’s phone.
Two texts. One from Brad, who wanted an answer about the job offer. Another from Kelvin with an image. “I’ll talk to you later.” Liam exited Sheriff Taggart’s office. He was beginning to appreciate Rae’s sense of wasting time. His visit with Taggart felt more like that, but then again, if the sheriff could do something with the information, he would.
Liam, his heart in his throat, stopped to read Kelvin’s text.
An image—Enzo Astor on the steps of a business complex with Malcom Fox not too far behind. Liam stared long and hard at the image. The text also said, “Taken a year ago.”
A year ago. This must be why Liam recognized Enzo. The image didn’t show the two men interacting, but what about the pictures taken before or after? Did Kelvin only have this one?
This could possibly give the sheriff probable cause—Enzo in the vicinity of a known drug and human trafficker. Their intuition about the man had been right on. Liam turned to catch Sheriff Taggart. Except there was a disturbance rippling through the office.
Someone had found a body.
Liam pressed himself into the wall as deputies geared up and filed out, followed by Sheriff Taggart. The sheriff eyed him on the way out. “A young woman’s body was just discovered.”
Liam’s heart lurched.
Please, let it not be Zoey.
“Watch your back.” Sheriff Taggart left him standing there.
“Always.” Liam wanted to go with him, but despite what he’d discovered last night and any possibility that the body was somehow connected, this was a law enforcement matter. He forwarded Kelvin’s text to the sheriff.
How did he tell Rae about the body when he was still reeling from the news himself? And the picture of Enzo Astor and Malcom Fox. After taking a few long breaths to compose himself, he exited the county offices, stepped out into the cold, and found Heath’s truck empty in the parking lot.
Rae was gone. Frowning, he glanced at his cell and saw the text message she’d sent. He’d just missed it.
Meeting Enzo Astor at airport before he leaves. My only chance to catch him.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
8:22 a.m.
Grayback, Wyoming
Liam would absolutely kill her. She knew it. The cab driver drove her out of Grayback and toward Jackson Hole Airport.
If she had gone into the sheriff’s office and announced her plan, then the deal would have been off. There was no time for deliberation. She shouldn’t have waited until this morning to call Astor for that interview, but Liam had wanted to talk it through. And now here they were in this situation. Astor was leaving, and she didn’t want to miss her chance.
He’d agreed to talk to her for a few minutes before his flight left. So she’d made this decision on her own. They had to pick up the pace.
The cab stopped at a drop-off area. After paying the driver, she hurried into the terminal. She wasn’t wired like they had discussed. She would have to ask if she could record the interview. She had a feeling that would be a resounding no. But she wasn’t writing an article, and all she needed was to find out what he’d done with