If We Never Met (Whisper Lake #5) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,100

still working. When is she coming?"

"I'm not sure."

Hannah gave him a sharp look. "Are you two having a thing?"

"No, we're having nothing."

"Oh. So, she's avoiding you, which is probably why she's not here."

"If that's the reason, I'll leave."

"Don't be silly." Hannah leaned over and grabbed a beer out of a cooler. "Have a drink. I'm going to give Keira a call."

As she got up, he opened the beer and took a swig.

"Looks like you needed that," Adam said dryly. "Women problems?"

"Seems like those two words usually go together."

"Can't argue with you."

"But I'm glad to get a chance to talk to you. Is there any news on Mandy?"

"We haven't been able to locate her yet. She last used her credit card at a gas station about thirty miles away yesterday evening around seven. Nothing since then, but we'll find her eventually."

"I'm sure it's not a crime that is at the top of the list."

"Are you kidding? She destroyed one of my sister's guest rooms. Trust me, it's very high on my list. I will make sure she pays for what she did."

"I'm glad to hear that. What do you think of Mark Langley?"

"He has been very forthcoming. I will, however, follow up with the LAPD later this week on that fire from fifteen years ago to make sure Langley's story lines up with what is in their reports. And I'll be interested in talking to Mandy when we find her, but from what I saw, I think she got desperate when he decided to stop paying for her silence. She wanted to do something to shake him up, make him pay again. But she went way too far, and now she's going to be the one to pay."

He nodded, seeing the determined glint in Adam's eyes. Adam would get to the bottom of the situation. He'd do it not only because it was his job, but also because his sister had suffered a loss. Adam seemed to be an overachiever like his siblings, so he had confidence that he'd get the answers they all wanted.

Their conversation was interrupted as everyone came over to the table, bringing plates of food, one of which was plopped down in front of him. He found himself squeezed into the middle of the group. Keira's friends were smart and funny, but he couldn't enjoy himself because Keira wasn't there. And he hated the idea that she was missing the party because of him.

When they'd finished eating, he excused himself on the pretense of getting another drink, but once he'd dumped his plate into the trash, he kept on walking. There was a good chance he wouldn't see this group again before he left, and he didn't want to get caught up in goodbyes.

The crowd at the beach had thickened as the time for fireworks drew near, and he was definitely going against the swarm of people moving toward the sand to get a good spot for the fireworks. Eventually he made his way out of the area and walked down the block to where he'd parked his car.

He was almost to his vehicle when he ran into Mark and Ruth. Mark had a blanket under one arm and a picnic basket in his hand. Ruth gave him a surprised smile. "Dante. You're not leaving, are you?"

"Yes, I'm going back to the inn."

"The fireworks are starting soon. You don't want to miss them."

"I'm not big on fireworks." He should have left it at that, but for some reason, he couldn't. "Is Keira joining you?"

"No. She's not interested in the fireworks tonight, either. She told me she was going to bed early, although I can't imagine she'll sleep through the fireworks. You can hear them all over town. They echo off the mountains." She paused. "If you want to talk to Keira, you know where to find her. I know you're leaving soon, but if there's anything you still need to say, you should say it."

"Thanks for the tip."

"I want to thank you for your help yesterday," Mark interjected. "I don't think I ever said that. But the fact that you saw Mandy and were able to give her description to the police was very helpful. It would have been just speculation if you hadn't seen her leave my room."

"I was in the right place at the right time. I just saw Adam at the beach. He said they haven't found Mandy yet."

"No, but she appears to have left town, which makes me very happy," Mark said. "I