A Cry in the Dark (Carly Moore #1) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,121
back from you. I want to tell you now.”
In the scheme of things, it doesn’t matter when you tell me. I’m just relieved you trust me.”
Did he really mean it? Jake had told me things like that during our engagement, saying that we’d learn to love each other, that we could set our own pace, and praising and thanking me with every step closer to a real relationship, especially the physical side. What if Wyatt was doing the same now?
Tears filled my eyes.
“Hey,” he said reassuringly as he cupped my face. “I’m not mad, okay? I’m grateful.”
I nodded and looked down. “Seth showed me a string of numbers written on the palm of his hand. There was a digital video camera in that motel room, so I can’t help but think the numbers are the password or PIN to access the footage. What else could it be?”
He grimaced. “That doesn’t do us much good since we don’t know where the footage ended up.”
“And that’s presuming the camera had internet access.”
“Max’s wifi reaches to the motel. He likely hooked up to it.”
“I think I know where to find the footage,” I said. “I was searching through the clothes on Seth’s floor, and I found a slip of paper in the pocket of a pair of his pants with the web address for a video cam site. All we need is the login name. Any ideas what it could be?”
He frowned. “Maybe. But I really don’t want to look at it here. I’d rather use the computer in the garage.”
“I’m not waiting,” I said. “I’ve logged into my VPN, and we’ll be sure to clear the search history.” Something I had neglected to do with his computer.
His face wavered with indecision. “Just give me the code and I’ll look it up at my garage.”
Was he really just being careful, or did he intend to look at the footage without me? For one awful moment, I wondered if he’d been pumping me for information all along. But something deep inside of me rejected the notion. Even though I’d learned to question my own instincts, I truly believed I could trust this man. Even so, I had promised Seth I’d guard his secrets. I wasn’t going to hand them off to someone else.
“No,” I said slowly. “I’m not letting you do it without me.”
“It’s not that. Seth gave the code to me. I have to be the one to use it.”
“You don’t trust me,” he repeated, more firmly.
“Shelve your stupid pride, Wyatt Drummond,” I snapped. “I made that boy a promise, and I aim to keep it. Me. I’m not passing the buck. Now what’s the username?”
He watched me for several seconds before he said, “Sit down and go to the website.”
I plopped back into the chair and quickly pulled up the page. When the sign-in screen appeared, I glanced up at Wyatt.
“Not his main one. Most people don’t know about this one. It stands to reason that’s what he’d use.”
I entered the email, said a quick prayer, and plugged in the code. I held my breath as the site decided whether to give me access.
The screen changed, and a page popped up with several thumbnails of videos.
Wyatt leaned over me, studying the screen. “You did it,” he said in awe.
I looked over my shoulder at him. “We did it.”
He grinned, but any sense of celebration quickly faded as we turned our attention back to the page. Reaching around me, Wyatt put his hand over mine on the mouse and clicked on the last video.
My stomach knotted as the video began to play. The image was bad due to poor lighting, but it was clear enough that we could tell it had been taken in a motel room. Based on the floor plan of the room I’d been assigned, the camera was propped on the bathroom counter, along the wall opposite the door. A few seconds in, the door burst open and two men rushed in. They searched the room, then began to toss things around, obviously looking for something. One of the men opened a closet door and jerked a figure out of his hiding place.
“That’s Seth, isn’t it?” I asked, feeling nauseated.
“Yeah,” he said in a tight voice. “I think so.”
One of the men moved toward the camera before he moved out of view, giving us a clear view of his face.