Her Scream in the Silence (Carly Moore #2) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,102
kidnappers have cared about getting information from Greta? Or had they taken her to keep her quiet about Shane’s snooping? But I wasn’t sure that made sense. It stood to reason that Greta had already told her friends about her odd encounter with him at the café. Sure, he could make her disappear, but it would only draw more suspicion, not minimize it.
What if there were two parties involved in this? What if the first party had Lula and the second party wanted the packages and took Greta thinking she might know about them?
I had to rethink everything.
Because the more I thought about it, the more I believed that the person who took Greta didn’t have Lula.
So who did?
Bingham looked me in the eyes. “And you think this Shane Jones took her.”
I shook myself out of my musings. “Yeah.”
Of that I was sure.
He glanced over at the bar. “Do you think he took Lula too?”
Did I share my theory with Bingham? I suspected the information highway with Bingham was a lot like Wyatt’s—one way. Better to keep as much to myself as possible. “I don’t know yet. There are more clues to follow with Greta. I’m hoping it leads us to Lula too.”
“Us? You and the deputy?” He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You been deputized, Ms. Moore?”
“No. I’m just a concerned citizen lookin’ for two missing women, with a deputy on medical leave who has been kind enough to come along as backup.” I purposefully diminished Marco’s role. The last thing he wanted was for Bingham to set his sights on him. I cocked my head, then added, “Does Tim Hines work for you?”
“Do you think I go around publicly announcing all my associates?”
“Fair enough,” I said. “Then tell me this—did Greta come to you last August or the first of September asking for your help with Tim Hines?”
“And if she did? Why would you want to know?”
“If she did, I suspect she gave you information in return for making her life easier. You were dealing with Carson Purdy’s gang, and I’ve heard Greta’s sister was working for them.”
“And your point?”
“I need to know if you got Hines to back off,” I said. “The details of the transaction are between the rest of you. I’m only interested in whether he’s a credible suspect.”
“In the waitress’s disappearance?”
“She has a name. Do her the courtesy of using it.”
He glanced at the bar again. “Hines moved on soon after Greta left him. I’m not at liberty to go into the details.”
I pushed out a breath. “Is there any chance he decided to get her back? Maybe kidnapped her to help convince her?”
“Hines is with someone else. Anything is possible, but it’s not very probable.”
I nodded. “What do you know about Lula’s mother killing her father?”
His gaze jerked back to mine and a flash of surprise filled his eyes. “Now, what makes you want to go into such ancient history?”
“I think it might have something to do with what’s going on now.”
He chuckled. “You’re reachin’.”
“Maybe,” I conceded. “But I’m checking it out nonetheless.”
“Rumor has it her mother shot her father.”
“That’s what’s floating around, but I suspect you know more.”
He winked. “Lula’s father’s murder wasn’t exactly pillow talk when we were together, if you know what I mean.”
“I highly doubt Lula would want to chat it up with you about her father’s murder…considering your involvement.” This was another reach. I didn’t know that he was involved, but I figured this was a possible way to find out.
His eyes darkened, and I involuntarily shrunk back in my seat. “What are you talkin’ about?”
Not an admission, but definitely not a denial. “Your father was dead. You were trying to build your kingdom, brick by brick. Hank and Bart were the big men in town. The guns to go after.”
“And your point?”
“I suspect Louise Baker had a reason for telling Lula to stay away from you, and it had nothing to do with your reputation now.”
He glared at me for several seconds. “The past is in the past. Where it belongs.”
“Why would Walter Baker drown his daughter? Did he have a history of abuse?”
“How the hell would I know?” he snapped.
“When I mentioned the whole thing to Hank a few days ago, he said there was more to the story of a mother protecting her daughter. And Emily Drummond said Louise came by looking for Bart the day she shot her husband.” I decided to leave any mention of Hank out for now. “What do