Page 100 of Capturing You

Her eyebrows lifted. “Are you admitting you need help?”

“Whatever.” He shouldn’t sound so surly, considering Brooklynn and her sister had learned more in three days than he’d learned in three weeks.

That was exaggerating it a bit. He’d learned an awful lot, but he’d hit a wall, a wall that the Wright sisters had barreled right through.

He held out his hand for the phone and read the texts.

There was a photograph with a note.

Is this your guy?

He tapped to enlarge the picture. It was a mugshot of the so-called Bernie.

Another text came in.

Bryce Dawson. 27. Arrested in 2022 for possession and assault. Took a plea deal—probation and 90 days in rehab. Nephew of Shane Dawson.

The next text included Bryce’s address in Portland.

Shane has no arrests. His brother, Michael, Bryce’s father, arrested 2x for OUI, 1995 and 2002.

OUI… Operating under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.

Mother Laurie Renee Smith. Record clean. Bryce’s parents never married.

The next text included a document.

He flashed the screen to Brooklynn to let her read what her sister had said. “Mind if I open the attachment?”

“Go ahead.”

He scanned it, seeing a full report on everything Alyssa had learned about Bryce Dawson. Education, work history…

He forwarded the photograph and the document to his own phone, then handed Brooklynn’s cell back to her. “I could never have gotten that information on my own.”

“You admit it!” She flashed her million-dollar smile. “See? I’m more than just a nosy houseguest.”

She was so much more than that. Fun and happy and cheerful and helpful and…

And he couldn’t remember why he’d ever resented her presence.

He should say that, tell her how grateful he was that she was there, how much he enjoyed having her around. But he didn’t know how to do that without sounding…hokey or like a flatterer.

All he managed was, “Thanks.”

Her smile brightened even more, as if he’d made her whole day. “You’re very welcome. Alyssa asked me if there was anything else she could help with, so I thought I’d pass along the rest of these names.” She flipped back through the notebook to the list he’d made from the initials. “She can check if any of them have a record.”

“How does she have time for this? Doesn’t she have a job?”

“This is her job.”

“Right. Find out what her rate is, and?—”

“She’s not going to charge us.”

“I am going to pay her. That’s nonnegotiable. And I expect confidentiality.”

Brooklynn looked like she wanted to argue, then shrugged. “If you prefer to pay for something you could get for free, who am I to argue? Alyssa can use the business.”