Page 21 of Capturing You

“You own this place?”

“Doing some work on it.”

The man took him in, head to toe. “What time’d you get here today?”

“Kinda early.”

Niles’s eyebrows rose.

Bernie’s mean smile revealed crooked teeth.

“We’ve been looking for her for a while,” Niles said. “Didn’t see you drive in.”

“Yeah, well…” He shuffled from foot to foot, going for nervous. “I…uh… I’ve been staying here, but I don’t want the owners to know. It’s a long drive back to my place down near Lewiston.” Though he’d learned to hide his Maine accent years before, he laid it on thick now. “The owners aren’t here, so I figured…” He shrugged. “I really need this job, though, so…” He let the request hang.

Niles grinned. “I can keep your secret, but we need to take a look around, if you don’t mind.”

“I’m not supposed to let anybody in.”

“You’re also not supposed to be staying here.”

“Yeah. But there’s no woman here. I’d have seen her.”

“Then you won’t mind if we confirm that.”

He did mind, very much. But he figured they would search, one way or another. This way, they’d think they had something on him and dispel any suspicion that he knew who they were or what they were up to.

“Why you looking for her?”

“She took something without our permission.”

“She stole from you?”

Bernie’s chuckle was dark.

Niles said, “Something like that.”

As far as Forbes knew, Brooklynn hadn’t taken anything from the smugglers. It was just an excuse.

“All right. Make it quick, and don’t hurt anything.”

Niles peered behind him. “Where’d you come from?”

“Basement.”

Moving past him, Niles walked to the basement door.

Forbes should have thought this through better. There was nothing for it now.

“There’s nobody there.”

“Then it’ll only take a few minutes.”

He said nothing as Niles and Bernie climbed down the basement stairs. Just prayed Brooklynn had stayed put.

CHAPTERFIVE

Brooklynn held her own hand over her mouth, terrified she’d squeal and give away her hiding place.