Page 31 of Critical Alliance (Rocky Mountain Courage 3)

“You’re saying you think he could have been murdered.”

“I’m saying it’s worth asking for an autopsy to find out.” She pursed her lips. Should she tell him more? “He had a pacemaker.”

Alex narrowed his eyes as he studied her. Did he think she was reaching?

“Someone is watching my sister. She’s afraid to speak freely, and I’m running out of time.”

“And you didn’t go to the authorities, the FBI, with this because ...?” He arched a brow. “You don’t have anything, really. No evidence, just a warning. So that makes me again question the source of the warning.”

If he wanted to, Alex could learn the source, even with those sealed records. The news stories about kids hacking into major corporations and taking money were out there somewhere on the Internet even though she’d tried to erase them.

“You’re right. I have no tangible evidence, and it would just be a waste of time, and the clock is already ticking down. But more than that, I would have to give up my source and put him in danger and possibly destroy my own career because of our connection, with nothing really to go on but a cryptic message.”

And Nora’s palpable fear.

Alex dropped his head forward with a sigh, then angled his face to her. “This is going to seem out of nowhere, but I have dinner plans with friends, and you’re coming with me.”

Not “would you like to join me for dinner?” But “you’re coming with me.” In the middle of this, whatever this was, she couldn’t just—

Alex closed the distance and took her hand. “Please. Will you please come with me to dinner?”

Well, when you put it like that...

But with the way he’d cut off their serious discussion with talk of dinner, she couldn’t be sure if he was taking any of what she’d told him seriously, especially since she had no evidence. Maybe she had been wrong about coming to him for help.

It wouldn’t be her first mistake.