Page 46 of Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage 2)

While she took pictures, Nathan glanced around the office. “I’m not sure what the guy was looking for. I can’t imagine he would tear the place up for an article or two about a cold case. Articles can be found in newspaper archives online. The advantage he has is that he probably already knows the cold case. So again, why was he here?”

“He could have wanted to remove the articles so the cold case your father was working on wouldn’t be discovered.” She shrugged. “It’s just a thought. As for us, we can go online. We don’t necessarily need the articles Dwayne gave your father anymore.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“With the crime board, we can work backward. Look at how all these notes and names connect and then cross-reference everything.” She put her iPad away in her purse. “Sure, that will take more time, but it’s something to work with.”

Why hadn’t he thought of that? Henry hadn’t wanted him investigating because he was too close. Understandable. Maybe being too close truly did mess with his ability to think clearly. He pinched his nose as he squeezed his eyes shut. And sensed the moment Erin moved closer. His breathing hitched at her proximity, and he opened his eyes. Her blue-green gaze held his, and he had the sudden urge, the sudden need to pull her into his arms—for no reason and for a thousand reasons all at the same time.

Erin had always scrambled his mind, ignited his heart, and it looked like nothing about that had changed.

Before he could reach for her, she took a step back and smiled.

“Don’t worry, Nathan. Remember, you hired me to look into this, and you’ve come with me to both protect me and offer your insights.” Her eyes grew intense—the blue seemed to explode with color. “Do you understand?”

“Yeah. You’ve got my back.”

Erin wasn’t a private investigator, but she was privately consulting as a criminal psychologist in case the authorities grilled Nathan about his activities here.

What would I do without you?