Page 43 of Search for the Truth

If Kyle hadn’t had an airtight alibi of working at the steel mill during the window of time surrounding Missy’s death, with security footage to confirm it, Liam would have bet money that he had been out on the bridge with Missy. The same went for Missy’s former best friend, Miranda. She had said only a few words to Liam, and of those words, none of them had been regret or guilt.

They were sorry Missy had died, but they didn’t believe their actions had had anything to do with it.

“Kyle doesn’t know me,” Blake continued. “So when Icasuallybumped into him and mentioned I had just moved to town, he got really chatty and weirdly accepting. That led to him inviting me out tomorrow. He was shooting for dinner, I switched it to afternoon coffee.”

Liam broke his deal and broke his silence.

“You’re not going.”

Liam heard the hammer drop in his own words.

Blake paused at it. Green eyes searched his expression. It gave him enough time to edit himself.

“I don’t like that man,” he said, trying not to physically bristle at the idea. “There’s something about him that rubs me the wrong way. Also inviting someone he just met out to dinner? That’s another mark against him in my opinion.”

Blake’s eyebrow rose up.

“Didn’t I ask you out and you agreed to dinner right after we met?”

Liam didn’t have to think even once on that one.

“We’re different,” he defended. “This Kyle guy isn’t me or you. I don’t want you to go out with him.”

He meant every word of what he said, Liam realized. He didn’t like the idea of Blake sitting across from the man, dressed nice and smiling. It grated on him.

Blake blew out a huff. Bruce caught her finger as she tried to motion to him.

“That’s why I’m here,” she said. “I want to be bait. I figure we can do the same thing we did with Cassandra at the coffee shop. I’ll sit down with him, ask a few questions, and then you can swoop in.”

“Swoop in,” he repeated. “I doubt he’ll tell me anything else, even if you’re there.”

She shook her head.

“No, I mean swoop in to takemeaway. Not try to talk to him again.”

It was such a simple request and she said it with such ease.

“I’ll take you away,” he repeated again.

Blake was unfazed.

“Yeah, but do it in a way that doesn’t make him think we trapped him,” she added. “Maybe don’t wear the badge. Just, you know, come over and say we have plans later, and I’ll just go with you. Like we have a date or something.”

Liam’s eyebrow went high of its own volition.

For the first time since they had met, Liam thought he saw the woman’s cheeks start to tint red.

She cleared her throat.

“Or, you know, I can come up with something on my own. It’s no biggie, I can—”

Liam cut her off.

“I’ll be there. Don’t worry.”

She cut eye contact with him and cleared her throat again. If he hadn’t been looking at her so intently, he wouldn’t have noticed her flinch. For a second, he thought it was because of their conversation. Then he really took a good look at her.

She was tired. More pale than usual. Even standing still there was an uncomfortable slant to her.