Chapter Twenty
Josh growled,itching to throw his phone out the window. Riley wasn’t answering. It seemed that no matter who he called lately, no one picked up anymore. But with traffic moving, he couldn’t text her.
Charlie perked up his head as they went over the bridge into the city. “As soon as we get to the coffee shop,” Josh said to Charlie, “I’m going to kiss Riley like she’s never been kissed before. Then we’ll check in with Agent Wallace.” Aside from those two things, he had no other plan.
He tried Riley again.
When he got her voice mail, Josh’s gut plummeted to the floorboard as he braked at a red light. It was the same feeling he’d gotten that day he went into the apartment building in Afghanistan. His stomach got tight. His body shivered. That always happened right before something big went down.
Josh puffed out his cheeks, saying a silent prayer as the light turned green. After two more blocks, he found a parking garage. Within five minutes, Charlie and Josh were walking into The Coffee Bean Factory not far from Stitches, Inc.
Josh walked around but didn’t have to. The comfy coffee shop was small enough to see everyone and everything right from the entrance. Patrons lounged in living-room-style chairs, at tables, and a few at the high bar that surrounded the barista area.
Not one black-haired woman who made his mouth dry and his body sizzle with heat sat among the crowd. Nevertheless, he asked the short young girl making the coffee if she’d seen a woman of average height with long black hair that probably appeared dark blue in the light, gray eyes, and snow-white skin. He’d forgotten what Riley was wearing.
“Sir, you know you just described most of the ladies that walk in here,” the girl said.
His pulse ramped up.
Charlie pulled on his leash.
Josh glanced down and let the dog lead him. Charlie sniffed his way over to a table by the window, where a middle-aged hippie sat absorbed in his laptop.
Charlie continued to sniff around the table and the empty one next to it.
“Excuse me,” Josh said to the hippie, who was wearing his hair up in a man bun. Josh wouldn’t have been caught dead with that hairstyle, not because he was a Navy SEAL and the buzz cut was uniform issue, but long hair on men wasn’t his thing.
The hippie eyed Josh, dragging dirty nails down his unshaven face. The only time Josh hadn’t shaved was when they were deep in the mountains of Afghanistan and shaving had been the last thing any of them had on their hygiene list.
Charlie nuzzled the chair as if to tell Josh Riley had been sitting there.
“Have you been here long? I’m looking for a lady, pretty, long black hair, gray eyes—”
“She smells like cherries?” he asked.
Josh’s jaw came unhinged. “Yeah.” He thought he was the only one who’d noticed that.
The hippie held out his hand to Charlie. “I overheard her talking to someone named Liza. Then she took off and went that way.” He pointed a finger in the direction of Stitches, Inc.
“How long ago? Did you hear anything else? Like where she could be going?”
“Um, she left about an hour ago. And other than the name Liza, I heard her say Taylor.”
“Thanks, man.” Josh hightailed it out and started toward Stitches, Inc. Riley had mentioned in one of her texts that she was going to make Taylor talk.
Charlie and Josh waltzed into the fashion company ten minutes later and were greeted with no one. Josh checked his watch to see if the workday had ended, but it was approaching four p.m.
“Hello,” he called out, glancing down both hallways.
Charlie and he started with the offices on the opposite end from where Liza’s was located. With each door they opened, they found a room that was barebones empty. Then they started looking in the offices on Liza’s end.
Josh felt as if he were in aWalking Deadepisode in which Rick used caution when he scoured a building. Josh had had to do just that on many missions, but missions and normal life in a big city were by far on the opposite ends of the spectrum.
Charlie managed to tug his way out of Josh’s grasp and slipped into an office two doors down from Liza’s.
“Charlie?” Josh called in more of a whisper.
Charlie came out of the office, and his wet nose nudged Josh’s hand. Then he darted back inside. His actions told Josh he’d heard a noise that he wanted Josh to know about.
