“Hola pequeño, cómo se llamas?”she asked.
“Mateo,” he answered with a drooly smile.He whipped the teddy back from her hands and toddled back to his mom.
“Looking good today, Ms.Caron.I was just thinking about you.”Drea smiled as Detective Carter rounded the information desk, then shook her hand.
“Do you have a few minutes?”She smoothed the white blazer she’d thrown on over her dark-wash jeans.
“For you, I have all day.”Carter smiled at her.“Is this private or would you like to sit outside?”
“Private, but it’s beautiful outside.”September in Miami was a game of dodge the rain showers.
“Please.”He led them out to a park bench in front of the main building.
“I need to give you this.”She handed him the flash drive.“I found this the day after the incident.My coworkers are lazy eggs and never empty their uniform pockets.It was in the laundry.I just assumed it was one of theirs.”
Carter turned it over in his hand.“What’s on it?”
“Information about fracking.It’s about a drill site in the Everglades.I can’t make hide nor hair of some of it.But I guess Cleffan Energy applied for a permit and got one when they shouldn’t, and the governor was involved.”
Concern etched his face.“You think it’s connected to the woman?”
“I think so.There’s a letter to someone named Walter, signed with the initials ‘L.A.’It mentions a journalist, Mike MacArthur, who died in northern Canada recently.”
Carter sent her a look out of the corner of his eye.“You know, you should leave the investigating to us.We’re kind of good at it.”
“I want to know if the woman is okay.Ineedto know.I can barely sleep.But the guy who held us up, he can’t know I went to the police.I’d hate to be the victim of your next nine one one call.”
“We’ll handle this with the utmost discretion, I promise, Drea.We know what we’re doing.”
She was certain he was one of the good guys.“I believe you, Detective Carter.”
“Please, I hope you’ll call me Ryan… when it’s just the two of us.”Was he flirting with her?He was definitely grinning.
Drea nodded and smiled.“Did you find anything out after canvasing the neighborhood?”In the eight days since the woman disappeared, the police had spoken to all the neighboring businesses and reviewed all the security camera footage they could get their hands on.
“Not yet.Those guys were like ghosts.But we still have a few leads to follow up on.Are you able to look after yourself?I can arrange a daily welfare check at your residence.”
“Thanks.I’d appreciate it.”Drea felt some of the tension leave her shoulders at the thought of not being in this alone.With the sun on her face and the solid presence of Ryan Carter at her side, she felt almost back to normal.While there was nothing else she could do, she had faith Ryan would figure it out.There was a long pause.
“How would you feel if I asked you out to dinner, Drea?”
How would she feel?Part of her wanted to say yes.To remind herself that despite appearances, she could still play the part of a young and carefree twenty-seven-year-old.Ryan was hot.It wasn’t just the way his broad shoulders filled out his shirt; his angular jaw would have been at home on a catwalk.The way he studied her with those heavy-set tawny eyes was flattering, but they didn’t cause her to shiver like Cujo’s vibrant blue ones did.
More excuses came to mind; her mom needed her, and she had two jobs.But it kept coming back to Cujo.There was something going on between them.She’dfeltit.His words from the previous evening wouldn’t have bothered her so much if there weren’t.
“I’ll take the silence as a no,” he said.
“It’s a don’t know,” she said, honestly.“Can I take a rain check on answering that?”
“Does the rain check have anything to do with Mr.Matthews?”
Obviously it did, but Drea wasn’t ready to discuss it.“I always keep my promises, Ryan.I promise I’ll come back to you with an answer.”
She smiled and stood to leave.
“Well, in that case, I await your call.”He reached for her hand and shook it, holding onto it for a fraction longer than was professional.“And please, for your own safety, leave the detective work to us.”
Drea checked her watch.The laundry was done.Aunt Celine was with her mom and had offered to prepare dinner.There was a prescription at the drugstore she needed to collect but that could wait until she went to the hotel to start her night shift.
