The elevator ride back down is mercifully silent, giving me a brief moment to breathe.
But the moment is short-lived as I step out of the elevator and spot Aiden, my private investigator, leaning against the reception desk holding two coffees.
“Thought I’d find you here.” He hands me one as I approach. “Double shot. Figured I would soften the blow before I ruined your afternoon.”
I take a sip. “Bad news?”
He grimaces. “Depends how you define ‘bad’.”
I grunt, already knowing what’s coming. “You’ve got nothing.”
“Notnothing.” He falls into step beside me as I head toward the exit that leads to the parking garage. “Just nothing useful. Every trail on Cormac either ends in a dead end or loops back to information we already had.”
“Someone must be setting him up.”
Aiden stops in his tracks. “You think so?”
“I think that everything we’ve found points too neatly in one direction. It’s almost like someone wants us focused on Cormac and only Cormac.”
Aiden is quiet for a moment as we take the steps down to the garage. It’s only when we reach my car that he speaks again.
“So, all this digging, and you think he’s innocent?” He leans against the trunk.
“I’m saying I don’t know, and I don’t like not knowing.”
Aiden takes a long sip of his coffee as he studies me.
“What?”
“You’re wound tight, even for you.”
I shoot him a look that only makes him smirk.
“If you want to try juggling Sean O’Keefe breathing down your neck, a missing brother, and a target on your wife’s back, be my guest.”
He raises a hand. “Fair enough. Look, I’ll keep digging. There are a few sources I haven’t used yet. Maybe one of them has something worth hearing.”
“Do that. And, Aiden?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t care if he’s dead or alive, I just need you to find him.” I get in the car and drive away.
By the timeI pull into the driveway at Ronan’s estate, my body feels heavy with exhaustion.
The day has been long, with each hour spent poring over files, records, and intercepted messages, trying to make sense of Cormac’s disappearance.
Every lead feels like a trap. But what worries me the most isn’t the paperwork or the missing pieces. It’s my brother.
If I’m right and it turns out the evidence we’ve been chasing is part of some larger plan, then Cormac isn’t just missing. He’s in danger. Or worse, dead.
I push the thought away, knowing it won’t help to dwell on it. I need to stay focused if I want to try and get ahead of whoever is trying to set Cormac up.
But for now, I can’t stand the thought of sitting behind a screen for another second without at least taking a shower and seeing my girl, preferably at the same time.
Following the soft glow of the living room light, I find Riley curled up on the couch, fast asleep.
I swallow a laugh, considering it’s still daylight outside.
