“Y’all get anything other than the picture at Decker’s?”
Archer shook his head.“The place was cleared out, but someone’s doing the upkeep.We tried to talk to some neighbors but were stonewalled.”
“Doesn’t surprise me.People don’t like to get involved if they don’t have to.”
“It sounds to me like we’re a few hundred miles too far north,” Atticus said, still watching Brantley.
“I think so, too.”
“We headin’ back, boss?”
“That’s up to y’all,” Brantley said, glancing between them.“You’re runnin’ the show.If you think there’s somethin’ we can find up here, we can stay.”
Archer looked at Atticus, wanting him to lead.He was the one who’d compiled the information they had.It was only fair for him to decide what path they took from there.
Atticus glanced at his computer screen.“I think we got what we needed from here.Talkin’ to Max and checkin’ out Decker’s place.We should focus our attention on locating Allison and findin’ out if Calloway’s still in the area.”Atticus’s gaze cut to him.“What do you think?”
Nodding, Archer said, “I agree.”
Reese joined them a moment later.“Z’s lookin’ into it, but they don’t have any record that Decker’s got a kid.”
Archer figured there could be several reasons for that.To protect the girl, since Meredith had been on the run from the FBI at the time.Or to protect her from the mob, if Max had been looking for her.Or Meredith had kept her a secret to protect herself since the baby’s father had at one time been her student.A child, at that.
Personally, Archer did not like thinking about that part.It gave him the creeps.
“They’ve decided we’ll head back,” Brantley told Reese.
Reese glanced between Atticus and Archer.“Now?”
“Yeah.We can be back in Coyote Ridge in time for dinner,” Atticus said.
“Then we can gather the team first thing tomorrow.”Archer looked at Brantley.“We think it’s time we bring them all up to speed.On everything.”
Brantley stared back at them and it was obvious the gears were spinning.Archer understood the man’s need to protect his team, but there was only so much they could get done without them.
Finally, Brantley nodded.“Fine.We’ll leave it to you to let them know.I suggest we start early.We’re not gonna slow down until we have proof that Kylie’s alive.”
Archer liked that Brantley was thinking in the positive, rather than the negative.They had all questioned Holt’s line of thinking in the beginning, but the more they uncovered, the more Archer believed Kylie was alive.He desperately wanted her to be.
“We can do that,” Atticus told them.
“Come on, girl,” Reese called to Tesha.
“We’ll see you back in Coyote Ridge,” Brantley said on the way to the door.
When they were alone again, Archer turned to Atticus.“It’ll take me just a few minutes to pack, then I can go down and check out while you get the truck.”
Atticus closed his laptop and stood.“I’m ready when you are.”
