I pursed my lips. “That is a solid logistical point.”
“Thank you.”
“But it does not eliminate the possibility.”
“I’m not going to murder you, Zoey.”
“Okay.” I paused. “Kidnapping remains on the table.”
He laughed then, and the sound seemed to surprise him as much as it did me.
We drove another minute before he checked the clock again, and his posture straightened.
“Good,” he said under his breath.
“Good what?”
“Timing.”
“Timing for what?”
“You’ll see.”
The road curved upward and the trees began to thicken on either side.
I watched the winding road ahead of us for a moment before looking back at him.
“You know,” I said thoughtfully, “if thisisa murder situation, I do appreciate the scenic route.”
Liam shook his head again. “You’re going to like this.”
“That remains to be seen.”
But despite myself, curiosity had begun to creep in, and judging by the small smile Liam was trying not to show, he knew it.
The road narrowed as we climbed.
Trees pressed closer to the sidewalk and the view behind us began to open through gaps in the branches. The truck engine settled into a steady rhythm as Liam guided us through the last curve.
Then the road leveled out and widened into a small parking area. Liam pulled into a spot and shut off the engine. He got out of the truck and walked around the front to open my door.
He held out a hand to help me down.
I took it.
The evening air was cooler up here.
I looked around the mostly empty overlook. Stone walls ran along the edge of the mountain, old and sturdy, drawing the line between solid ground and the open drop beyond. Past them, the sky was beginning to change, the last of the daylight thinning into something softer and more deliberate. The whole place had the unsettling energy of somewhere a person might either have a life-changing realization or end up in a true-crime documentary.
I glanced back at Liam. “Is this where you murder me?”
He gave me a long look. “No.” His hand closed gently around mine. “Come on.”
We walked together toward the overlook.
The path curved slightly around a low stone monument before opening toward the edge of the mountain. The trees thinned as we approached the wall, and the horizon began to stretch wider with every step.
I could see water in the distance.
