Harlequin Intrigue October 2020--Box Set 2 of 2 by Barb Han

Author:Barb Han
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Cade pulled his truck onto the curb outside the Sunshine Smoothie and flung the door wide as Lyndy scrambled down from the passenger seat. He collected Gus and grabbed Lyndy by the hand, then swung the glass door open with unnecessary oomph. Adrenaline spiked and pounded in his veins as he marched through the smattering of patron-filled tables. Finally, their search for a link to the Tom Cat was getting somewhere.

“I don’t see Owens,” Lyndy said, stating Cade’s thoughts aloud. “No officers, either. Did they leave? Did you notice their cars outside?”

“No,” Cade admitted, releasing her hand as he pushed his way to the front of the line. “Maybe they’re in the back or in Terri’s office.”

A man in hipster glasses and a bowling shirt scoffed as Cade blew past. “Excuse you!”

Cade glared in the man’s direction before pressing his free palm to the counter. “Hey,” he called to the teen working the register.

The girl jumped, looking inexplicably guilty and as if she might run. It was her lucky day, because whatever the girl had gotten into, Cade doubted it had anything to do with him. He just needed information. “We were just in here. Do you remember?”

“Yeah.”

“We need to talk to the policemen who were with us, or your manager.”

The girl shook her head. “You can’t. They left. First the cops, then Mr. Fray.”

Cade ground his teeth.

“It’s okay,” Lyndy said, tugging Cade’s coat sleeve. “We’ll call Detective Owens.”

“Hang on,” he said, shooting the hipster another look. “You ever work nights?” Cade asked the worker.

“N-no,” the little blonde spluttered, her cheeks growing impossibly darker.

“How long have you worked here?”

“S-six months. Why?”

Cade knocked on the counter in frustration. That wasn’t long enough, but it was a small town, and this lead was all he had. “You live around here? Maybe you know the girl who worked nights last year?”

“What’s her name?”

Cade shot Lyndy a pointed look.

“She had black curly hair and glasses,” Lyndy said. “I can’t remember her name. We hoped you might.”

The cashier’s mouth opened. Then shut. A measure of relief crossed her brow, though her skin remained unnaturally pale. She was definitely guilty of something. “Maybe you mean Ramona?” she asked.

“Maybe,” Cade said. “How can we get ahold of her to ask? Do you have her contact information? An address or phone number?”

“No.”

Cade scowled. “You have to have access to employee contact information.”

“Yeah, right.” The girl laughed. “Even if I had access to that information, I’m not giving it to you.”

Cade pressed his lips against a tirade. Was the world conspiring against him? What was wrong with this day? “Fine. Get me your manager’s number. I’ll get Ramona’s information from him.”

Her eyebrows rose in disbelief and defiance. “No.”

The overwhelming scent of crushed fruit and yogurt wound into his nose and deepened his frown.

Lyndy inched forward. “Hi,” she told the cashier, rewinding the conversations, then turning to the restless crowd behind them, all of whom had settled in to listen instead of complain, even the hipster. “I’m very sorry to have bothered y’all, but this is truly important.

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