Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 562(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“Did they pick up Scott?” Keane asked.
Gabe frowned. “It wasn’t Scott who was leading her out.”
That had been the biggest kick in the gut. It had been a complete stranger who tried to take their woman.
“You mean trying to kidnap her,” Garrett insisted.
“It seems that way,” Gabe said grimly. “They’re talking to the bartenders and everyone around the table Olivia was sitting at. I don’t think they’re taking it seriously. They think she had too much to drink and was making a bad choice. I’m sure they’ll want to know what she was wearing.”
He wasn’t going to punch someone. Nope. He was going to stay calm.
“I want to know where Scott Whittiker was this evening.” He thought he’d seen the man but he’d been dancing with Miranda, and he trusted that Olivia could handle that asshole.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He wasn’t leaving her alone until they figured out what was going on.
“I mentioned to the police that they should talk to him and to Jason Hart,” Gabe said.
“We should also check into Jessica Fellows,” Garrett added. “According to Ruby she might be in town. We know she took a flight from New York to DFW a few days ago. Likely around the time Scott showed up.”
“Who was trying to take her?” Gabe asked.
Garrett’s head shook. “He took off running the minute I called out her name. I know. I panicked. I shouldn’t have, but she was trying to get away. I saw her and didn’t realize it was her, and I let him drag her deeper into the parking lot. I thought she was some drunk chick and her boyfriend was trying to get her home. If she hadn’t looked up at the right time…”
Keane shook his head. He needed to keep Garrett calm, too. “You couldn’t have known what was happening. Do you remember what he looked like?”
“Unfortunately, I remember enough to know it wasn’t Scott or Jason,” Garrett admitted. “He was shorter. Had way less muscle. He scared easily. He was wearing a cowboy hat and jeans and boots and a T-shirt. He honestly could have been anyone in that bar. I should have…”
Keane stopped him. If he let Garrett go on, he would spiral into guilt and remorse over something he had no control over. “We’ll get the security camera footage. I don’t care who was leading her away. I want to know where Scott was tonight. I want to know where he was every minute of the evening.”
“The police will be here soon, but I don’t know how much help they’ll be. They didn’t even request the hospital check it out. They said they would pump her stomach and be done with it,” Gabe said with a frown that would make anyone back away.
“Which is why Gigi’s going to make sure they run a full panel,” Miranda said with tears in her eyes. “She used a whole lot of words, but I think she wants blood work to see what was in that drink.”
“The drink which is missing,” Gabe countered. “It’s down a drain with the glass in a ridiculously hot dishwasher which will get rid of all the evidence. If we can’t test the drink, too, the police here won’t know what to do. Or rather they’ll do what they do best. Which is whatever is easiest.”
“I’d like to know who bussed that table so quickly, and where the hell her purse and phone went.” Keane was wound tight. He’d let go of the slashed tires. He’d even glossed over the fire since no one was in the building, but he couldn’t overlook this now. Someone wanted to hurt Olivia, and he couldn’t depend on law enforcement.
Garrett took a long breath and seemed to calm himself. “There’s no real reason I can think of for Scott to want her phone. But I can think of why Gladen would want it. She’s got evidence on her phone. He doesn’t know she sent it all to me in the last few days. He knew she didn’t plan to talk to her father until after her brothers’ wedding. He might think that’s the last place it might be. If he’s the one who started the fire.”
Gabe nodded. “Okay, that’s a good working theory. We need to get Ruby and Harlow involved.”
“Already done,” Garrett replied. “I called Ruby to update her. I was in the parking lot talking to her when I saw Olivia. She’s got a good line on a couple of suspects, but I’m worried we’re dealing with more than one, and maybe for different reasons. Gladen wouldn’t have a reason to slash her tires.”
“He could just be angry,” Miranda said. “Olivia can be brutal when she sees injustice. She doesn’t hold back. I once watched her rip one of my brothers up for doing something dangerous. She made him cry.”