Don’t Keep Silent

by Don't Keep Silent (epub)

  Rae went to the counter and climbed onto the stool where Liam had left his laptop open. She eyed the keys, her fingers itching to wake up the screen. He wouldn’t mind, would he?

  She drank more coffee and resisted, wanting to ask permission first, not wanting to add to her already destroyed reputation where Liam was concerned. She wouldn’t give him the impression she was using him.

  Still, she could be working while he got ready. He wouldn’t be much longer. Evelyn was about to plate those eggs. Rae touched the keyboard.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing?” Liam’s voice came from behind.

  Evelyn slid two plates onto the counter. Eggs, bacon, and toast.

  Wow, he cleaned up fast. Rae slid his laptop over to him and grabbed her plate. She glanced at Evelyn to avoid looking at Liam. “Thank you for this. I’ll do the dishes.”

  “All you have to do is stick them in the dishwasher. Now, I have some chores to do and then I’ll be gone most of the day, Liam. Leroy is taking me out to run errands. Do you need anything?”

  Liam’s hair hung wet at his shoulders. He smelled like soap. He’d also shaven in record time. Rae wasn’t sure which look she liked better.

  “No,” he said. “I hope Leroy takes you out for a nice lunch too. Thanks, Evelyn.”

  She smiled and left them to eat breakfast. He eased onto a stool.

  “I wasn’t going to look at your laptop,” she said. “At first. I want to research. I should have grabbed my tablet, but I need to get a new laptop today and get my information from the cloud.”

  “We’ll grab one when we’re in town.” He seasoned his eggs with Tabasco sauce. “You’re in charge here. This is your investigation. I’m only assisting as needed. I’ll type up an official document, short and sweet, that we can sign if it makes you feel better.” He held her gaze as he chewed a piece of bacon. “I’m your hired hand, though you know I’d be here with you even if you hadn’t offered to hire me, don’t you?”

  “Maybe. Regardless, thank you for agreeing to help me.” She toyed with her cup. “I talked to Alan last night.”

  “And?”

  “Police found Zoey’s car at a grocery store parking lot. So they’re talking to people there and looking at video footage.”

  He paused midchew. “You’re concerned that your trip here is a waste.”

  She nodded.

  Liam finished chewing, frowned, and pushed the eggs around on his plate. “Let’s give it more time, okay? Working multiple angles is the right thing. We’ll see what Sheriff Taggart says too.”

  “Okay. You’re right. While the police are busy there, I can stay here.”

  “What do you want to do next, then?”

  “Let’s stake out this Enzo Astor guy’s home and look for signs of Zoey.”

  “If he abducted her to get revenge because, like you’re theorizing, he believes she killed his brother, his own home or one of his main properties could be the last place he would take her.”

  “Think again. Abducted women are often kept in the homes of their abductors, hidden in basements or secret closets.” Dead or alive. Rae shivered.

  “Let’s see if we can talk to Sheriff Taggart first. I want to keep in close contact with the sheriff’s department. Plus, we can learn about other potential leads if he’s willing to share.” Liam finished the food on his plate and looked around as if he wished there were more. “I’d like to get a sense of whether they’re actually pursuing a search for Zoey in Jackson Hole or if the search is contained to Denver.”

  “I’d like to know that too, but I don’t want that to throw me off. Still, what if we have this all wrong? What if we’re following the wrong guy? I’m in the wrong place? What if Zoey is on the other side of the country? Or even still in Colorado. What if she’s already gone?” Dead. Rae couldn’t bear to think of it.

  She grabbed their dishes, took them to the sink to rinse, and then put them in the dishwasher. Liam followed and assisted.

  Then . . . he stepped closer and gently gripped her arms. “Coming here to question her mother was the right way to go. You’ve learned a lot since being here. You know what you’re doing, Rae. Just keep those nosy investigative reporter skills going and stop second-guessing yourself.” He smiled, revealing those dimples and letting her know he meant to reassure rather than insult her.

  It took a lot for him to encourage her, considering what she’d put him through.

  His smile flattened. “Listen. I’ve worked in law enforcement long enough to know that law officers can’t always be there in time to save those in trouble. People die. Cases go unsolved. Bad guys get away. You came here to ask questions and search for answers and look what happened—your laptop was stolen. Someone followed you. We can only assume those things could be related to Zoey’s disappearance, and I’d say that’s as good a reason as any to stay in the valley and keep searching.”

  She nodded. “That and I’ve pursued leads in the past that have been ignored by law enforcement—and that sometimes pays off.”

  “I’m going to start my truck and let it warm up. Scrape the snow off. Please be ready to leave in a few minutes. Gear up, layer up to be out in the elements. Wear snow pants. Be prepared for anything.” He stirred his laptop awake and turned it toward her. “When you’re done, you can work while you wait for me.”

  He bounded out of the kitchen, leaving Rae in the enormous vacuum his departure had created.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  7:03 a.m.

  Rae had called Reggie while Liam drove to the address listed for Enzo Astor’s home, located up a winding road in a mountainous community. Since it was still early, they hadn’t yet made it into town, where they could get her another laptop and see the sheriff.

  But one thing at a time.

  Holding the cell to her ear, she hoped she wouldn’t lose the signal. “A shell company?”

  “Wyoming has been home to thousands of shell companies created by people all over the world, and, in fact, one address held over two thousand companies—some of which were involved in criminal activities,” Reggie said.

  “You mean like the Cayman Islands?”

  “Yes, only a much smaller operation. The address is for a place called WCS Incorporated. The laws have changed things up, but there are loopholes. Think a dummy corporation.”

  “Like a front organization.”

  “Yes. They’ve been used to keep anonymity and to hide identities in the case of tax evasion.”

  “Or money laundering.”

  “Right. There are still ways around the laws to keep anonymity. All that said, I’m following Astor’s trail, though I’m not sure how much help this will be in finding Zoey if he’s connected to her disappearance.”

  “I understand. It’s the only lead we have at the moment. We don’t know if this man’s a criminal.” She glanced at Liam, remembering that he thought he’d seen the guy somewhere and called his DEA contact.

  “All possibilities are on the table until we find your Zoey,” Reggie told her.

  “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you. There are no words.”

  “Even for a journalist?”

  “Nope. No words.”

  “I’ll keep searching, but I wanted you to know where some trails have led me. I have another client I need to attend to this morning, but then I should be back on this case in full force. And in the meantime, Rae, I hope and pray that Zoey turns up safe and unharmed.”

  “Me too, Reggie. We all hope that.”

  She ended the call.

  “I think this is it,” Liam said. “The GPS took us the wrong way. If I had followed those instructions, I would have driven off a ridge. But there’s a long drive, and just through the trees you can see a home that could be a resort all by itself.”

  “Reggie said it’s valued at seventeen million dollars.”

  “And it’s smack in the mi
ddle of this neighborhood with other luxury homes but spread out enough that each house has privacy. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a real estate mogul,” he said.

  “I would have expected Astor to have a ranch somewhere. In fact, he probably has one. This is likely his home closer to town.”

  Liam steered his truck along the neighborhood road and made a U-turn while Rae shared what Reggie had told her. Several other cars were parked at the curb to a neighboring home, so Liam’s truck wouldn’t stand out too much. Still, he parked next to a boulder, but not so close that they couldn’t see the comings and goings at the house.

  “We can sit here and wait for a bit,” he said. “Don’t worry. Nothing about this will be time wasted. While we’re making phone calls or trying to figure things out, we can watch Astor’s home in case there’s movement. The point is that all possible venues are being tapped. I’ll contact the sheriff to see what’s cooking there. You can ask the detective if there’s any news on your stolen laptop and segue into questions from there.”

  “Sounds like a plan, except for the part where I really need to replace my laptop.”

  “And it sounds to me like you already have a computer at work for you. His name is Reggie.”

  Rae laughed. “I’m sure you’re right. What could I learn that he hasn’t already figured out or will find out? But you know the old adage ‘Two heads are better than one.’ In the meantime, we can brainstorm a few things. At least I have my tablet until I can replace my laptop.”

  “What’s on your mind, then?”

  “I can’t figure out Samara Davidson. She seems well-to-do. Why couldn’t she have somehow paid for Zoey’s protection when she was stalked here years ago or used her influence to get Simon to leave her daughter alone?”

  “Maybe the business wasn’t doing that well until recently, and even so, Simon had access to more money. In comparison, he had nearly unlimited resources.”

  “And now that Zoey’s missing, why didn’t Sam also hire a private investigator?”

  “How do you know she didn’t?”

  “I don’t. She said she’d been thinking about hiring one. She also claimed to have contacted the FBI to request help. It’s not that I suspect her involvement, but her reaction was off. As though she was hiding something.”

  “You can never tell how people are going to react in certain situations.”

  “True. But her response was to leave immediately after my visit. She left with a guy I assumed was one of the guides. He exited the helicopter with a tour group. They went to her home and she made a call. I can’t help but think it was related.”

  “I’ll look into the guides she has working for her. Can you send an image to me? I know you took his picture.”

  “Sure, I’ll send it. It’s loaded on the cloud now from my camera.” The ache that had started when she heard about Zoey’s disappearance throbbed harder and deeper. “I feel like we’re not any closer to finding her. Investigating is excruciating when you have a personal stake in it.”

  A few moments of silence ticked by, then Liam said, “I completely understand. I have a personal stake in this too.”

  “You—” She glanced at him.

  His brown eyes had darkened, but warmth emanated from them.

  “You don’t mean me,” she said.

  “I do.”

  She had the strongest sense that he’d planned to say more, and she wanted to hear what he would have said, didn’t she? Rae pushed away the sudden longing. She couldn’t let her thoughts dwell on the what-ifs of their past relationship.

  He shifted in his seat. “We’re spreading the net wide, Rae. Doing our best. If Zoey can be found, you’re the one to do it.”

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  “You believe that too or you wouldn’t be here. So put that confidence into this search and stop worrying so much.”

  He’s right. “How do we get into Astor’s house? How do we get up close and personal to see if he really did take revenge and abduct Zoey—or worse?”

  As a journalist, she might need to approach and ask him the hard question, to pull that card. But she needed facts, something other than circumstantial evidence, which she didn’t have yet. All she had was conjecture. Inwardly, she growled at herself. Outwardly, she squeezed her fists and wished she could crumple something.

  “Let me call the sheriff while we wait. You get on your tablet and do what you do.”

  The more she thought about it, the more she itched to face the man. “I don’t think I’m patient enough for a stakeout. We need to do more. Like knock on his door.”

  Liam reached for something in the door pocket.

  “Binoculars? I didn’t see those before.”

  He peered through them. “They’re stashed in my door. Always in the truck. And . . . there’s movement.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  8:30 a.m.

  Liam made sure to wait until a couple of cars passed them as he followed Astor out of the neighborhood. Another man rode in the truck with Astor as they took the state highway and headed toward town.

  Liam had left a message for Sheriff Taggart, whom he’d gotten to know well enough over the last few months, especially when he assisted in solving a crime when he first returned to Wyoming. Heath and Harper also worked for the sheriff’s department. He hoped that Taggart was looking into Zoey’s disappearance, though she’d gone missing in Colorado. With the stolen laptop and the man who had followed Rae, it seemed plausible that the events here in Wyoming were connected to Zoey’s disappearance.

  He stole a glance at Rae now and then. She typed on her tablet. An article? A text to Reggie or someone else? She was in deep thought, so he wouldn’t break her concentration.

  His greatest fear had suddenly shifted from not being able to find his way to not being able to keep her safe. And where would his teaming up with her again leave them on the other side of this? Alive?

  Or dead?

  Again, the images of her abduction, the wide-eyed terror on her bruised face, grated through his mind.

  “You okay?” she asked softly as she kept typing.

  “I’m fine.” When he fully reined in his emotions about the whole ordeal, he would like to hear her side of what happened—if she had a side that could possibly make sense to him. But dredging that up now wouldn’t help Zoey. Liam struggled to keep thoughts of those black days locked in a box in the corner of his mind for now.

  He turned down the road that was becoming all too familiar. Rae put away her tablet. “The Saddleback Resort?”

  “Looks like it. It makes sense. It’s a posh, new luxury resort.”

  “And Astor has invested in it.”

  “So the question is, what is he doing there today? Checking out his investment? Or taking advantage of it?”

  “What do you mean by taking advantage?”

  “Taking to the slopes. I mean, come on, this guy must invest in resorts for a reason. He wants to be in on the action and ski the new slopes.” He thought about Brad’s offer. He still hadn’t gotten back to him. Would Brad call Liam before he moved on to another candidate?

  He steered into the parking lot, found a spot at the far end, and shifted into park but left his truck running. What should he do? Work for Brad? If he did, he’d need to put him off until Zoey was found. If he took the job, Heath would be upset. His brother wanted the best for him, Liam believed that, but he also knew that Heath thought the best for Liam was working at the ranch. Home. Family.

  Deep inside, Liam wanted all that and more. But it consistently seemed out of his reach. Finally, he turned off the ignition.

  “What are we going to do?” Rae asked.

  “We’ll go inside and hang out. Follow him around. Watch and wait.”

  “As for waiting, I don’t like this sitting around business.”

  “You’ve already made that clear. And as I’ve said be
fore, have some patience.” Listen to your own advice. Liam didn’t like it either. He was more practiced at infiltrating drug-trafficking gangs and power players. What was the best way to help Rae?

  “They’re going in,” she said. “I’d like to know who he’s with.”

  “Let’s go, then.”

  Astor followed a group of resort patrons through the doors. “If he skis,” Liam whispered, “then we’ll ski too.”

  Her beautiful eyes narrowed. “Wha-what?”

  At the look in her eyes, he chuckled. “You said you were tired of sitting and waiting.”

  “I did, didn’t I? Honestly, I never pictured you on skis.”

  He arched a brow. “Then you don’t know me that well.”

  “No, I guess I don’t.”

  They got out of the truck, and she walked next to him through the front doors and the expansive great room with the massive fireplace. “I don’t see him. We should have followed more closely. Again, I’d rather just talk to him.”

  “You were never patient, Rae.”

  He led her through the resort. A couple rose from their chairs, and Liam quickly grabbed their spot by the corner near the windows. Rae plopped into a chair and turned her attention to the ski lifts. The elevators were behind them. Liam focused on those.

  “From here,” he said, “we can see him coming or going or even getting on the ski lift there. But if he’s here to ski, I have to ask why this guy doesn’t use the heli-skiing. He can certainly afford it. Why go where everyone else goes?”

  “Wouldn’t you want to check out your investment?” she asked.

  “Yes. But I wouldn’t have to ski to do it,” Liam said. “I can grab us coffee while we wait. Act normal.”

  “No. I see him.” Rae peered around Liam. “He’s with his sidekick. They’re heading into the café.”

  “It’s crowded but not so bad that we can’t get a table. Crowded serves our purpose. We won’t be so easily noticed.” But it would be more difficult to glean information from the two men’s conversation.