He smiled at her, guessing she was thinking about the guy at the paper whose name she had mentioned several times. She didn’t actually say they’d been an item, but it was obvious he’d shafted her in every sense of the word and that smarted more than being side-lined. Feeling her need to change the subject, which suited him just fine because this was getting way too personal, Tyler obliged. He liked Alexi—hell, he’d have to be a Trappist monk not to appreciate what he saw, but he still couldn’t decide if it would be appropriate for them to work together on this case.
‘Fill in me on what you know about Natalie,’ he said.
‘Most of what I know I gleaned online last night. The rest I learned from Cheryl and Drew. Basically, Natalie is a successful businesswoman with no close relations, stating online for the world to see that she’s thinking of buying a share in a racehorse.’ Tyler flinched. ‘Yeah, that was my reaction, too. I get the impression she’s emotionally needy and really wants to be in a relationship.’
‘Ideal if a creep wants to target her.’
‘Yes.’ Alexi looked serious. ‘We both know something’s happened to her, don’t we?’
He nodded. ‘I guess more digging is necessary.’
‘Into her dates?’
‘I’ll let you know what I find out.’
‘Hey, we’re in this together!’
‘We’re on different sides,’ Tyler replied.
‘You want to find Natalie and save your sister’s business. I want to find Natalie and put my friends’ minds at rest.’ She fixed him with a malevolent glare. ‘How does that make us enemies? Oh, I get it,’ she added, before he could reply. ‘You think I’m gonna write this up and sell it to the Sentinel’s competitors.’
‘The thought had crossed my mind,’ he replied, not backing down.
‘I could do that anyway.’ She leaned forward, arms folded on the table, determination radiating from hostile eyes. ‘I’m not any happier with the idea of having a partner than you are, but I am going to try and find out enough about Natalie to get the police actively involved, with or without your help. It seems daft both of us covering the same ground. Accept my word for it that I won’t write a single paragraph until we find Natalie, and perhaps not even then.’ She held out a hand. ‘Do we have a deal?’
Tyler relented. What she said made sense. Besides, she was sharp, and would definitely be more of a help to him than a hindrance. He took her hand in a firm grasp. ‘Deal,’ he agreed. ‘And in the spirit of open partnership, I think the first thing we should do is look at her financials.’
Alexi removed the bank statements she had found at the cottage from her bag and waved them beneath his nose. ‘I helped myself to these.’
‘Damn, you’re good!’
‘Normally I’d agree with you, but I got lucky.’ She explained where she’d found them while snooping through Natalie’s clothing, and how odd she found it that Natalie didn’t keep a file regarding her banking arrangements.
He shrugged. ‘Odd, I agree, but not unheard of.’
‘I guess not. But as to being good, I have my limitations and I’m not sure I know how to hack into bank accounts.’
‘Who said anything about hacking?’
‘Well, I thought…’ Alexi spread her hands. ‘How else can we…’
Tyler took the papers from her. ‘Her bank’s here in Lambourn. Why don’t we go and see the manager, ask if there’s been any unusual activity on her accounts.’
‘He won’t tell us diddly squat.’
‘No, but if we tell him Natalie’s missing and the police have been informed, if there is anything odd going on with her accounts he might decide to take his concerns to them.’
Alexi pouted. ‘I hate to admit this, too, but I didn’t think of that.’
He shrugged. ‘Sometimes the direct approach is the best.’
‘You think like a policeman, and are used to having the authority to demand answers. I think like a journalist, used to having doors slammed in my face and having to find a back way in. Therein lies the difference between us.’
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ He allowed his gaze to lazily travel the length of her body; what he could see of it with the table separating them. ‘I can think of one or two others.’
‘Get your mind out of the gutter, Maddox.’
He sent her a sheepish grin. ‘Sorry.’
‘Okay, let’s call the bank first. Then we’ll look at the details of the guys she’s dated. No hacking required since you can get us those legitimately.’ She gathered up her bag. ‘Where are you staying?’
‘Nowhere. I just drove over from Newbury for the day. I was planning on going back.’
‘Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but if we’re in this together, it might make more sense if you stay in Lambourn.’
He sent her a long, speculative glance. ‘What do you have in mind?’
‘Not what you’re thinking, obviously.’
He shrugged. ‘Shame.’
‘Cheryl and Drew have a hotel with empty rooms. Only problem is, it’s not cheap and you’re not getting paid for this job. Still, I’ll put in a good word with the owners,’ she said, grinning. ‘I might be able to persuade them to give you a discount.’
‘Lady, you’ve got yourself a deal.’
Chapter Five
‘Why don’t you follow me back?’ Alexi suggested.
Tyler flashed a predatory grin. ‘Sounds like a plan.’
Damn it, Alexi thought as she climbed into her Mini, fired up the engine and floored the accelerator, why did he have to have such a killer smile?
‘He’s wasting his time, Cosmo,’ she told her cat. ‘I’m immune to whatever game he thinks he’s playing.’
She used the short drive back to Hopwood House to think over their conversation, and the agreement they’d reached, wondering if it was such a good idea. She should simply go to the police with what she knew, and use the power of her press credentials to force them to take Natalie’s disappearance more seriously. What did she know about investigative work? The only thing that died when she dug up scandal on greedy politicians and public officials on the take was their sleazy careers. But if she played Nancy Drew down here in the valley of the racehorse, where she stood out like a townie on an away-day who didn’t know a fetlock from a farthingale, she could put Natalie’s life in danger.
Always supposing she was still alive.
With such sobering considerations rattling around inside her head, Alexi felt a tad reassured when she thought about having Tyler Maddox in her corner. He did know how to conduct an investigation, as evidenced by his suggestion of contacting Natalie’s bank manager, which was a damned sight more straightforward than trying to hack into her accounts.
While they waited to see if the bank took any action, Alexi could pretend she was fully on board with Tyler. That way, she’d get to see who Natalie had been dating through legitimate means. It would also give her time to take a look-see at Natalie’s email, which would require a basic hack. If that threw anything up that required subterfuge and stealth, to say nothing of state-of-the-art electronic surveillance, Tyler was better placed to deliver. Well, she assumed that must be the case. Private investigators were whizzes with electronic gizmos nowadays, weren’t they? Hopefully they would be able to amass enough evidence to convince the police to up their game, minimising damage to Tyler’s sister’s operation. It surprised Alexi how badly she wanted to help a woman whom she had never met.
‘Go figure,’ she muttered as she indicated a left hand turn and pulled in between the Hopwood House gateposts.
Tyler parked up, climbed from his vehicle and shaded his eyes with his hand as he took a good, long look at the house. Alexi returned the favour by taking a good, long look at him. As soon as she released Cosmo he went straight across to Tyler and rubbed his head against his legs. Instant compatibility. Toby came bounding down the steps and launched himself at Cosmo. Tyler laughed as he watched cat and dog go through their meet-and-greet ro
utine.
‘Cosmo has an identity crisis,’ he said.
Alexi rolled her eyes. ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’
‘Nice place.’ Tyler’s gaze lingered on the refined old Georgian building.
‘It’s been in Drew’s family for several generations.’
‘And we’re hanging on in there. Somehow.’
Alexi turned to see Drew and Cheryl standing on the steps, eyeing Tyler with open curiosity. Alexi made the introductions and explained how their paths had crossed.
‘It’s nice to meet you, Tyler. I’m so glad someone else is worried about Natalie,’ Cheryl said. ‘Do come in and tell us more.’
‘Actually, Tyler needs a room for a night or two,’ Alexi said, earning herself a long, speculative look from her friend. ‘I said I thought you could probably oblige.’
‘I expect we can find you a broom cupboard,’ Drew said with a wry smile, indicating the visitors’ car park, empty but for their two vehicles.
They followed Cosmo and Toby into the kitchen, where Cosmo set up an almighty racket, demanding food in lieu of payment for his morning’s work. Alexi gave him a couple of treats, which had disappeared before she’d put the packet back in the cupboard.
‘He’s had a hard morning,’ she said defensively, when the others laughed.
‘He launched himself at me like he didn’t plan on taking prisoners,’ Tyler said, shuddering. ‘I wondered, for a minute or two, what they’d put in the beer I drank last night because I was convinced I had to be seeing things. I mean, flying cats…come on!’
‘Stop being such a drama queen,’ Alexi replied. ‘He happened to be in the tree you were standing beneath, so naturally he came down to introduce himself. He’s that way inclined.’
Tyler winked at her. ‘If you say so.’
Alexi shook her head as she watched cat and dog settle down together in the dog’s basket. The humans seated themselves around the table and Cheryl gave Tyler the third degree about his take on Natalie’s disappearance. Alexi didn’t know whether she was more annoyed or amused with the way in which he fielded her questions without giving anything much away, and without offending Cheryl by appearing to hold out on her. Unless he’d been economical with the truth in his discussions with Alexi, he didn’t have much to give away, but it was apparent that confidentiality was second nature to him. He would have made a good reporter.
‘I managed to find Natalie’s bank account details,’ Alexi said, explaining what they planned to do with that information.
‘Good thinking,’ Drew replied, nodding his approval.
‘Right,’ Alexi agreed. ‘And given the police have already asked a few basic questions at Racing Hearts, which is why Tyler got involved, they can’t ignore new information supplied by Natalie’s bank.’
‘Let’s make that call,’ Cheryl said, fidgeting with impatience.
‘In a moment or two,’ Alexi replied. ‘And then, while the bank’s deciding what to do, Tyler and I are going to take a little look at the backgrounds of any men she might have dated and see what her email throws up.’
Cheryl elevated both brows. ‘You can get into her email?’
‘It’s way easier than you might think,’ Tyler replied before Alexi could. ‘Simply a case of cracking her password and there are a ton of programmes you can buy online to do that job. Why do you think email accounts get hacked so frequently?’
‘Well, at least in this case it’ll be in a good cause.’
‘Can we use the guests’ sitting room to set up our laptops?’ Alexi asked.
‘Consider the room as your personal working space, at least until we fill up at the weekend,’ Drew replied. ‘I’ll show Tyler to his room, and he can join you up there when he’s settled in.’
‘Which will take me all of two minutes,’ Tyler said, standing.
Drew and Tyler left the room, while Alexi braced herself for the inquisition she had known would be forthcoming the moment she walked through the door with Tyler.
‘Only you could go out on a simple assignment and come back with him,’ Cheryl said grinning.
‘Don’t get too cozied up. His first loyalty is to his sister.’
Cheryl shook her head. ‘If you’re saying he’d let something happen to Natalie rather than have his sister’s reputation tarnished, or that he’d try to cover up her organisation’s involvement if something has happened to her, then it won’t wash. He has more integrity than that.’
‘You only met the guy for five minutes. How can you possibly be so sure?’
‘A mother instinctively knows these things,’ Cheryl replied loftily.
Alexi guffawed. ‘You’re still a mother in training.’
‘Even so.’
‘You’re letting his pretty face influence you.’
Cheryl fixed Alexi with a knowing look. ‘And you’re not? Since when did you work with a partner? Any partner?’
Alexi shrugged. ‘I’ve never been in a life and death situation like this one before.’
The implication that Natalie was in danger caused the smile to fade from Cheryl’s lips.
‘Don’t worry.’ Alexi gave her friend a swift hug. ‘We’ll find her.’
***
Tyler let out an appreciative whistle when Drew showed him into the room directly across the hall from Alexi’s—a disquieting thought better not dwelt upon.
‘I could get used to this,’ he said. ‘But really, you don’t need me cluttering up your best rooms. My needs are basic.’
‘Since you’re doing us a favour in a roundabout sort of way, you might as well be comfortable.’
‘Well then, thanks.’ He threw his overnight bag on the bed, thinking it was large enough to accommodate four with ease. Two could have an absolute ball. Don’t go there!
‘What are the chances of finding Natalie alive?’ Drew asked bluntly.
Tyler shrugged. ‘Until we learn more about her activities it’s hard to say, but something’s definitely happened to her. There’s no way to sugar coat that. Hopefully, by the end of the day, we’ll have got the police fully involved, but we need more than we have right now to make them prioritise her disappearance.’
‘Like a body,’ Drew said, grimacing.
‘Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.’
Drew shook his head. ‘All she wanted was to be loved and have someone to look after.’
Tyler slapped his shoulder. ‘Don’t think the worst just yet. If she’s alive, we’ll find her.’
‘I’ll let you get on with it then.’ Drew paused in the open doorway. ‘Let me know if you need anything, or if I can help in any way at all.’
‘Will do.’
Tyler sat on the edge of the bed for a while after Drew left him, thinking about the speed with which this enquiry had escalated. His partner wouldn’t be happy. The agency was busy right now, this assignment didn’t pay, and paying work was the only kind Cassie took on. In theory they were equal partners, but Cassie had started out alone so, to all intents and purposes, she was the gaffer. They both knew it, even though Cassie never felt the need to pull rank. Tyler would just have to make her understand that he couldn’t walk away and leave Katie in the lurch. His copper’s nose told him there wouldn’t be a logical explanation for Natalie’s disappearance and so dating agencies, with their questionable reputation, would be an easy target for a lazy detective with an eye on his clear-up figures.
Hopefully he and Alexi could absolve Katie’s clients of involvement before the police got their teeth into the investigation, minimising damage to her business. It was looking increasingly unlikely that Heart Racing could keep itself out of the enquiry. And there would be an enquiry. In spite of what he’d just told Drew, Tyler wasn’t optimistic about finding an innocent explanation for Natalie’s disappearance before matters reached that stage. It was a question of degree. If they could find another thread to Natalie’s life—personal or connected to her business—to account for her vanishing act, it would take the he
at off Katie.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and called his sister up. She answered on the first ring.
‘Hey, what have you found?’
‘And good morning to you, too.’
‘Sorry, Ty, but you know how worried I am.’
‘Yeah, I do know.’
He told Katie where he was, who he was working with and why.
‘A journalist?’ Her groan echoed down the line. ‘You hate journalists. Besides, I thought you were going to help me keep this thing under wraps, not have the spotlight shone on my problems.’
‘She’s on this anyway, sis. Better we work together, so I can keep control of what she makes public. If it helps any, I think she’s more concerned about finding her friend’s friend than she is about making headlines.’
‘Well, that’s something, I suppose,’ Katie said dubiously. ‘And you’re right, of course, Natalie’s welfare is the primary concern. Let me know if you need anything else from me, and keep me posted.’
‘Will do.’
Tyler took a moment before making his next, more difficult, call. Tyler was well aware that Cassie Fenton, a few years older than him, divorced and traffic-stoppingly attractive, was angling to become Tyler’s partner in all senses of the word. Tyler liked Cassie. He admired her quick mind and tough, no-nonsense attitude, but for him there was no chemistry, no spark between them. She would be annoyed because he needed to stay in Lambourn for a bit longer. If he mentioned Alexi, Cassie would put two and two together and come up with ninety-seven.
Shit, when it came to the chemistry between him and Alexi it was nigh-on combustible, and complicated everything. Living across the hall from her and keeping this assignment on a business footing would be one hell of a challenge.
‘Hey, Cas,’ he said, when she picked up. ‘How’s it going?’
‘Hectic. When will you be back?’
‘Er, that’s why I’m calling. There’ve been some developments. Looks like this woman has definitely gone missing and when the brown stuff hits the fan my sister’s organisation will be in the direct firing line. I need to stay, dig around a bit more, and manage damage control.’
The Deadline Series Boxset Page 6