Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Dare had just rinsed the last dish and set it aside when a soft buzzing drew his attention. He dried his hands on a towel then scooped up Ainsley’s phone.

“Ainsley, phone call.”

Hearing her name, she darted into the kitchen from where she’d been working in the office. He extended the phone her way, and a bright smile lit her face when she saw Tess’s name. She answered quickly, bringing the phone to her ear. “Hey, Tess! How are you?”

He watched surreptitiously, observing the interaction. He’d recognized the woman’s name the moment he saw it pop up on the screen. This must be the same Tess related to the older woman whose car Ainsley now drove. Judging from the exuberant look on her face, the two of them were close.

Would Ainsley be so upbeat if shed stolen a car from the woman’s mother? He seriously doubted it. Every thought that moved through Ainsley’s head flashed across her face like a light-up billboard. She wasn’t a good enough actress to pull off that kind of deception.

A twinge of guilt moved through him. He regretted doubting her in the first place, but there was much more to the story that he didn’t know yet, and he needed to get to the bottom of it.

“Hello?” She waited a beat, then pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the screen again. Dare watched as Ainsley’s brows drew together in confusion.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

Ainsley looked up at him and lifted one shoulder. “The call must have dropped.”

He slid into a stool across from her. “Maybe it was a bad connection,” he suggested. “Why don’t you try calling her back?”

Ainsley nodded as she dialed Tess’s number and turned on the speakerphone function. It rang several times before someone picked up. This time, instead of silence, the faint sound of breathing came from the other end. It was slow, deliberate, and the sound sent chills down Dare’s spine.

“Tess?” Ainsley’s gaze darted up to Dare, her voice tinged with worry. “Can you hear me?”

The breathing continued, but there was no other response. Suddenly, the call dropped and the screen returned to the home page. The hairs on the backs of his arms stood on end.

Ainsley turned her big blue eyes up at him, a question he didn’t want to answer in the depths. Before she could ask, Dare forced a smile that he was far from feeling. “Sounds like a bad connection. Sometimes service is spotty out here by the lake. It cuts in and out from time to time.”

She nodded, not appearing convinced by his explanation.

“Is Tess a friend of yours?” Though he already knew the answer, he wanted to hear it from her.

She nodded. “We’ve known each other since college. We kind of… lost touch for a few years,” her gaze darted toward the wall as she spoke, “but we reconnected recently.”

“I don’t think I recognize her name. Is she from around here?” Dare prodded.

He watched as Ainsley swallowed hard and drew in a fortifying breath. “No, she lives a couple hours away, near St. Cloud. She’s a good friend. Always looking out for me.” She smiled a little and gestured toward the front of the house. “She even let me borrow the Honda to drive for a bit.”

“That was nice of her.” Dare’s heart rate kicked up. Finally, they were getting somewhere. “Tess lent you her car?”

“It’s actually her mother’s car.” Ainsley looked down at her hands, twisting the fabric of her sweater nervously. “My car… wasn’t running, and I didn’t have the money to get it fixed. Tess understood and helped me out.”

Dare’s suspicion grew. There were gaps in her story that he couldn’t ignore, but he decided to press gently. “What happened to your car?”

“It just stopped working,” Ainsley said quickly, avoiding his gaze. “Tess’s mom passed away several months ago, so Tess offered to let me use it until I could sort things out.”

Dare leaned back, his eyes never leaving her face. He could tell she was holding something back, but pushing her too hard could make her retreat further. “I’m glad everything worked out.”

Ainsley nodded, her expression still tense. “Me, too.”

Dare pointed to the cell phone. “Maybe it’s a tower issue or something. Try her again tomorrow and let me know if you’re still having trouble reaching her.”

She shot him a bland smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks. I think I’m going to head to bed.”

Dare’s gaze sharpened on her as she fidgeted with her keys for a moment. “I was going to let Sarge out anyway. Want me to walk you out?”

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip and her gaze darted away before she finally shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”

Dare watched her go, a prickly sensation sweeping up his spine. One way or another, he was going to find out what was really going on.

He just hoped it wouldn’t lead to more trouble for Ainsley.