Chapter 39

chapter

thirty-nine

Gage paused once he and Nia were out of the office and downstairs, away from anybody who could hear. “We definitely need to find Cormac.”

“I agree,” Nia said. “I just don’t know how we’re going to do that.”

Gage had been thinking it through, and there was only one solution in his mind. “I think we need to go to his house.”

“You think he’s going to be there?” Nia looked up at him with confusion in her gaze.

“Not necessarily. But maybe we’ll see something that will indicate where he went. Do you know if he has a roommate?”

Nia shook her head. “I have no idea. I don’t really know that much about the man. I only met him once when he came into the office with Rob. And he seemed nice enough. Not like a killer.”

Gage nodded and raked a hand through his hair. “I understand. But I still think he could have some answers for us.”

“I agree. Let’s find his address and get going.”

They stepped outside again onto the sunlit street. He glanced around as they did, but he didn’t see anybody of interest.

Was it possible that they truly had lost those guys who’d been tracking them? It almost seemed too good to be true.

Regardless, Gage wouldn’t let down his guard.

He and Nia hurried along the city blocks until they reached the hotel’s parking garage. They used Austin’s rental car again. It seemed like a safer bet considering everything that had happened.

Once inside, Gage pulled out his phone and found the address for Cormac. It would take them twenty minutes to get to the Miami suburb. Memories of what had happened yesterday in the parking garage filled his mind.

But so far, everything still seemed to be safe.

Almost too safe.

Gage tried to shake off the thoughts. Instead, he should be thankful they’d lost these guys. But he had no doubt they were still looking for Nia.

He pulled from the garage and followed the directions out of Miami. He kept an eye on everything around him as he did, just to be on the safe side.

“Good job back there,” Gage said. “If you didn’t already have a successful career, I might try to recruit you for the agency I work for.”

“I’m quite content with what I do,” Nia said. “And I don’t fully understand everything you guys do.”

There was a lot that he wished he could tell her. But he couldn’t. He’d signed the confidentiality clause. Besides, the more she knew, the more danger she’d be in.

“Do you see yourself working there for a long time?” she asked.

“That’s a good question.” He stared out the front window. “Usually, people are in it for life.”

Her eyebrows flung up. “Really? It sounds like an exciting life but not necessarily an easy one. Especially if you’re doing assignments all over the country. Maybe even the world.”

She’d picked up on more of the nuances in what he said than Gage had expected. He would need to be careful.

“Not everyone is meant to settle down.” His throat ached as he said the words.

But they needed to be spoken.

They were a good reminder for both of them to keep their distance. That anything between them would never work.

Besides, it wasn’t like Gage and Nia really knew each other. In fact, it had been less than two days since they’d first met. So why did it feel like they’d known each other for months?

Gage supposed trauma and stress could do that .

He shoved those thoughts aside as they drove into Cormac’s neighborhood.

Maybe this would be the place they finally found some answers.

Nia glanced around as they pulled up to Cormac’s house.

The walls were beige concrete, and the house had an orange barrel roof with a brick driveway. Several palm trees surrounded the home. The place was small and not especially fancy but nice, nonetheless.

She expected the police to be stationed outside the place, but she didn’t see anyone. She even scanned the cars parked on the street, looking for anyone hunkering down inside who might be a cop in disguise.

But all the vehicles appeared empty.

Curious. Nia would think the police would want to plant someone here in case Cormac came back. Unless they were betting on him not coming back, which could be the case. Or, for all she knew, they could have already found him.

She didn’t expect to find the man here. But it seemed as if it would be a disservice to the investigation if she and Gage didn’t come here and at least look.

Cautiously, they walked up to the front door, and Gage knocked. He craned his neck, scanning everything around them as he did.

Nia was certain he hadn’t let down his guard since all this craziness began, and she could appreciate that .

There was no answer, just as expected.

He knocked again, but there was still no answer.

Again, not a surprise.

“What now?” Nia turned toward him.

Gage scanned the front of the house. Then he walked to a window by the small porch and cupped his hands around his eyes to peer inside. The sun glinted off the glass, making it hard to see.

“Anything?” she asked.

Gage backed up and shook his head. “No, everything looks normal. No signs of a struggle or anything like that.”

“Cormac’s a smart man. I’m sure he didn’t come back. Half of me did expect there to be some damage though.”

“Me too.”

“You’re not planning on breaking in, are you?” She stared up at him, curious as to his reaction.

Gage glanced around one more time. “That wouldn’t be a good idea. I don’t see any cops, but I have a hard time believing they’re not keeping their eye on this place.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Let me check out the backyard.”

Nia started to follow him around that way when she saw someone step from a neighbor’s house. She tensed, wondering if there would be a confrontation.

“Can I help you two?” the neighbor called.

The man was probably in his sixties with a robust belly, age spots on his face, and nearly nonexistent hair on his head.

Gage paused. “Just looking for Cormac.”

“You and the police too. They were here last night and this morning.”

“I guess that means you haven’t seen him,” Nia said.

“Nope. Sure haven’t. That’s what I told the police too.”

Suddenly, a memory hit Nia. A memory of a conversation she’d had with Rob and Cormac.

She looked at the man. “You must be Lillard.”

He narrowed his eyes, his shaggy eyebrows becoming one. “Are you a friend?”

She nodded. “I remember Cormac talking about you. He always loved those cookouts you threw for the Fourth of July. And you liked to give him fish after long days out on the charters. The tuna was always his favorite.”

His face softened as if her words had caused a temporary trust between them. “He does love his tuna. I told him I would start charging him. Not that I really will.”

“We’re worried about him and trying to find him,” Nia said.

He rubbed his chin. “I figured there was some type of trouble. The police wouldn’t tell me anything. Just that they wanted to question him about an investigation.”

“We think he might be in trouble,” Gage added.

Lillard frowned. “I hate to hear that. I always liked Cormac. He’s a fun guy to have around and a good neighbor. Never had to worry about the conversation if he was there.”

“Listen, do you have any idea where he may have gone?” Nia said. “If we don’t find him before the police do, there’s a good chance he’ll end up in jail. I don’t want to see that happen. I want to help him.”

The words felt like the truth, probably because they were. She really did like Cormac, and she really didn’t think that he would have killed Rob.

Lillard hesitated another moment before saying, “I didn’t tell the police this. Something told me not to, and I hope I wasn’t wrong. But between you and me, Cormac told me about a fishing cabin his family owns. It actually belongs to his cousin by marriage or something, so it probably couldn’t be traced back to him. But he said he liked to go there when he could. He said it was a good fishing spot.”

Nia’s heart beat harder. “Do you have any idea where this place is?”

“Pretty sure he said it was on the Miami River, out near the Glades. Near an old fishing camp maybe. Can’t remember the exact name.”

Nia knew the basic area. But based on the size of the Glades, going door to door to find him was an impossibility.

“I wish I could give you a specific address,” Lillard continued. “But he did show me a picture of the place once. It’s an old shanty-style cabin. Painted a light-blue color and surrounded by trees. I hope that helps.”

Nia glanced at Gage, and they exchanged a nod .

“This was a huge help,” Nia said. “Thank you so much.”

“If you find him . . . don’t let anybody hurt him.” Lillard’s voice cracked. “He may be the life of the party, but he doesn’t have that much common sense. I think he needs somebody watching out for him.”