Chapter 40

chapter

forty

“Good work back there,” Gage told Nia as they headed down the road. “I’m assuming you didn’t just make all that up.”

Nia shook her head. “No, a memory came back to me. The neighbor is right. Cormac is a talker—very engaging and a natural storyteller. I didn’t know if he would ever get out of my office that day he came with Rob. He seemed too content to entertain anybody he was talking to.”

“I suppose his talkativeness worked in our favor.”

“It sounds like it did.” She leaned back in her seat. “Do you think the police know about this cabin?”

“If it’s in the name of a non-family member then there’s a good chance they don’t. And it would be the perfect place for him to go. Escaping to a hotel would be difficult because Cormac would probably have to use a credit card. The police, no doubt, are tracing those. ”

“Do you think he’s guilty?” Nia asked. “Are we trying to track down a killer?”

“I can’t tell you that.” Gage stared out the windshield. “But we will need to be careful. That’s certain.”

“So this is what we know so far.” Nia leaned back and sighed. “Rob came to my office at two. He seemed happy. He left at two-thirty, and he got a text as he left then a phone call from that same number. Around three, he called Hector.”

“He would have barely had time to get back to his apartment.” Gage readjusted his hands on the steering wheel and stole a glance at her.

“That’s true. And Cormac would most likely meet him at his place, I’m assuming. Rob wouldn’t have even had time to pick him up. Maybe Cormac was waiting for Rob when he got back from our meeting.”

“That’s right,” Gage agreed. “And in that short amount of time, something changed. Rob decided he wanted out. At four, he called to set up dinner with you. Then around four-thirty he called me to ask if I would come.”

Nia turned toward him. “The fact he called you is interesting because I’ve been assuming this was a contract or financial matter. But I don’t know why he would call you if that was the case.”

Gage had had those exact same thoughts. “Rob wouldn’t have called me for those reasons. I wouldn’t have been that much help to him. The only reason he would have called me . . .”

“Would be if he was in danger,” Nia finished.

Gage gripped the wheel harder and nodded. “Exactly. So within that hour, he went from being happy to feeling like his life was in danger. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t.” Nia shook her head and stared out the window. “Hopefully, Cormac will be able to offer us some answers . . . if we’re able to find him.”

Nia stared at the cabin where Cormac might possibly be staying.

It looked just like Lillard had described it with the light-blue siding. They’d searched along the river near the old fish camp until they’d found something that matched.

The place was set far off the gravel road, and grass and reeds grew up around it. Several live oak trees, each with moss hanging from their branches, stood around the place. A glimmering lake sparkled in the background.

This was an older area, mostly used by sportsmen. The glamour of Miami was absent in favor of an old Florida feel.

The place was also far enough inland that Nia and Gage would need to watch out for alligators.

She swallowed hard at that thought.

Her gaze drifted to a small garage beside the bungalow. Nia would bet Cormac’s car was inside.

Gage turned toward her. “I’d tell you to stay in the car while I check things out, but I have a feeling you don’t want to do that. ”

“I’d rather go with you than sit here.” There was no need to skirt around the truth. “But I don’t want to hinder you from doing your job.”

He stared at her another moment before nodding. “If you stay behind me and promise not to do anything rash then you can come out with me. Is it a deal?”

“Deal. And if it makes you feel better, I’m not usually impulsive . . . not unless I wake up beside a dead body.” Grief flashed through Gage’s eyes, and regret instantly filled Nia. “I’m sorry. I know he was your friend, and I didn’t mean?—”

Gage held up a hand to stop her. “You don’t have to apologize. I understand what you’re saying. Sometimes it still hasn’t sunk in that Rob is dead.”

“It takes time for these things. I’m sorry you have to go through that.”

He drew in a deep breath and then nodded to the house. “Let’s go see if Cormac is inside.”

Nia nodded, thankful Gage had been gracious. Then she followed him out of the car, carefully closing her car door as to not alert Cormac they were there.

She remained behind Gage just as she promised as they walked toward the house. Gage paused by the garage and peered inside.

“That’s his car. I had Austin look it up, and he texted me the information earlier. Cormac is here.”

Gage reached for the gun at his waist but held it just out of sight.

Then he knocked at the door. “Cormac. I’m Gage, a friend of Rob’s. Nia is here also. We need to talk. We know you didn’t kill anybody. And we need answers about Rob.”

Nia waited, hoping to hear footsteps, some sign of life.

There was nothing.

After a few more minutes, Gage peered through the window atop the door.

“What do you see?” Nia asked.

“Someone’s been here recently. A coffee cup is on the table, and a set of keys are on the table. But I don’t see any signs of life.”

Temporary relief washed through her. At least Gage hadn’t seen a dead body.

Nia hadn’t even realized it, but another death had been her biggest fear coming here.

One was already too many.

“Let’s walk around the house and see what else we can find,” Gage said.

She followed him, and they peered in each window. However, they saw nothing of help.

When they reached the back side of the house, Nia pointed to a small pier jutting into the river. “Gage . . . it looks like there was a boat here.”

“How can you tell?”

“Look at the way the ropes are thrown over the pilings—and they’re still wet. I bet a boat was docked here, and someone took it out . . . recently.”

They walked closer to the water and spotted several boats on the river. Nia halfway feared Gage would suggest stealing one, just like he’d “borrowed” that car yesterday. But they had no way of reaching any of them without having a boat themselves.

“Maybe Cormac likes to go fishing when he’s stressed,” Nia said. “Maybe he’s out there somewhere.”

Gage nodded as he stared with a locked jaw at the sparkling river. “You’re probably right.”

Nia glanced up at him. “Do we wait for Cormac to come back?”

“Who knows how long that’s going to take.” Gage frowned. “I say we come back later. In the meantime, we have more investigating to do.”

Before they could step back, the reeds rustled.

At just that moment, an alligator scurried from the water, stopping mere feet in front of them.

Nia froze as she stared at the beast, wondering what it would do next.