Across the Vanishing Sky (Starlight Grove, #1)(63)

Miller’s refusal to eat crow rang true. “Heaven forbid he be wrong about anything,” I grumbled.

Kol scoffed. “God, I hate assholes like him.”

So did I. Even more so because of the bullshit he put my brothers and me through. “Tell me what you dug up.”

Kol straightened, going into report mode. “Talked to my boss.”

Of course, he had. Kol didn’t like taking unofficial paths.

“When I brought her what we had, she was concerned enough to let me add the case to my load. Nova and Brae might’ve been on state land when Nova disappeared, but that trail crosses over into national forest land about half a mile later. There’s cause.”

I grinned at my brother. This was his version of a hug and an I love you. “You know, you’re kind of a master at getting the system on our side.”

He scowled. “It’s reasonable.”

“It’s also going to piss Miller off.”

“That’s just a bonus. For me and for Sherri.”

Sherri was the head honcho at Kol’s outpost. And I knew she wasn’t a fan of Miller’s douchebag ways.

I studied my brother for a long moment. “This means you’ll be on their radar.”

Kol held my stare. “Sometimes, it’s worth it.”

And that was the ultimate gift: Kol putting himself on the line because I asked.

“Thank you.”

“Shut up,” Kol muttered.

“Appreciate you.”

“Fuck off.”

“You’re the bestest brother around.”

Kol’s lips twitched. “I’m telling that to the chat.”

I chuckled. “Fair. They should have to work harder to take that crown.”

Kol just shook his head.

“Now that the case is on your desk officially, you find anything?” I asked.

Any hints of humor slid from Kol’s face.

I stiffened, knowing that look. It was the bad-news look. “What?”

“There have been about two dozen missing persons cases in Juniper County and the two surrounding counties in the past four years. But they’re spread out enough that it wouldn’t flag anything for one singular law enforcement outfit. About half of those occurred in and around parks and on public land. A woman who went missing from her campsite with friends. A man who was fishing with buddies went for a piss break and never came back. A couple more who weren’t simply hikers who got lost.”

“Too similar for comfort,” I surmised.

“Too similar for comfort,” he agreed.

Dread pooled low in my gut like liquid metal sloshing around and settling in. “You think someone’s taking them.”

A muscle fluttered along Kol’s jaw. “I do.”





25





BRAEDYN





Country rock wove through the air at the perfect volume. Wylder must’ve learned what that decibel was over the years, pinpointing exactly what number to turn it to so you had sound to fill the silences but could still talk over it.

I slid two plates onto a booth table in the corner, one that gave patrons the perfect vantage point of the entire place. “Reuben with sweet potato fries and a double cheeseburger with curly fries.”

Roger slid the Reuben closer to him. “You mean Trav’s daily heart attack on a plate?”

“Like a Reuben’s the picture of health,” Travis shot back.

“Hey, look at these sweet potato fries. So much healthier than those curly fries.”

I shook my head. “I could swap out both your fries for house salads,” I offered.

Travis pulled his plate even closer, wrapping an arm around it. “Pry my fries from my cold, dead hands.”

I held up both hands. “I surrender. No fries will be harmed.”

Roger chuckled. “Smart move. Trav’s real territorial over his food. Ask him what he did to the deputy who stole his leftovers.”

I turned back to the man with brown hair and hints of auburn undertones. “Travis…what do you have to say for yourself?”

He lifted a fry. “I have to say that you don’t steal the leftovers that were getting me through my day. Otherwise, you just might end up with hot sauce in your coffee.”

“And all over your lunch,” Roger added.

“Travis,” I said, fighting a laugh.

He shrugged. “Justice.”

“You two are warriors for it,” I agreed. “Which is maybe why you’ve been in here for lunch every day this week. You checking up on me?”

Before this week, they’d come in for food exactly once. This week, I could’ve set my watch by their arrival.

Roger sent me a cocky grin. “Maybe we just come to chat up the pretty waitress.”

I let out an amused scoff. “Sure you do.”

Travis leaned back against the booth. “Anything out of the ordinary?”

I shook my head. Now that I’d had a few days to recover from the shock of the call, I wished for another one. I would handle it so differently. I’d be calm. I’d ask to speak to Nova. I’d keep whoever it was on the line until Dex’s high-tech software could trace it.

He’d installed some sort of trap-and-trace app on my phone. I only had to open the app and hit a button to record the call and track the location. If I could keep the person on the line for long enough.