Free Reckless Pleasures by Tori Carrington Page B

aliens?”
    “Something like that.”
    She passed on the command and then refastened the radio to her belt.
    “Sheriff on his way?” Jason asked.
    She nodded. “As is the FBI forensics team. I pulled everyone out of this area until they’re finished.”
    She looked beyond him to where Dari stood at the edge of the forest looking inside. He appeared…oddly detached somehow.
    Jason asked, “What’s the ID on the bike?”
    “Same make, color, tassels. Oh, and the plate has her name on it.”
    “Finley’s not a common name.”
    “No, it’s not.”
    They shared a look.
    If the girl went missing in here, chances were…
    She shivered despite the heat. Changing the subject, she asked, “How is he?” She nodded toward Dari.
    “Who? Oh, Dari? Good. He’s got the sheriff eating out of his hand.”
    She smiled. “He’s good at that.”
    “Yes, but don’t tell him, he’ll only call you a liar.”
    She laughed and then looked to find Dari watching, his gaze moving from her to Jason and back again.
    The smile instantly left her face.
    He knows…
    She wasn’t sure where the thought came from, or what she should do about it. But she was suddenly very certain that he knew there was something going on between her and Jason.
    Correction: there had been something between them.

11
    LATER THAT EVENING, everyone was gathered in the command center sharing their stories of the day, catching dinner, indulging in a brew and enjoying a general atmosphere of relief and accomplishment—their efforts had finally yielded something, even though it wasn’t what they’d have liked, which was to find Finley Szymanski alive and well. But now that they’d found some solid evidence, they would be paid for their time in Florida.
    And the presence of the bike indicated that they were advancing in the right direction, that they’d been correct in pushing ahead when everyone else had stopped looking.
    Finley’s mother and grandparents had, indeed, verified that the bike belonged to the little girl and was the one she’d been riding at the time of her disappearance. Unfortunately Linc told them Forensics was pretty sure there would be little available by way of trace evidence, considering it had been pretty well submerged in water. And while it wasn’t impossible that the girl had walked the bike that far into the forest, she definitely hadn’t ridden it. Meaning they were leaning more toward the “red herring” line of thinking—that there was, indeed, someone else involved in her disappearance and they’d hidden her bike there purposely to throw anyone looking off the true trail.
    Megan decided she didn’t want to think about that as she knocked back another good swallow of beer, watching Dari across the room where he sat talking to Linc.
    He hadn’t said more than two words to her since meeting up at the evidence scene. He appeared preoccupied and in more than a little pain.
    Jason appeared at her elbow. “Sheriff says he’s again acting as go-between for the Szymanskis. Guess the FBI and that slimy lawyer they hired pissed the family off.”
    “Again.”
    He smiled. “Again.”
    Her gaze was glued to Dari’s.
    “Hey, everything all right?”
    She slowly looked at him. “You tell me.”
    He eyed those around them, enough within hearing range not to take the conversation too far. “If you’re asking what I think you are, everything’s fine. Nothing on this end.”
    She exhaled, but not fully. Something was up. She just wasn’t sure what yet.
    “I think he’s in pain,” Jason said.
    “Yeah, me, too. Not that he’ll cop to it.”
    “Or take the pain pills I’m sure he has.”
    “We both know why…”
    “Yeah. We do.”
    She turned toward Jason. “Do you think he’s looking at us…oddly?”
    “Oddly?”
    “You know…”
    “No. I don’t think he’s looking at us oddly. He has no reason to.”
    She nodded. “Right.”
    “I think you’re letting your mind run away with you, McGowan. Reel it back in.