Texas Secrets, Lovers' Lies

Leaning back in the booth, Cristine arched her brows. “Yes, Zoe. I did need to discuss something with you. I’m sorry I didn’t bring it up sooner, but it’s difficult for me to say.”

Watching her, Zoe waited.

After getting no response, Cristine continued. “I think I know what happened to Shayna, though I don’t know if she ran off or was abducted.”

“Abducted?” Zoe sucked in her breath. “Why are you telling me this? Don’t you think you should go to the police?”

“I don’t have concrete evidence.” Cristine grimaced, looking uncomfortable. “Only my suspicions.”

Crap. Torn between wanting to believe her and demanding Cristine march right down to the police station this instant, Zoe leaned close. “Tell me what you know,” she said. “Then maybe we’ll go talk to the sheriff together.”

“Okay.” Relief colored Cristine’s voice. “Shayna was friends with a lot of men, you know?”

Zoe nodded. “Go on.”

“Well, she’d been hanging around with this biker who did a lot of work for the local dealer.”

Could this get any worse? Somehow, Zoe suspected it could and would.

“What’s the biker’s name?” she asked.

“Mike.” Cristine sighed. “I haven’t seen him around at all since Shayna disappeared. That dude is really good-looking, but jealous as hell. And like I told you, Shayna doesn’t make any long-term commitments.”

“What about Brock?” Zoe pointed out. “Shayna moved in with him.”

“Yeah, but once she realized it was going nowhere, she got bored.” Cristine gave a soft laugh. “She likes to keep things free and easy. Like me. We just want to have fun.”

“Do you think Mike ran off with her?” Zoe asked.

“Ran off?” Cristine’s heavily made-up eyes filled with tears. “It’s possible, but like I said, Shayna didn’t make commitments.”

“We need to tell Roger. Even if there’s no real evidence, this is something he needs to know.”

“I already told him an amended version.” She shifted in her chair, clearly uncomfortable. “I couldn’t tell him about the drugs. I didn’t want to get Shayna in trouble.”

Or herself. “What did he say?”

Cristine sighed. “He promised to put it in his file.”

“And now you’re telling me?” Zoe leaned forward. “Why?”

“Because someone needs to go talk to Mike—and probably some of the others Shayna was involved with.”

Someone, meaning obviously not her. Zoe found that slightly odd. “Cristine, you know their faces. Who better to dig for information?”

“That’s just it, I can’t.” Twisting her hands together, Cristine leaned closer. “You see, Shayna wasn’t the only one who owes money. After I covered her debt, I thought she’d be paying me back. Instead, she disappeared. Meanwhile, I sort of owe a couple of other guys money and...”

“If you show up, they’ll expect you to pay it.”

Cristine nodded. “And I can’t. At least not until I get paid. What about you? No one around there knows you. You’d be perfect. Shayna and I hung out at several places, but there’s one bar in particular, the one where Mike hangs out. We were there the night Shayna disappeared.”

“Where is it?”

Cristine named a bar in a bad part of town. The Hitching Post. Of course. Zoe shouldn’t have been familiar with it, but she was. She’d witnessed her mother’s murder in the alley behind there.

The idea of going back to that bar, near that dark alley, made Zoe break out in an uncomfortable sweat.

She had no choice. If she wanted to find out what had happened to Shayna, she had to go back to the place that haunted her nightmares.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t go alone. She’d have to ask Brock. At least she trusted him. He was and always would be the most honorable man she’d ever known. But then again, Shayna had changed completely. What if Brock had, too?

Still, she’d ask him. At the thought, her insides churned. Still, maybe they could figure out a way to work together for Shayna’s sake. “I’ll let you know,” she told Cristine, pushing up from the table.

Instead of going home, she took a deep breath and headed out to the one place she knew she could find Brock. McCauley’s Feed Store.

Several pickup trucks were parked in the lot. She pulled in between two of them and killed the engine. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and got out.

Inside, she blinked. The store had changed dramatically. She remembered a homey place of disorganized chaos. Saddles had been mixed in among bird feeders, dog food next to fertilizer. Customers had to hunt to find the items they wanted.

Now, everything had been arranged in logical order. Saddles were grouped with bridles and halters and bits. There was a bird section, a wildlife section, and a gardening section, among others. Hunting was big business in these parts and come deer season McCauley’s would sell out of deer stands and feeders. There were even two entire rows of fishing rods and reels, along with lures and various other angler items. The concrete floor appeared clean and well swept, and the checkout counter had been relocated to the opposite side of the store.

Again, she scanned the interior, almost feeling as though she was in another place entirely. She didn’t see Brock anywhere.

Two men were standing by the shelves containing sacks of dog food, hotly debating the merits of particular brands. They fell silent and turned to stare as she walked by. She gave them a friendly smile and tried to move past.