Page 39 of Harrison Hyde and the Runaway Bride

“Maybe they got him, too,” Harry said.

“Or he’s the bad guy.” Maria was sure of it.

“It wouldn’t make any sense.” Harry was looking at the floor, but not really. Maria suspected he was deep in thought.

“Tell me why not,” Willow said. “What are you thinkin’?”

Harry looked up and said, “Robert’s a decent guy. I’ve worked with him for seven years. I just don’t think he’d do this.” He paced a few steps away, stopped and turned to face them, snapping his fingers. “And he wouldn’t have needed to wait for Carrie to open the safe. We all have the combination.”

“That’s a good point,” Willow said. “Although he could’ve just been there first, or come in while she was openin’ it. Just because he was there when she was, doesn’t mean it was planned that way.”

“There’s the surveillance footage from Manny’s that resembles him,” Maria said. “Then again, it was just height and body type. Couldn’t see his face. He wore a hat.”

“I’ve never seen Robert wear a hat,” Harry said softly.

He was clearly fond of his co-workers, grieving for Solomon, terrified for Carrie, and defending Robert. “Besides,” he went on, “even if one of us decided to kill the other three and try to claim full credit for the invention, how would they expect to get away with it?”

Maria said, “Only a scientist would think taking credit for the invention would be the goal.”

“Well, what else would it be?”

“What it always is. Money. Who cares who invented it?” Maria asked. “It’s the guy who has it in his greedy, thievin’, no-good hands at the time of the sale who’s gon’ take the money and run.”

“But why?” Harry asked. “We stood to make good money from the tile. All four of us.”

“Sure,” Maria said. “And if there were just one, they’d have made four times as much.”

“We should be talking to the potential investors, too,” Willow said. “They know about the solar tile, and they also know who you all are, yeah?”

“Yes,” Harrison said. “We’ve had several meetings with them. They flew to us.”

He turned and walked away from them, into the guest room. When he came out, he had his phone in hand. While scrolling it, he said, “I have all the investors’ contact info.” He paused there. “I wonder if anyone’s called them to cancel the demo on Wednesday.”

“Hold up,” Willow said. “How about if I call ’em? Since it’s part of an official investigation.”

From below, Drew said, “Hey!” Then she came upstairs and headed their way, all denim and lace in jeans and a pretty blue blouse. Her blond ponytail bounced when she walked. “The cousins have opted for the bunkhouse tonight,” she informed them. “You’re with us, Harry. We’re all clearin’ our stuff out of here to make room for the elder-Brands.”

“Oh,” he said, looking at Maria as if for affirmation.

She said, “It’ll be way more fun out there.”

“Yeah,” Drew put in, “and you won’t have to hide in a hallway for a secret meetin’ to which I was not invited.”

Hands on her hips, Willow said, “I’m a deputy and you’re a twenty-year-old amateur.”

“Twenty-two!” the little blonde retorted. But then she shifted her gaze to Harry. “The guy who stole your car isn’t stayin’anywhere local between here and Manny’s. Any stranger in town would’ve been noticed.”

“I wasn’t noticed,” Harry said.

To which all three women replied without a word. One snorted, one laughed, and one rolled her eyes.

“Oh, you been noticed,” Drew said. “The rumors arejuicy.”

Maria shook her head. “Drew, don’t?—”

But she kept on talking. “Folks are sayin’ Harry’s the reason you dumped Billy Bob at the altar. That you’d had a secret tryst, and he couldn’t bear the thought of you marryin’ someone else.” She put a lot of drama into her words. Hands to her heart, she went on. “So he came to the church on your weddin’ day and stole you right out the back door.”

“Who? Me?” Harry asked, and he looked from one of them to the next. When their eyes met, Maria couldn’t look away. Her cheeks felt warm, and his were a little bit pink, too.

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