Page 124 of Love Me Fierce

But after an hour of digging, I’m getting nowhere. Accessing property records and cross-checking ownership and sales records is agonizingly slow.

“You think Hutch might know this guy?” I ask Zach.

“If they’ve been on searches together, maybe,” he replies with a shrug. “Call him.”

I dial Hutch’s number and put the call on speaker.

“Hey, I hear Vivian’s back to work today,” Hutch says. “Thanks again for the donut holes. I think you fed the entire Emergency Department.”

“It’s the least I could do,” I say as a renewed surge of gratitude peaks inside me. “Say I’m working on something and could use your help. Zach’s here too.”

“Uh, sure,” he replies.

“I’m sending you a picture.” I tap the share button on Tisdale’s image. “Know this guy? He’s apparently?—”

“This guy?” Hutch answers, all warmth gone from his voice. “What’s he done?”

Zach and I lock eyes. “He might have information,” I say because even though I trust Hutch with my life, in no way can I share details of an active investigation with him.

“He volunteers with search and rescue,” Hutch says. “But I don’t know him.”

“Do you know if he has a cabin up here?”

“No, never talked to the guy. Ava has though.”

“What?”

“He’s a friend of my mom’s nephew or something. She met him for coffee once.”

“Like for a blind date?”

He huffs a tight breath. “Yeah. It was before I made sure her dating days were over.”

“Do you know who the friend is?” I ask.

“I don’t, sorry.”

With Hutch’s mom gone, the only link we have is Ava.

“I hate to put you on the spot like this,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “But would you be able to ask Ava about it? We could use any details about him that she remembers.”

“I’m picking her up for lunch in a bit. I’ll ask.”

“Thanks, Hutch.”

We end the call, and I jump back to my feet. “This guy goes on blind dates? Unfuckingbelievable.”

“Like Ballard said, he lives a double life. His normal one, and the twisted one.”

The phone rings. It’s Hutch.

“That was fast.”

“It sounded important, so I called Ava. This guy has apparently got a cabin at Bear Mountain.”

“Know which area it’s in?” I pace back to the other side of the conference room. There are two communities up there, one adjacent to the ski area and the other, with newer homes, on the south side of the mountain.

Hutch muffles the phone. “Nope. That’s all Ava remembers.”

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