Page 92 of Montana Manhunt

He smiled. “Welcome back. Have a nice nap?”

She straightened and glanced around. Rayne and Grant were outside the SUV, looking at something on Grant’s phone. Grant’s arm circled Rayne’s waist. Was this still role playing for the sake of interested watchers? Something about his protective posture with Rayne said other things were at work. Should be fun to watch. “I feel a little better.”

“How’s the head?”

“Hurts, but not as bad.”

“The nausea?”

“Almost gone. The patch and soft drink did their job.”

“Do you still need herbal tea? I saw a coffee shop two blocks from here.”

She shook her head. “I’m all right for the moment. Where are we?”

“Colbyville, an hour outside of Morrison. Charity and Lauren live here.”

“They stayed close to each other after high school.” She frowned. “Are you still close to your friends from high school?”

“Nope. My family still lives in the same town, but when I visit and run across those friends, the interactions are awkward and short. We have nothing in common. Most of them have stayed exactly the same while I changed into a different person in the military.”

“So did I. My only connection with Morrison was Cami and Mrs. White. Aunt Rosalie doesn’t count. I’m not the same high school graduate who joined the military, either. The Army changed me for the better and gave me the chance to become a paramedic.”

“Let’s find out if Charity and Lauren have changed or if they're stuck in the same time warp my friends are in.” Noah opened the door and turned back to help Violet from the SUV.

Grant inclined his head toward the office building in front of him. “Charity Bradshaw works on the sixth floor at Westbrook Marketing.”

“How should we handle this?” Rayne asked.

“If she was assaulted by Melton, she might be skittish around men she doesn’t know.” Noah turned to Violet. “Do you feel up to talking to Charity with Rayne?”

“Sure.”

“Grant and I will accompany you to the sixth floor, then wait in the reception area while you talk to her.”

The operatives entered the building and walked onto the elevator, exiting on the sixth floor. While Noah and Grant stayed in the waiting area, Violet approached the receptionist. “I need to see Charity Bradshaw.”

“May I have your name, please?”

“Violet Trevelyan. This is my friend Rayne. We won’t take much of her time.”

“Have a seat. I’ll find out if she’s available.”

Five minutes later, a woman with blonde hair approached Violet and Rayne. “I’m Melanie, Ms. Bradshaw’s assistant. If you’ll come with me, Ms. Bradshaw has a few minutes before her next appointment.”

The woman led her and Rayne through a maze of offices until she reached a corner office at the end of a hallway. Melanie knocked on the door and opened it. “Violet Trevelyan andRayne.” She stepped back and motioned for them to enter the office.

A tall, blonde-haired woman came around her desk to greet them with her hand outstretched. “Hello. I’m Charity Bradshaw. Welcome to Westbrook Marketing.”

“Thanks,” Violet said. “I’m Violet. This is Rayne.”

“Please, have a seat. What can I do for you?”

“We’re not interested in your marketing services, Ms. Bradshaw.”

Charity looked puzzled. “Then why are you here?”

“We’d like to talk to you about Bradley Melton.”

---