Page 39 of Our Lips Are Sealed
“You knew Jamison was talking with this woman?”
Liam’s life flashed before his eyes. “I did.”
“Well, you knew about Hopper and didn’t tell Evie,” Annabeth argued before Samuel could lunge for him again. “And you didn’t tell her Agent Cohen was interviewing you as a suspect. If you had been honest with her, Evie would never have agreed to go.”
Samuel ignored her, turning his attention to Ben. “Do you have this woman’s address?”
“I can get it.” Ben went to sit at the kitchen table with Ty. “She’s not doing well. My last report from the lawyer said she didn’t have much time left, and that was at least a month ago.”
Liam straightened off the wall. “Her number is in my phone, and we can call her and tell her to keep them there until we figure out what to do next.”
“They’re staying in New Orleans tonight, and not meeting Judy until tomorrow,” Annabeth told them. “That is, if Evie doesn’t convince Jamison to give the idea up.”
“Has anyone had the wild idea of calling the girls?” Ty asked, as if the entire situation was entertaining. “I know actual communication is a strange concept to this family, but it’s worth a shot.”
“Mom talked to them,” Abe shouted from the hall. He rolled into the kitchen, holding up a phone with Simone glaring at them all through the screen. “She said they hung up on her.”
“Benjamin, how could you let this happen?” Simone shouted. “I have been gone for a day! One damn day!”
“Lord, Jesus,” Ty muttered, no longer smiling. “Samuel, you best go get them before my sister calls in the army.”
“How in the hell is this my fault?” Ben shouted back at her.
“I don’t know, but it is!”
Annabeth’s phone rang, and she put the call on speaker. “Dad’s right. This isn’t his fault,” Selah Fairweather argued. “The blame lies squarely on Samuel’s shoulders. He shouldn’t have lied to Evie.”
The room descended into one giant argument with Selah yelling at Samuel, who shouted back at his brother. At the same time, Annabeth got into a screaming match with Abe, who was getting on to her for letting Jamison and Evie leave. Simone was chewing Ben out in between telling her brother to shut up whenever he interrupted her.
Maybe it was the prolonged lack of oxygen, or the fact that Liam had grown up as an only child, but either way, he didn’t have a fucking clue as to what was happening.
“Everyone shut up!” Samuel’s voice boomed, silencing them all. He pulled out his phone and made a call. “Nari, I need you to pull all charges over the last few hours on credit cards issued to Jamison. I’m looking particularly for a hotel booking in New Orleans. Call me back when you have the information.”
Hanging up, he grabbed his keys off the counter. “I’m going after them.”
“The plane is in Atlanta,” Ben said. “And the other two are on standby in Houston. I know you want to get to New Orleans before the girls do, but—”
Samuel shook his head. “I’m driving.”
“I’m going too,” Liam spoke up, and every head in the room turned in his direction. Annabeth even spun her phone around for Selah to see. “In fact, you can’t go without me.”
Hands fisted at his side, Samuel charged towards him.
“Rein it in, Sammy,” Selah warned as Ben sprinted out of his chair to lay a restraining hand on his son’s shoulder. “You need to hear him out.”
“Another agent might have cleared Laura Jean’s family, but that person doesn’t know the ins and outs of the case,” Liam said, talking fast. “Taking me allows us to look at them with more perspective than the previous agent.”
Samuel shrugged off his father’s hold. “I’m not going to let them near those people.”
“Then you really will be the bad guy. Not only to Jamison, but maybe to Evie as well. A little part of her must want to meet her grandmother.”
“I said no.”
“Fine, but you’re under investigation, and if you rush off to New Orleans, that could be seen as fleeing,” Liam said. “However, if I’m with you, they won’t care.”
Ty hooted in delight, tapping his cane on the floor. “He’s got you there, boy.”
Samuel’s phone buzzed, and he answered it. “Did you find them?”
