Page 51 of Tango
“It has to be Web Safe.”
“Fine, but we have no proof. Aside from the word of a woman whose face is currently plastered all over the news here in California.”
“I know.” Turning, I face the sliding glass door right as Alice steps into the kitchen. She stops in place when she sees me, and the expression on my face must speak volumes because her hand falls to her side, and she closes her eyes. “I’ll find you something.”
“Just be careful. These guys went after Loyotta’s company and managed to get a search warrant for Ramiro’s apartment as well as his mother’s residence. They’ve got friends in high places. Though you already knew that.”
“They searched the mom’s house? When?”
“First thing this morning. I just found out myself.”
“It would help if we knew what they were looking for.”
“It would, but until then, all we can do is keep following the evidence where it leads us. I’ll let you know if anything comes up from the scene.”
“Great. Thanks, Alaric.”
“Sure thing. I’m sorry for her loss.”
“Thanks.” I end the call and hesitate for a moment before stepping into the house. How do I do this? How do I tell her that another one of her friends is dead?
With my heart aching, I close the door behind me and turn toward the living room. Alice is sitting on the couch, her Bible in hand, while Tango is sitting at her feet. She looks up at me.
“He’s gone.”
It’s not a question, but I nod anyway. “I’m so sorry, Alice.”
She swallows hard, and her eyes fill. “He deserved better.”
“We’ll find out who did it, and we’ll bury them.” I set my phone on the end table then set her Bible aside before kneeling at her feet. I grip her forearms gently, stroking the undersides with my thumbs.
“We know who did it. Proving it is the hard part.”
“Hard—yes. Impossible—no.” I pull her in and wrap my arms around her in what’s supposed to be a quick hug. A way to help her feel not so alone. Instead, the brush of her body pressed against mine makes my heart race.
She feels so right. In every way.
Which is only one of the many reasons I need to solve this case and put some distance between us. Otherwise, I stand to break a lot more than a promise I made to myself.
Chapter 18
Alice
I’ve never had to look far to find God. But right now, it feels as though He’s completely out of reach. My throat burns from the tears I’ve shed over the past few hours. Tears because I practically led my friend straight into the slaughterhouse when I asked him for help.
Tucker can say whatever he wants, but the truth is, Logan wouldn’t be dead if I’d never asked him to meet me at that coffee shop. Fired? Maybe. But he’d died trying to get me that message, and because of the way he sent it, we can’t even use it as evidence.
I know he was trying to make the contact untraceable, but man, I wish he would have used an attachment instead. Even given the risk.
The pew is soft beneath me, its blue cushioned seat comfortable even though I’ve been sitting here for the better part of an hour. Dylan is somewhere behind me, lingering close enough that he’s there if there’s an issue, but far enough away that I get privacy.
God, what do I do?
Closing my eyes in an attempt to stop another wave of tears, I sit in the silence of the small church, wishing I could feel God right beside me. Wishing I could hear His voice tell me why this is happening and what good could possibly come from the deaths of two people who were so important to me.
“You look troubled.”
I open my eyes as a man with salt-and-pepper hair sits beside me. He’s wearing slacks and a pale blue button-down shirt. “You could say that.”
