Page 46 of Homebody
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.”
Of course. He must have this place wired with cameras in addition to having his computers air gapped. She didn’t blame him. Groundbreaking discoveries were a hot commodity in the research field.
Liam glanced at his watch. “So I need to head out. You sure you’re going to be okay here alone?”
“Yup. Happy as a clam. Just me and the ghost of Gabe over there.” She giggled.
Liam froze. Like didn’t move a muscle, not even to breathe. Finally, one dark brow cocked up. He cleared his throat and said, “Ghost?”
Oh no. Now he thought she was a nut who believed in ghosts.
She forced out a short fake laugh and hoped he didn’t notice. “Just a little joke because, you know, I’m going to be here alone with your favorite cadaver over there. But you don’t have to worry. I don’t actually believe in ghosts. Just science.”
He laughed. A deep laugh that seemed to start in his belly and end at the crinkles around his eyes. “Yeah.I remember a time when I might have said those very words myself. All right. Text if you need me.”
With that, he made his way out the big heavy metal door. It slammed with a finality that reinforced that, joking aside, she really was locked in a room with a body. One that hopefully did not actually come with its own ghost.
But with Liam’s research literally at her fingertips, she honestly didn’t care if good old Gabe was a ghost standing behind her right now.
Drawing in a deep breath she laid her fingers on the keyboard and dove in.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tessa wasn’t answering Dean’s texts or calls.
She wasn’t home either. He knew because, like a damn stalker, he’d driven to her apartment and knocked on her door. He’d even tried to peek in the window. Just to check on her out of concern and make sure she wasn’t on the floor unconscious or something.
Then he’d gone so far as to have his mother call Tessa’s landlord to come and unlock the door for him. Luckily they knew each other from church.
Dean’s excuse was that he had a sofa for her loaded onto a borrowed trailer hooked to his dad’s vehicle. The reality was, he just needed to know where she was.
By the time the landlord had helped him carry in the sofa and he’d returned the trailer, she still wasn’t home or answering her cell.
Ruby’s salon was closed. He’d confirmed that himself with a quick drive-by. The library was closed as well. And, shameful though it was, he’d even gone into the diner to confirm she wasn’t inside eating.
So where was she?
There weren’t that many places to go around here that she could be since she had no car…
Except the Muddy River Inn. Where he’d first met her.
Of course. That had to be it.
Throwing car into gear he might have broken the thirty-mile and hour speed limit through the village to get there but it couldn’t be helped. He needed to know she was safe.
At least, that’s what he told himself. He feared he also needed to know she wasn’t out with another guy.
The parking lot was nearly full. Dean saw an open spot… right next to Liam’s Jeep.
Liam was here. Was Tessa here too?
Dean let out a low growl he was glad no one was around to hear and swung into the spot. He threw the car into park, cut the engine and took the wooden set of stairs to the door two at a time.
He did a visual sweep of the space, starting with those seated at the bar and ending with… Liam seated at a table littered with beer bottles, drink glasses and the remnants of what looked like a platter of loaded fries. And with Liam were three women. One was Red, two he didn’t recognize, but none of them were Tessa.
That didn’t stop Dean from striding over. Liam smiled when he saw him. “Hey, Sinclair.”
“Walsh. Red.” Dean nodded in greeting.
