Page 78 of Erased
“He’s a hacker?” Bree asked.
“I don’t ask,” Avery said. “The man is one of the good guys. So, he might be tapping into restricted data, but for all the right reasons.”
“I didn’t just hear that,” Bree said with a grin.
“And I know nothing about a certain Detective Bree Lansing impersonating a federal agent.” Avery nodded. “I’m not going to report you.”
“Thanks.” Bree pushed open her door and got out of the car.
Avery joined her at the entrance to TJ’s, and they entered together.
They approached the counter. The clerk at the register checked for their order status. “Your order will be ready in just a few minutes. You pay now or when it comes out.”
“Now will work,” Avery said and handed him Grant’s credit card.
Once he ran the card and gave her the receipt, he waved toward the tables behind them. “You’re welcome to have a seat.”
Avery chose a booth nearby and sank onto the bench. Bree sat across from her.
Avery stared across the table at the woman who looked so much like her it was like staring into a mirror. Her heart swelled. “Not to be sappy or anything, but just so you know, now that I’ve found you, I want to get to know you.”
“Same,” Bree said with a shy smile. “It’s not every day you get a sister.”
A young man with a familiar face walked through the room to the far side. Avery frowned when she realized it was Seth Ryland, Mr. Logsdon’s caregiver. Mr. Logsdon wasn’t with him, which left her concerned. If he was at TJs, who was with Mr. Logsdon, making sure he didn’t wander off and get lost?
“What’s wrong?” Bree asked, turning around to see where Avery was looking.
“I’m not sure about anything,” Avery said.
“Ladies,” the clerk approached with two bags. “Your order.”
Avery and Bree stood, each collecting a bag.
Avery cast a glance at the table where Seth sat across from a young woman, smiling and laughing like he planned to be there a while.
“You know, I’d like to make a detour on the way back to the hospital,” Avery said as they left the bar and grill, already texting the sheriff for Mr. Logsdon’s address.
Sheriff Taylor answered immediately, which told her the hitman wasn’t talking yet, and they were bored standing around waiting for him to wake up. She brought up the address on her cell phone and gave Bree the directions.
As she left the parking lot, Bree said, “You know, Grant will lose his shit if you’re not back in the next five minutes. That man’s crazy about you.”
And Avery was crazy about him. And crazy to have driven him away, though it had been for his own protection. “I’ll text him and let him know we’re going to do a wellness check on Mr. Logsdon.”
“Should I know this man?” Bree asked.
“Grant and I ran into him yesterday. Or rather, he ran into me. He mistook me for the daughter he lost years ago.”
“Alzheimer’s?” Bree guessed.
“Or dementia,” Avery said. “He escaped his house and was on his way to work.”
“Let me guess, he retired a long time ago.”
Avery nodded.
“Why the sudden need to perform a wellness check on him?”
“His caregiver walked into TJ’s right before we left and sat down like he was going to stay a while.”
