Missing in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law #5)(25)

“I guess they haven’t found the car, either?” Bart asked.

“Not that I’ve heard,” Jadyn said. She and Colt had already agreed to keep their dive discovery a secret. Once the FBI pulled the car out of the pond tomorrow, word would get around.

“That Caddy is older but it’s a sweet ride. It doesn’t surprise me that someone would want it.”

Bart looked over at his friend. “Really? You think someone stole the car and decided to take Raissa with them? What are you, stupid?”

Tyler’s jaw flexed and Jadyn could tell he wasn’t happy about being called stupid. “Maybe she ran off into the swamp when the shooting started, fell and hit her head or something. She wouldn’t be the first person lost in these swamps.”

“That’s true enough, but the FBI had their dogs out today,” Jadyn said. “They didn’t catch any scent of her. If she’s in the swamps, the entry point wasn’t where Zach was found.”

“Is Colt working the case?” Bart asked.

“No. It’s not his jurisdiction. The FBI is running the investigation.”

“That figures” Tyler interjected. “I bet the FBI think they’re too smart to get help from one of us small-town Joes.”

Bart shook his head. “If that’s the case, they’re stupid. I’m sure there’s plenty of people who’s got away with stuff the FBI never even caught wind of.”

“My guess is, you’re both right,” she said.

Tyler downed the rest of his beer and tossed some bills on the counter.

“You leaving already?” Bart asked.

“Some of us gotta work for a living.”

“I work,” Bart argued.

“Three days a week ain’t working,” Tyler said as he walked away. “That’s vacationing.”

Jadyn checked her watch and held in a yawn. Finally, the day had caught up with her. “I should get out of here, too. I’ve got to get an early start tomorrow.”

Bart didn’t bother to hide his disappointment. “You sure you can’t stay a bit longer?”

“I wish I could, but I’m beat and I have to get up early.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to take you to dinner to give you my undivided attention.”

She slid off her stool, trying to think of something diplomatic to say. Having a beer by chance in the bar was one thing, but dinner sounded way too much like a date with the underlying possibility of romance. Jadyn wasn’t sure she was ready to field that option.

You’d say yes if it were Colt.

“I’ll give that some thought,” she said, determined to break the frustrating cycle of being attracted to a man who’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in anything but a working relationship.

“Don’t think too hard or you’ll say no,” he said and winked.

She laughed, her discomfort easing. Maybe she should have dinner with Bart. A man who could make you laugh definitely had a lot of value.

“I won’t,” she said. “Have a good night.”

“You too.”

As she walked back to the hotel, she promised herself she’d give Bart’s dinner offer serious thought. She’d already given Colt plenty of time to make a move, and he’d chosen instead to distance himself. It was time to let thoughts of Colt Bertrand go.

[page]###

Before dawn, Jadyn crept downstairs, hoping to put on a pot of coffee without disturbing any patrons or Mildred. She’d fallen asleep quickly, but her sleep hadn’t been restful. Instead, she’d tossed and turned, her mind racing with frantic dreams that disappeared from her memory the instant she awakened.

She knew the dreams came from the pressure she felt to find Raissa. The dreams had always come when something weighed heavily on her. And this was the worst situation she could recall being in. She and Colt had to make progress today. Time was running out.

If it hadn’t already.

She shook her head as she walked down the hallway to the downstairs kitchen. A clear head was important for today’s work. Getting more stressed or even depressed would decrease her awareness and she needed to be on top of her game. As she pushed open the kitchen door, Jadyn was surprised to see Mildred already inside, pouring a cup of coffee.

“What are you doing up so early?” Jadyn asked. “I didn’t disturb you moving around, did I?”

Mildred waved a hand and poured a cup of coffee for Jadyn. “I was disturbed all right, but it had nothing to do with you. I had these horrible nightmares about being chased by large killer clowns wearing spandex. They were throwing apple pies at me.”

Jadyn grinned. “Given the source of the nightmares, I know I shouldn’t find it funny, but I have to admit that it’s got a certain level of humor to it.”

Mildred slid into a chair at the tiny breakfast table and dumped what looked to be a half a cup of sugar into her coffee. “If it had happened to anyone else, I would probably find it funny too. Truth be told, once I get done being pissed over the car repair, I’ll probably find it funny. But I’d never let Helena know that.”

“No way,” Jadyn agreed as she sat down across from Mildred. “Milk the car situation for as much guilt as you can manage to get out of Helena.”

Mildred gave her a rueful look. “It’s going to be far less than I’d like. So you and Colt are heading out early?”