was worried about. Coming down here on a wild goose chase. I got my hopes up, and now—”
“He’s lying,” Alex said, and that stopped her cold. “Dean Knight lied about not recognizing Carter.”
Brianne’s eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. “So it’s not just me?” she asked. “You felt it, too.”
“He tried to hide it, but I saw the recognition in his eyes when he looked at the picture of Carter. He knows him.”
“Then what are we doing out here?” Brianne asked. “We need to go back inside, get him to fess up.”
Brianne took a step in the direction of the Dean’s office, but Alex reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. “No. We’re not going back in there. Not yet.”
Confusion streaked across Brianne’s face. “I don’t understand.”
“Brianne, we came down here to find out if Carter is alive.” Alex couldn’t help grinning. “Let’s not lose sight of the big picture. The fact that Dean’s lying is good news. Because it means what I thought was true. Carter’s alive.”
Chapter 10
A lex was smiling like the cat who ate the canary. “He’s alive, Brianne. He’s alive.”
Slowly, realization dawned on Brianne. She got it. “Oh, my God, you’re right. I never thought of it that way. He would only lie if he knows who Carter is.”
“Exactly.”
Brianne frowned. “But I don’t understand. If Carter was lost on a mountain three years ago, why would Dean lie about knowing him?”
“He shouldn’t. But maybe Dean’s the kind of guy who doesn’t like answering questions asked by random strangers. He doesn’t know us. That could be affecting his decision to say anything. Remember, his first words were that he didn’t want to get in the middle of anything. He might assume we’re looking for Carter for some untoward reason.”
“If you’re right,” Brianne began, “then how do we get through to this guy?”
“We could follow him.” Alex paused, thought for a bit. “See if he goes straight to Carter. Of course, he might just call him. Or maybe I’m wrong and he doesn’t know who Carter is.”
“Do you believe that?”
“No. I think he knows something. If I had to guess, I would assume that he figures Carter is in some kind of trouble. Maybe a guy who’s wanted by the cops for some reason, and that’s where his hesitation is coming from.” Alex shrugged. “I think that makes the most sense.”
“So, what should we do?”
Alex pursed his lips. “I asked Ginny if she recognized the photos of Carter, and she said no. I believed her but left her my information in case she learns something that can help us.”
“I’m sure you’ll be hearing from her regardless,” Brianne muttered.
“Pardon me?”
“Nothing,” she said. Seriously, why was she feeling uncomfortable at the idea of Alex and Ginny getting together?
“You know, maybe you’re right,” Alex said after a moment. “Maybe we should go back in there.”
“Right now?” But before Brianne even got the question out, Alex took her hand in his and started back up the stairs to the office. Moments later, Alex was striding past the receptionist, smiling sweetly at her and apologizing profusely. He walked right into Dean’s office.
The look on Dean’s face was more than surprised. It was as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “When you get this message,” Dean said quickly into the phone, “call me back.”
“Was that Carter you called?” Alex asked.
Dean didn’t answer right away. “I already told you—”
Alex advanced. “You and I both know that you’re lying about recognizing him. I’m not saying I blame you. You’re obviously a good friend, having his back like that. But in case you think we’re here because we’ve got a beef with Carter, or because he’s wanted for something illegal, rest assured that is not the case. We simply are trying to track him down. We’re friends of his from…from way back. Mostly, we want to know
“He’s lying,” Alex said, and that stopped her cold. “Dean Knight lied about not recognizing Carter.”
Brianne’s eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise. “So it’s not just me?” she asked. “You felt it, too.”
“He tried to hide it, but I saw the recognition in his eyes when he looked at the picture of Carter. He knows him.”
“Then what are we doing out here?” Brianne asked. “We need to go back inside, get him to fess up.”
Brianne took a step in the direction of the Dean’s office, but Alex reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her. “No. We’re not going back in there. Not yet.”
Confusion streaked across Brianne’s face. “I don’t understand.”
“Brianne, we came down here to find out if Carter is alive.” Alex couldn’t help grinning. “Let’s not lose sight of the big picture. The fact that Dean’s lying is good news. Because it means what I thought was true. Carter’s alive.”
Chapter 10
A lex was smiling like the cat who ate the canary. “He’s alive, Brianne. He’s alive.”
Slowly, realization dawned on Brianne. She got it. “Oh, my God, you’re right. I never thought of it that way. He would only lie if he knows who Carter is.”
“Exactly.”
Brianne frowned. “But I don’t understand. If Carter was lost on a mountain three years ago, why would Dean lie about knowing him?”
“He shouldn’t. But maybe Dean’s the kind of guy who doesn’t like answering questions asked by random strangers. He doesn’t know us. That could be affecting his decision to say anything. Remember, his first words were that he didn’t want to get in the middle of anything. He might assume we’re looking for Carter for some untoward reason.”
“If you’re right,” Brianne began, “then how do we get through to this guy?”
“We could follow him.” Alex paused, thought for a bit. “See if he goes straight to Carter. Of course, he might just call him. Or maybe I’m wrong and he doesn’t know who Carter is.”
“Do you believe that?”
“No. I think he knows something. If I had to guess, I would assume that he figures Carter is in some kind of trouble. Maybe a guy who’s wanted by the cops for some reason, and that’s where his hesitation is coming from.” Alex shrugged. “I think that makes the most sense.”
“So, what should we do?”
Alex pursed his lips. “I asked Ginny if she recognized the photos of Carter, and she said no. I believed her but left her my information in case she learns something that can help us.”
“I’m sure you’ll be hearing from her regardless,” Brianne muttered.
“Pardon me?”
“Nothing,” she said. Seriously, why was she feeling uncomfortable at the idea of Alex and Ginny getting together?
“You know, maybe you’re right,” Alex said after a moment. “Maybe we should go back in there.”
“Right now?” But before Brianne even got the question out, Alex took her hand in his and started back up the stairs to the office. Moments later, Alex was striding past the receptionist, smiling sweetly at her and apologizing profusely. He walked right into Dean’s office.
The look on Dean’s face was more than surprised. It was as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “When you get this message,” Dean said quickly into the phone, “call me back.”
“Was that Carter you called?” Alex asked.
Dean didn’t answer right away. “I already told you—”
Alex advanced. “You and I both know that you’re lying about recognizing him. I’m not saying I blame you. You’re obviously a good friend, having his back like that. But in case you think we’re here because we’ve got a beef with Carter, or because he’s wanted for something illegal, rest assured that is not the case. We simply are trying to track him down. We’re friends of his from…from way back. Mostly, we want to know
Similar Books
