Everyone, including herself, was paid quite well. It was what kept everyone’s mouths closed about the celebrities who visited. The income definitely rivaled anything a rag would pay for pictures. “Ryan and I are still getting to know one another. That’s never come up.”
Then a thought struck her. “You didn’t come because of my cell phone number change, did you?”
Her parents both quickly grabbed their plates and headed for the sink. Carrying dirty dishes? That was something they hadn’t done for themselves since she could remember. “When exactly did you have Ryan’s background checked, Dad?”
He spun around. Guilt shined brightly on his face. “Uh . . .”
Her mom said, “Tuesday night right after I talked to you.” She spread her hands. “We worry about you, honey. Surely you can’t blame us for that.”
She really couldn’t. But now when she wasn’t busy with her wedding duties, she’d have to stick to Ryan’s side. She’d already told Ryan she’d been in a bad marriage, but she couldn’t allow him any more details. Spencer’s prominent father had gone to great lengths to hide the details about her attack. As far as the media was concerned, she and Spencer had been in a terrible car accident right before their bitter divorce. But Detective Bailey had warned that searching for information using her married name or Spencer’s online could trigger alerts to someone as skilled at hacking as Spencer was. Then it could be as easy as tracking an IP address to find the searcher’s location. Wouldn’t be hard to find her in Anderson Butte if Spencer ever got that close.
Maybe while she was busy at the wedding, she could have her cousin Gina run interference with Ryan to be sure her secret stayed buried?
That might actually work.
Ryan fired up his laptop. No one else was around the office, and he was determined to dig out Tara-aka-Jamie’s secret. Her parents had calmly related that story about Tara’s nickname, but the panic in Tara’s eyes had been real when he’d called her Jamie. Her maiden name started with a Mc- something, and Jamie was most likely her real name.
Tara had a dental license. Maybe he could see if he could find more there.
He’d start with Google.
A loud squawk came from his belt. “Sheriff? You copy?”
Ryan snatched his radio. “Go, Mike.”
“Uh. I have something a little unusual. Can I get a hand out at the Barkers’ place?”
Sighing, he said, “Be right there.” Mike was a great guy, but wasn’t one who could think on his feet when confronted with anything outside of his tiny comfort zone.
He’d have to come back to his search later.
As he walked outside, guilt for snooping sat like a lead ball in his gut. He’d rather Tara just tell him herself. Maybe after a few “dates” she’d realize she could trust him to keep her secret. And to keep her safe from whatever she was obviously still afraid of.
Ryan walked the quarter mile to the Barkers’ place. Mike had driven his squad car to the bottom of the drive near the lake, where Nate Barker stood holding a rifle pointed at something in the distance. When Ryan spotted the gun, he picked up the pace. “What’s going on, guys?”
Mike turned and grinned. “Seems Nate has caught him a pair of fornicators down the shore there.”
Ryan glanced in the direction the gun was pointed and spotted the naked pair. Pam, the hairdresser who’d flirted with him since high school, and Toby. “Nate, put the gun down.”
“Nope. They’ll get away. I’m tired of all the trespassing going on by folks looking for that buried recipe.”
His deputy said, “I think Nate’s just enjoying the fine view.”
Mike probably was too. The guy was the same age as Ryan, but he still acted like a hormonal teenager.
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck as he searched for a solution to make everyone happy. “Clearly, these two weren’t searching for any recipes. Put the gun down. Now.”
Nate grunted but did as he
Then a thought struck her. “You didn’t come because of my cell phone number change, did you?”
Her parents both quickly grabbed their plates and headed for the sink. Carrying dirty dishes? That was something they hadn’t done for themselves since she could remember. “When exactly did you have Ryan’s background checked, Dad?”
He spun around. Guilt shined brightly on his face. “Uh . . .”
Her mom said, “Tuesday night right after I talked to you.” She spread her hands. “We worry about you, honey. Surely you can’t blame us for that.”
She really couldn’t. But now when she wasn’t busy with her wedding duties, she’d have to stick to Ryan’s side. She’d already told Ryan she’d been in a bad marriage, but she couldn’t allow him any more details. Spencer’s prominent father had gone to great lengths to hide the details about her attack. As far as the media was concerned, she and Spencer had been in a terrible car accident right before their bitter divorce. But Detective Bailey had warned that searching for information using her married name or Spencer’s online could trigger alerts to someone as skilled at hacking as Spencer was. Then it could be as easy as tracking an IP address to find the searcher’s location. Wouldn’t be hard to find her in Anderson Butte if Spencer ever got that close.
Maybe while she was busy at the wedding, she could have her cousin Gina run interference with Ryan to be sure her secret stayed buried?
That might actually work.
Ryan fired up his laptop. No one else was around the office, and he was determined to dig out Tara-aka-Jamie’s secret. Her parents had calmly related that story about Tara’s nickname, but the panic in Tara’s eyes had been real when he’d called her Jamie. Her maiden name started with a Mc- something, and Jamie was most likely her real name.
Tara had a dental license. Maybe he could see if he could find more there.
He’d start with Google.
A loud squawk came from his belt. “Sheriff? You copy?”
Ryan snatched his radio. “Go, Mike.”
“Uh. I have something a little unusual. Can I get a hand out at the Barkers’ place?”
Sighing, he said, “Be right there.” Mike was a great guy, but wasn’t one who could think on his feet when confronted with anything outside of his tiny comfort zone.
He’d have to come back to his search later.
As he walked outside, guilt for snooping sat like a lead ball in his gut. He’d rather Tara just tell him herself. Maybe after a few “dates” she’d realize she could trust him to keep her secret. And to keep her safe from whatever she was obviously still afraid of.
Ryan walked the quarter mile to the Barkers’ place. Mike had driven his squad car to the bottom of the drive near the lake, where Nate Barker stood holding a rifle pointed at something in the distance. When Ryan spotted the gun, he picked up the pace. “What’s going on, guys?”
Mike turned and grinned. “Seems Nate has caught him a pair of fornicators down the shore there.”
Ryan glanced in the direction the gun was pointed and spotted the naked pair. Pam, the hairdresser who’d flirted with him since high school, and Toby. “Nate, put the gun down.”
“Nope. They’ll get away. I’m tired of all the trespassing going on by folks looking for that buried recipe.”
His deputy said, “I think Nate’s just enjoying the fine view.”
Mike probably was too. The guy was the same age as Ryan, but he still acted like a hormonal teenager.
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck as he searched for a solution to make everyone happy. “Clearly, these two weren’t searching for any recipes. Put the gun down. Now.”
Nate grunted but did as he
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