Page 134 of Liar's Point

“You’re late for your meeting.” She reached for the door, and he stepped back. “Let me know how it goes.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

Emmet slipped in late and took the empty seat next to Adam.

“Glad you could make it.” Brady checked his watch and tapped his pencil on the legal pad in front of him. “Where’s Owen? He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago with his brother.”

Emmet frowned. “Joel is coming?”

Joel was busy with the multiagency task force that worked out of the sheriff’s office. Technically, he was still part of Lost Beach PD, but he hadn’t been to a team meeting since Operation Red Highway.

“Not Joel. Alex,” the chief said.

“Alex the attorney?”

“He wants to meet with us. Apparently, his client thinks she might know something relevant to our investigation.”

Emmet stared at Brady, then glanced at Adam, who looked as confused as Emmet felt.

The conference room door opened, and Owen walked in with his brother close behind him.

“Sorry.” Owen nodded at the chief. “Small delay.”

Owen gestured to a chair at the end of the table, and Alex Breda pulled it out as he glanced around the room. In a dress shirt and tie, Alex looked like a Brooks Brothers version of his older brother.

“Thank you for meeting,” Alex said, as though this whole thing had been set up for him.

And maybe it had been. Emmet had thought this was their regularly scheduled team meeting to catch up on the case, but what the hell did he know? Not like he was the lead detective or anything.

Emmet shot a glare at Owen, but Owen was staring at his brother with a look that Emmet couldn’t read.

“So? Where is she?” Brady asked.

“Slight problem,” Owen said tersely.

Brady shifted his attention to Alex.

“I’m afraid my client—”

“You mean Cassandra Miller, correct?” Brady interrupted.

“Yes. I’m afraid Ms.Miller is... unavailable to meet this morning.”

“How come?” Brady demanded. “Wasn’t this your idea?”

“Yes, actually. But—”

“She was supposed to meet us at the office,” Owen said, cutting off his brother. “But she never showed.”

Brady frowned. “Whose office?”

“Mine,” Alex said.

“Did you try calling her?”

“She’s not answering her phone or her door,” Alex said. “And her car isn’t there, so—”