Page 28 of Liar's Point

“Well, we’ve got the phone dump working,” Owen said. “Maybe that will give us something useful.”

Emmet glanced over Nicole’s shoulder. “Looks like Lainey’s here.”

Nicole turned and watched a woman stride through the bar. Tall, blond, killer body—she was exactly Emmet’s type. She waved at the bartender and disappeared into the back hallway.

Nicole looked at Emmet. “Sure you don’t need a hand?”

“I’m good.” He took one last sip, then set his beer down and headed to the back of the bar.

“The chief put a rush on it.”

She turned to Owen. “What’s that?”

“The phone records. He called his contact and told him we need those ASAP. The guy said he thinks he’ll have something by tomorrow. Maybe we’ll get a lead on the ex-boyfriend.”

“Let’s hope.” She looked Owen over. He seemed distracted—not his usual laid-back self.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Macey?”

“Los Angeles for a work thing,” he said. “She’s supposed to be out there all week.”

Owen’s girlfriend was a documentary filmmaker, and she traveled a lot for her job. So maybe he was grumpy because he knew he wasn’t getting any for an entire week. Nicole had zero sympathy.

“Hey, how about one-on-one?” Kyle asked her, grabbing a beer glass off the table.

“Sorry,” she said. “We’re about to have dinner.”

“Come back after?”

“Maybe.”

She left them to their drinks and rejoined her sister and Siena in the restaurant.

“So, enough with the stalling,” Kate said as Nicole slid into the booth beside her. “How was your date?”

“It wasn’t.”

Siena’s face fell. “What do you mean?”

“He didn’t show.”

“Get out!” Kate exclaimed. “He stood you up?”

“He texted me after we were supposed to meet and said he had to work.”

“Texted?” Her sister looked appropriately outraged. “Tell me he at least showed up later with some candy and flowers or something.”

“Nope.”

A server stopped at their table with a tray of frozen margaritas.

“We ordered for you,” Siena said as the server set down the drinks.

Nicole reached for her margarita.

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