Page 78 of Liar's Point

“Don’t worry about that. Emmet said he’d follow up.”

“He did?”

“Yeah, he was in here a minute ago, said he had a new lead.”

What new lead? And why the hell hadn’t Emmet called her?

“What’s your ETA?” Brady asked.

“Probably four o’clock,” she said, reshuffling her afternoon. “Five if I hit traffic.”

“Okay, call me from the road, let me know what you get.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Lawson?”

“Yes?”

“Hang in there. We’re bound to catch a break soon.”

***

The visitors’ lounge at the Crossroads Recovery Center had beige walls, beige carpet, and oversize furniture in every shade of beige. The color scheme was probably intended to be soothing, but Samuel Pacheco looked anything but calm as he reached for the empty pocket of his beige jumpsuit for the third time.

Emmet glanced at Adam. “Why don’t we move this conversation outside? I need some air.”

Adam blinked at him for a moment. “Sure. Yeah.”

Emmet got up and led the way through the double doors. The courtyard outside was landscaped with native Texas plants, and wooden benches were scattered along the paths.

Emmet led them to the farthest corner of the yard to a pair of benches under a mesquite tree with a little sign posted beside it: Prosopis Glandulosa.

“Have a seat,” Emmet said.

Pacheco sat down and stretched his legs out, then crossed his arms over his chest. Adam took the other bench.

Emmet propped his foot beside Adam and pulled a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jacket.

Pacheco’s eyes locked on the pack.

“Want one?”

“Yeah.”

Emmet lit his own cigarette before handing Pacheco one and lighting it for him.

“So, you were saying?” Emmet studied Aubrey’s ex-boyfriend through a stream of smoke. “How you found out from Caitlyn?”

Pacheco closed his eyes as he took a deep drag. “Yeah.”

“And this was what day?” Emmet glanced at Adam, who was taking notes on their conversation on his little spiral notepad.

“Monday night. We get, like, thirty minutes on the phone. I called her up, and she told me about Aubrey.”

“And you’re sure that was the first you heard about it?”

“Yeah, man.” Pacheco tapped an ash near his plastic shower shoes. Shoelaces—like belts and cell phones—were prohibited here. Smoking probably was, too, but Emmet was on a mission to connect with this guy, so he’d brought a pack of cigarettes with him.

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