Page 50 of Scent of Fear

She headed back out to the table. Shane stood as she approached, his blue eyes searching hers. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She wasn’t, but there was no point in belaboring the point. She slid back into the booth and stared at her half-eaten sandwich. Maybe she should take the rest back to the cabin. If—no,whenher grandpa came back home, he might be hungry.

“It’s going to work out,” Shane said in a low voice.

She managed a nod.

“Okay, Griff is on his way,” Paul announced as he returned to the table. He looked relieved to have the feds involved. “But you’re right that it’s going to take him at least seven hours or more to drive here. He doesn’t want to fly because he wants his own vehicle.”

“That’s understandable,” Shane said. “I’m glad he’s coming. Now I think you should see if you can find an early photograph of Ward Engler and match that with our suspect, Harry Stern. Maybe Engler isn’t his real name. They could be one and the same.”

“You watch too many movies,” Paul grumbled. He remained standing near their table. “It’s not as easy to use a fake ID as you think.”

“Yet we know now that Grandpa was able to accomplish that very thing,” she pointed out. “And for nearly fifty years.” She had no idea how her grandfather had managed that feat but tried to stay focused. “I agree with Shane. Ward Engler deserves some intense scrutiny. Especially after the way he took off leaving half his meal behind when Shane and Bryce showed up at the café.”

“I’ll work on that angle.” Paul eyed them somberly. “I’d like you to head back to Libby’s grandfather’s cabin. That way I’ll know where to find you if I learn anything new.” He stepped back, then glanced at Bryce who was lying beneath the table. “We’ll likely need your K9 to assist with the search.”

“I’d like nothing more than to use Bryce to help find Marvin.” Shane pulled cash from his wallet for the bill. “I’ll take Libby back to the cabin. But please keep us in the loop.”

“Will do.” Paul nodded, then turned and left.

Libby leaned forward. “I think we should see if we can find Ward Engler ourselves.”

“We can’t do that. It’s not safe.” Shane left cash on the table, then slid out of the seat. “Come, Bryce.”

The large shepherd crawled out from beneath the table and eagerly followed Shane to the door. Libby hastened to keep up. Shane paused and held the door for her. She waited until they were striding toward the SUV before saying, “Drop me off at the library again. I’ll search for more information about Harry Stern. There’s probably an article somewhere that mentions him getting out of jail.”

Shane sighed. “I have a better idea. We’ll buy a laptop and use my phone as a hot spot so we can use it at your grandfather’s cabin.”

“That’s a waste of money,” she began, but he waved her off.

“I consider it an investment. I could use a new laptop anyway. We passed a computer repair store. I’m sure they have new and refurbished laptops available.” He opened the back hatch for Bryce, then reached for the passenger-side door. “We’ll be more comfortable at the cabin.”

Watching as Bryce jumped into the back, she realized he was concerned about his dog more than anything. She relented with a nod. It was his money to waste, and for all she knew, he really did need a new computer. “Okay, that’s fine.”

A moment later, they were back on the road driving through town. She kept her eyes peeled for the black truck, but she didn’t see it. She didn’t have confidence in Deputy Paul’s ability to dig into the possibility of Harry Stern being Ward Engler. She wasn’t an expert at searching either, but she had found the article about her grandfather. Stood to reason she might be able to dig up info on Engler.

The computer repair store was bigger than she’d expected. The guy who sat behind the main counter gave Bryce a wary look but didn’t complain. Smart move as Shane headed straight for the new computers set up along one wall.

She checked out the used machines and was impressed at the selection. She made a mental note to check back here if she needed to replace her current laptop, as the prices were reasonable.

Yet she wasn’t surprised Shane chose a brand-new top-of-the-line computer, the most expensive of the bunch.

“Hey, it’s a good price,” he said when she arched a brow.

Maybe so, but it still seemed extravagant. The Sullivan K9 Search and Rescue Ranch must be doing better than she realized. How, when they only accepted dog food as payment for services, she had no clue.

His problem, not hers. Once Shane had tucked the new laptop beneath his arm, they headed outside. Bryce trotted alongside, sniffing the air with interest.

“It’s amazing he doesn’t get distracted while doing searches.” She opened her car door as Bryce jumped into the back crate area.

“He’s well trained and likes to play the search game.” Shane closed the back and went around to tuck the new laptop on the floor of the back seat. “I’ll work with him while you work on the computer. He needs to burn off some energy anyway.”

“Good idea.” That would be better than having Shane hovering over her shoulder to watch her work. Libby knew she was growing too attached to him. This forced togetherness wasn’t real. Once they both went back to their regular lives, she wouldn’t see him again.

Especially if she had to visit her grandfather in jail. The thought made her wince. Would he be taken to a large federal prison far away from Cody? She had no idea where the various penitentiaries were located.

The thought of seeing her grandfather on a limited basis while he was behind bars was depressing. She did her best to shake it off. First, they had to figure out who kidnapped her grandfather and get him back.

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