Page 12 of All the Missing Pieces

“I was actually leaning toward con woman if you wanted to know.”

He stilled and then a smile stretched across his face. “Woman, huh? The pieces are coming together.”

“Piss off,” I muttered.

That only made Trey grin wider. “For the love of all that’s holy, I hope she’s staying in town. You need someone to keep you on your toes.”

That was the last thing I needed. No surprises, nothing unexpected. I needed steady, predictable. And my gut told me Ridley Bennett was anything but.

4

RIDLEY

“Home sweet home,”I cooed to Tater as I sat back on the small couch in the heart of the van. It faced the picture window in the van’s door that currently had an absolutely epic view. That was the thing about moving around; it was like hanging a new painting in your living room every couple of months, sometimes even more frequently than that.

The latest work of art was breathtaking. A view of the mountains and a small lake flanked by a mix of redwoods and other pine trees. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, it painted that landscape in an array of colors, a rainbow but not in any sort of predictable order, and it was more beautiful that way.

Tater rolled onto her back, exposing her belly. I knew an order when I saw one. Bending over, I lightly scratched her exposed fur. She purred for a few moments. And then as if a switch had been flipped, she jackrabbit-kicked my arm as her teeth sank into my hand.

“Shit! Ow.” I snatched my hand back. “Your love is a little violent for my taste.”

The telltale ring of an incoming video call sounded from my phone, and I braced. The satellite on top of my van gave me access to the internet anywhere I was, just as long as I didn’thave too much tree cover. It was necessary for my job, but there were times I wished I could throw it all away and disappear into the silence.

Relief swept through me as I swiped up the device and sawSullyflash across the screen paired with a ridiculous photo I’d snapped of him last year when we were on a video call. He was wearing a Santa hat and a Rudolph nose. The look only complemented the growing gray in his blond hair and the paunch around his middle.

I hitaccept, and the familiar face, minus the Santa hat and light-up nose, filled my screen. He sat at his desk, the New York skyline barely visible through his blurry apartment windows. “You made it okay?”

I bit back my chuckle. He could see I had, but I answered him anyway. “This spot might make my top ten.”

I flipped the camera around as I pushed off the couch and opened the van door. I slid out quickly so Tater wouldn’t also make her escape. “What do you think?”

Panning the camera, I gave Sully a view of the small campground and the landscape beyond. He let out a low whistle. “She’s a beaut.”

“There are only five sites, and they’re all super spread out. It’s going to make for the perfect home for the next month or so.”

“Just make sure you’re being careful,” Sully ordered gruffly.

I flipped the camera back to me. “You know I always am.”

Sully had come on board as my editor right beforeSounds Like Serialhad blown up. He’d seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. And he always had my back.

“Baker called a few minutes ago. Wanted to know why you hadn’t posted yet.”

I let out a groan. “I haven’t even been settled an hour.”

Sully grimaced. “You know that prick’s impatient.”

Did I ever. And Sully got it too. Baker always wanted faster turnaround times and the miracle of zero background noise. “I’m about to post the town intro. Just picking the right music.”

“That should appease him for…” Sully checked his watch. “Six hours, give or take.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “But we’ll take all the peace we can get.” I glanced at the clock in the corner of my screen. “I’m gonna get into town. See if I can get a little more of that nighttime flavor.”

What a community looked like during the day, who you met then, was completely different than the vibe after dark. I needed the feel of both. Needed to know the characters and players.

“Be careful,” Sully commanded.

“Always, boss.”

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