Page 8 of Philly
Ava knew about the Falcons’ side project and how they helped people in abusive relationships escape. Smart woman that she was, she dropped the topic of Laura and focused on the bigger picture. “Tell me about the Nolans.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Aiden Nolan is the father. There are two sons, Rian, the oldest, and Joseph, a couple of years younger. They own a bunch of clothing brands—wealthier than most, but not billionaire-wealthy.”
“Any particular reason she’d be interested in them?”
He hesitated. “That’s what I’d like to know. There’s a chance the family is into things they shouldn’t be. But what brought them to Callie’s attention?”
Ava’s eyes narrowed in thought. “And what brought her toyou?”
“She had a CCTV picture of me and Laura taken a few monthsaftershe disappeared.”
“What was the good agent doing reviewing footage from a few years ago?”
He set the last glass down, leaned against the bar, and shook his head. “And not even interesting footage at that. It was taken from a mini-mart near San Diego.”
“Any chance the Nolans are tied to the mini-mart?”
He shrugged. “I doubt it. Not unless they’ve branched out beyond clothing and textiles.”
Ava took a sip of her drink, then nodded. “Okay, we have two key questions. The first is why Agent Parks is interested in the mini-mart, and the second is why she is interested in the Nolan family.” She paused. “I wonder which came first. Is she interested in the Nolans because of something she learned about the mini-mart? Or is she interested in the mini-mart because of something she learned about the Nolans?”
“The only thing I can say with any certainty is that Laura’s disappearance isn’t the ‘case’ she’s looking into.”
“You say that as if there isn’t a real case.”
“There’s something official. But I don’t think it’s Callie’s. It may not even be active.”
Ava took the last sip of her drink, then swirled her glass, the ice clinking gently against the sides. “So it’s possible Callie is either looking into something she’s been told not to or unofficially reopening an investigation the agency considers closed.”
He nodded.
“Intriguing. And not at all like the straight-and-narrow woman I’ve been led to believe she is,” she said. “Which makes the situation all the more interesting.”
A woman approached the bar a couple stools to Ava’s right, and Philly stepped to the side to take her order. After setting three beers on the bar top and running her card, he returned to Ava.
“I’ll look into it tomorrow. Or maybe the next day,” she corrected with a grimace. “I have a few things to do in the morning, then we have a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon.”
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Everything is fine. They take extra precautions with twins,” she replied. He couldn’t imagine being a parent, let alone a parent of three. He’d settled into his life as a single guy and liked it 95 percent of the time. After his tumultuous childhood, then his years in the military, he appreciated the steady friendship of his family-by-choice, his days filled with mundane but purposeful tasks, and his quiet, safe home.
When Mantis, then Stone, and now Viper found partners, he wondered if he’d feel a twinge of something—jealousy or longing or even curiosity. He’d poked and prodded his feelings on the matter before confidently concluding that the only emotion he felt regarding the couples was happiness. His family was growing, and his new “sisters” were awesome people.
“How much longer?” he asked.
“Too fucking long,” she replied, sliding off the stool. Then, setting a hand on her stomach, she added, “Not that I want them to come too early, but a little early would make me a much happier woman.”
“Sex and spicy food,” he replied, shaking off the cash she handed him for her drink.
“What?”
“That’s what they say can help bring on labor—sex and spicy food.”
Her head tipped, her long braids falling over her shoulder. “Don’t tell me how you know that.”
He grinned. “Use your imagination; it will be more fun.”
She snorted, then grabbed her purse. “Thanks for the drink and the adult conversation. I’ll be in touch with what I find.”
