Mated by Desiree Holt Page B

around her like a sarong, another around her head.
    “News?” she asked.
    “Sort of.” He passed along what Brian had said.
    She pressed a hand to her chest. “Do you think they were doing something and Cathy found out?”
    “I’m hoping we’ll know soon. Josh will keep riding the computer, but Luke and I are going to scope out the cabin.”
    Linnea’s eyes were filled with pain. “Do you think they killed her and buried her there?”
    “We’ll sure as hell find out.”
    She unwrapped the towel from her hair and began drying the long strands. “Does this mean Jim Franklin is out of it? What about the woman he beat up?”
    “Drew and Ann Marie are going to see him today and lay the cards on the table.” He pulled her against his naked body, willing his cock to behave itself. “You go on to work. Are you in court today?”
    She shook her head.
    “Then keep your cell on at all times. I’ll check in with you.” He kissed her hungrily, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, savouring her taste to keep with him throughout the day. “I’ll call you.”
    “Okay.” She leaned against him for a moment, her small fingers threading through the hair on his chest. “Be careful, please.”
    “Always am. And I won’t be alone.” He patted her on the rear. “Now get some clothes on before I forget we have things to do and ravish you right here on the floor.”
    She winked at him, trying to smile. “We can save that for later.”
     
    * * * *
     
    The drive from Sentinels’ headquarters at the north end of San Antonio to the cabin owned by Gray Fisher and Brad Macintyre took them a little over an hour. Luke had brought along some new information Josh had printed out and shared it with Cale while they drove.
    “So Fisher and Macintyre knew each other before this?” Cale asked.
    “Looks that way. Maybe as far back as when they went to the
University
of
Chicago
.”
    Cale raised an eyebrow. “They were there at the same time?”
    “Macintyre was in law school. He’s four or five years older. But listen to this.” Luke shuffled the papers on his lap. “After Fisher got bounced from the foundation he was working for there because of his affair, they called in an accountant to check the books and found substantial amounts of money unaccounted for.”
    “So he’s done this before?”
    “My guess is they were in this together. Fisher’s not in jail only because they couldn’t actually lay it at his door. He was very clever.”
    “I’m surprised they didn’t tell the people here about it,” Cale commented.
    “They couldn’t prove anything and the director whose wife got caught up in the affair was trying to hush things up, anyway.”
    Luke’s cell phone rang at that moment. Cale listened to him, his side of the conversation consisting mainly of “Yeah,” and “Okay,” and finally, “Sure. I’ll tell him.”
    “More news?” Cale asked.
    “Yup. That was Drew. He and Ann Marie insisted Jim Franklin step out of his office and meet them for coffee or they’d come into the business and talk to him there. About Cathy. He was pretty shaken when they hammered him, but Drew’s convinced he’s not our guy. He said the situation with the former girlfriend had more to it than people think. Drew will tell us about it later, but he says we can write this guy off.”
    “Then I damn sure hope we find something at this cabin.”
    The place was set way back from the road, at the end of a dirt driveway lined with huge, ancient oaks and sycamores. The cabin itself wasn’t that big, set in the middle of a small clearing. Luke and Cale got out of the truck and moved around it, peering into the windows.
    “Not more than two rooms,” Luke commented. “It looks empty.”
    “And no one’s here,” Cale agreed. “It’s not looking good for finding Cathy Porter alive. Certainly not after all this time.”
    “We need to sniff around,” Luke pointed out. “And sharpen our senses first.”
    Just in case someone