Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 04 - Dirty Deeds Read Online Free PDF Page A

something.”
    I nodded. “Sounds like a plan.” Part of me would much rather remain on this hiking trail with Riley than go back and mingle with his friends. I don’t know why the thought of hanging out with them had me in knots like it did. Feeling like the outsider of the group was never my first choice, I supposed.
    This was a part of the give and take of being a couple. Besides, once we got married, I was going to have to get used to this kind of thing. I’d be terrible at it, but I’d have to persevere.
    As silence stretched on the trail, I wondered if this would be a good time to tell Riley about my job situation. I just couldn’t seem to open my mouth to do so, however. For just a short period, I’d had a job that matched his: I’d been a professional with a respectable career—a career fit for a lawyer.
    Now I was back to cleaning up guts and gore.
    I had to tell him the truth, though. I knew Riley would still love me. Despite that, there was a part of me that wondered if he’d be disappointed. There was a part of me that wanted to hold on to the illusion that I’d pushed past all of the obstacles in my life and become the girl everyone had underestimated.
    But being dishonest only led to trouble.
    I sucked in a deep breath and squeezed his hand. “So, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you—”
    Before I could finish, a figure darted out into the trail. Clint. Where had he come from? His eyes were wide and dazed, and his breathing was labored as if he’d been running maniacally. “Did you find her?”
    Riley shook his head. “No, man. We didn’t pass anyone on the trail. No one else had luck either?”
    Clint moaned and put his head in his hands. “No. It’s been four hours now. She was supposed to be back two hours ago.”
    “Maybe you should call the police if you’re this worried,” I offered. “They know how to handle situations like this.”
    He shook his head. “What is it they say for adults? Don’t they have to be missing for twenty-four hours or something? She could be dead by then.” He moaned and looked to the sky. Strain was obvious in the bulging muscles at his throat and neck.
    “Dead?” I mumbled. I’d been trying to take a backseat in this, to not get too involved. But … “You’ve tried her cell phone?”
    His head flipped down, and bloodshot eyes met mine. “It goes right to voicemail.”
    “Has she ever wandered away like this before?”
    “No, never. But she’s not a mountain girl. She’s more of a Macy’s girl. What if she took a wrong turn? Wandered off a path? Hit her head?” He jerked his head back and forth as if he couldn’t stand the thought of it. “What if she needs her inhaler?”
    I stepped forward. “Let’s go back to the hotel. Let’s make sure no one else has seen her. Have you checked her room?”
    Clint shook his head, the setting sun bathing him in an eerie orange glow. “No, not yet. I mean, I knocked at the door and all, but no one answered. I don’t have a key.”
    “We should do that, also,” I told him. “Just in case. Maybe she got back early, turned off her cell, and took a nap.”
    Hope lit his eyes. “Now that sounds like something she might do.”
    We all began walking back toward the resort together. Clint walked fast enough that I had to hurry to keep up. I could understand his anxiety. I’d be the same way if I thought one of my loved ones was in trouble.
    “You seem pretty good at this,” Clint mumbled over his shoulder.
    I started to say something when Riley beat me to the punch. “She does work for the Medical Examiner’s Office.”
    Guilt pressed in on me. But now didn’t seem like the ideal time to say anything. I mean, we should have the conversation in private. Out of respect for Riley, if nothing else.
    Clint glanced back again. “Oh yeah? That seems pretty cool. Dead people and all.” He seemed to realize what he said and shuddered. I wondered if he’d thought about Jackie and what it