“It’s almost worth going out there to see his reaction.”

“If you decide to go, be careful. Don’t let your guard down. Know that Bart isn’t one step ahead of you. He’s six feet ahead.”

“I know.”

He was silent for a moment, his gaze locked on the dilapidated mill. “As I mentioned, if you do this, you could get in trouble for interfering with an active investigation, but on the off chance the sheriff’s department catches wind that you’re looking into Heather’s death, just blow it off as gossip. They’ll likely buy it and give you a warning.”

“Yeah, good idea.”

“Let’s drive to the vet clinic together,” he said, reaching to turn on the engine. “I’d feel better if I know what you’re doing and where you are.”

“So you can track me down if I disappear?”

“Exactly,” he said with a grim expression.

As morbid as that sounded, it filled me with a sense of security. Of course, it was likely misplaced. I’d been kidnapped from the tavern last December.

“Let’s finish our lunch first,” I said. “We can drive Wyatt crazy a little longer.”

He grinned. “I’m good with that.”

Chapter Twelve

We’d already eaten some of our lunches, so it didn’t take us much longer to finish. Marco purposely drove away from the creek a couple of blocks before returning to Main Street so Wyatt could go on thinking we were oblivious to his presence. Sure enough, he kept following us. We weren’t far out of town before we saw his truck in the distance in the rearview mirrors.

“He’s probably wondering why I’m goin’ with you in your sheriff’s vehicle,” I said, spotting the clinic ahead.

“I’m more worried what the staff at the vet clinic’s gonna think about it,” he said, turning on his signal before he pulled into the parking lot.

“I think it might give me more credibility. Abby wasn’t worried about the truth coming out. She was more worried about why I was looking.”

He nodded and put the vehicle in park. “Go work your magic.”

I made a face, then got out of the car and headed into the building. When I walked through the door, Sasha and Abby were both standing at the window in the waiting room, staring out at Marco’s car.

“Is that Marco Roland?” Sasha asked.

I couldn’t tell from her tone whether she considered that a good thing. For all I knew, she was one of his multiple conquests, although he didn’t seem to have many disgruntled ex-lovers. He always made a point of telling the women he saw he wasn’t looking for anything more than a few dates.

“Yeah…” I said hesitantly.

“I thought so,” she said, still peering out the window. “Are you two a thing?”

“Because if you’re not,” Abby interjected, “I’m gonna need you to give me his number. I haven’t had good sex since my divorce three years ago, and Marco Roland is known for amazing sex.”

I flushed a little as my stomach twisted. So the sheriff’s car had affected them, only not how Marco had anticipated.

“Um…he’s taken,” I said with a tight smile. A wave of horror washed over me. What had possessed me to say that? And what was this unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach?

“Girl, then what are you doin’ tryin’ to prove Wyatt Drummond’s innocence?” Abby asked.

“Because Marco’s not a long-term kind of guy,” Sasha said, “although rumor has it that he’s stuck with Carly for a few months.”

Abby looked at me as though seeing me in a whole new light.

“Did you get a chance to talk to Mitzi?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Abby said, peering out the window again. “She says she’ll meet you. Is Marco takin’ you to see her?”

“No. We were having lunch together, and he offered to bring me by after we finished.”

“Oh!” Sasha exclaimed. “We should make a calendar of the hot men of Drum holding puppies and kittens. We could sell those to keep the clinic afloat.” She turned to me. “Can you ask him to do it for us? Abby’ll even spay or neuter your kittens for free.”

Abby started to protest, then shrugged. “But he has to do it shirtless.”

“I can ask him,” I said hesitantly, not too keen on the idea of them using Marco as eye candy. “But I can’t guarantee he’ll say yes.” In fact, part of me hoped he’d say no. Marco was more than just a good-looking face on a built body. He was my friend and I hated to think of them using him like that. Or at least that was what I told myself.

“You work with Max Drummond too,” Sasha said. “Ask him too.”

“Okay.” No harm in asking, although I had no idea if either one of them would agree. “Do you have Mitzi’s number and/or address?” I asked.

Abby frowned as she walked over to the receptionist desk and grabbed a folded piece of paper. “If you go this afternoon, she asked that you knock lightly instead of using the doorbell. The baby might be down for his nap.”

“Okay,” I said, taking the paper from her before she could change her mind. I opened it and gave it a quick glance—Mitzi’s name, address, and phone number—then tucked it into my front pocket. “Thank you.”

She gave me a pointed look. “Sasha’s onto something with that calendar idea. Be sure to ask Marco and Max if they’d be willing to pose.”

“And if they have any hot friends,” Sasha added as I reached for the door. But something flickered in her eyes, and she pushed past me. “Or I could just ask him myself.”

I hurried after her, worried about her ambushing Marco. He looked surprised when he saw her, but he rolled down his window as she approached his car with purpose. It was only when I stopped by the car that I realized Abby had followed us.

“Hey there, Deputy Roland,” Sasha said in a seductive voice as she thrust her hip out to the side.

“What can I do for you?” he asked, shooting me a questioning glance before turning back to her.

“We were wondering if you’d be open to letting us take your photo to put in a calendar. It’s for a good cause.”

His forehead wrinkled and he gave me a perplexed look.

“They want you to pose holding puppies or kittens,” I said. “With your shirt off.”

“We want her to ask Max too,” Sasha said, leaning her arm against the base of his window. “But I wanted to personally invite you.”

I couldn’t believe she was being so flirtatious after I’d let them assume Marco and I were seeing each other. Then again, Sasha clearly knew about his reputation with women, so maybe she wanted him to know she was ready and willing whenever he kicked me to the curb.

“Well, thank you,” Marco said in a slow drawl. “I’ll be sure to give it some thought.”

Sasha’s bottom lip stuck out. “You can’t just tell me now?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah, I need to think it over a bit.”

“If you think you have to ask Carly if it’s okay, she’s given us her blessing. She even said she’d try to get Max to help us.”