He had such a cute smile. It was horrible to ruin it.
“But I just remembered something else,” she said. “I’m in all of the local Facebook groups – I live for small-town drama.”
“Who doesn’t?” Joey said, the corner of his mouth curving upward.
Eliza sucked in a breath.That smirk. He could totally pull off a leading role in a 90s movie. “Last week, a guy made a post ranting about people parking on his property. He went on and on about how he was going to set their cars on fire and this was their final warning.”
Joey’s eyebrows went up, his eyes round. “That’s a bit dramatic.”
It wasn’t just his smile, it was his whole face. He could convey so much with just the tilt of his head. He was socute…
Eliza forced herself to look away. “He’s convinced some tourists are trying to move in and claim squatter’s rights – and I know it sounds weird, but what if it’s the truck from the robbery? Who else would just leave their car abandoned like that?”
“Do you know where he lives?”
Eliza nodded. “He’s one of Granny’s neighbors. He’s nice enough, just private. Sometimes angry.”
“Angry and a pyromaniac,” Joey said with a nod. “If we step on his property, will he come after us with a flamethrower?”
She tapped a finger to her chin. “You never know. We should bring cookies. You know, just in case.”
Joey pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket. “I’ve got scones!”
The absolute joy on his face made her burst with laughter. She bent forward, covering her mouth, her body shaking with giddy excitement. He followed, laughing like a fool.
Was this really happening? Was she really hunting down robbery clues with a handsome, charming, world traveler like Joey?
It took her a moment to recover. She wiped a tear from her eye and said, “Whew, okay. Shall we?”
It felt like it took forever to get to the property, even though it was only a seven-minute drive. They turned off the main road and drove slowly along the makeshift path, the car rocking left and right in the ruts.
A quarter mile into the property, Eliza spotted it.
“There!” She pointed. “I think that’s a truck, right?”
“It’s definitely some sort of white vehicle.” Joey squinted and stopped the car. “Yeah. It is a truck.”
Her heart skipped a beat and made her cough.
“Are you all right?” Joey asked.
She took a deep breath. What were the chances the robber was camping out in that truck? Everyone was obsessing over how he’d managed to get away from the island, but what if he’d never left?
And what if he recognized her and came after them? “Uh, yeah. Just scared. Maybe we should go back and call the police.”
“Let me creep a little closer. We’ll just peek in.”
The car lurched forward and Eliza shot him a look. “Joey!What if he’s in there?”
“What if it’s not even his truck?”
Itlookedlike his truck. She squinted to make out the license plate. “I’m pretty sure it’s his. I’ll call the police.”
A person stepped in front of their car and Eliza and Joey screamed.
“Reverse! Get out of here!” Eliza yelled.
Joey fumbled with the gear shifter before putting them into neutral and revving the engine.
