“Finn is our next stop,” Tate stated. “We have to show him what we’ve found on Tyler’s second phone. He’s going to want to find out who WinHeights is, and where they were that morning.”
He didn’t believe that Josh was the intended victim that day. It had to be Tyler. There was no other explanation. His friend was living a secret life with multiple women, but pretending that he was just any other guy.
Had it finally caught up to Tyler? Had WinHeights made good on her threat?
“This is not the way to Finn’s office,” Cat remarked as Tate turned off the main street through town. “You’re going the wrong way.”
And Tate Winslow wouldn’t go the wrong way unless there was a good reason.
“I was thinking we might want to talk to Tyler’s friend Greg from Seattle. He might be able to give us some insight into what Tyler was doing. I know we have our theory, but I want to make sure that we’ve done our due diligence before we walk into Finn’s office and tell him he’s going the wrong way in his investigation.”
“I can’t argue that. Do you even know where the friend is?”
“His parents mentioned that Greg was staying at the Winslow Inn,” Tate replied. “They also said that he’s planning to fly out on the red eye. He may already have checked out, but I thought we could give it a try.”
One glance at her watch told her it was past checkout time.
The Winslow Inn, located a few miles off a highway exit, sounded stately and historic, but in reality, it had been built only about ten years ago. Cat had clear memories of her mother discussing the construction and how incredibly ugly the building turned out to be. All modern and sterile, it was exactly as the developer had dreamed of, and a nightmare for the citizens of the town. But the council had approved the project, mostly due to the need for jobs.
“I know the manager,” Tate said as they walked into the three-story lobby, glass and metal gleaming. “He used to be a regular before he got married. I’ll ask him.”
“I think you know everyone in town.”
“Not everyone, but a lot. That’s what happens when the bar has all the college and pro football games in the autumn.”
“It’s not your sparkling personality?”
“Perish the thought.”
Tate waved at a man behind the counter who immediately grinned at the greeting, beckoning them forward.
“Damn, what are you doing here? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you outside of the tavern.”
“Sometimes, I slip out and they don’t notice,” Tate joked. “Ben, this is Cat, a good friend of mine. Cat, this is Ben. He drinks craft beers and likes the Bears. He also likes mustard on his brats.”
“A wise man,” Cat said, her expression solemn. “Especially the mustard part. Nice to meet you, Ben.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ben replied. “How can I help you? Wait, are you two here to look at wedding venues? We’d be honored to host a Winslow wedding.”
Whoa, Nellie. Cat was in love, but marriage? They needed to pace themselves.
But…Tate would make an excellent husband.
“That’s not it,” Tate said. “We’re looking for Greg Holden. He’s a guest here, but he may have already checked out. He has a flight out tonight, but we were hoping to catch him before he left.”
“Holden? Right, he has checked out, but he hasn’t left for the airport yet. He asked if he could set up his laptop in a corner of the bar and work from there until his ride showed up. I told him it was no problem. We could have even done a late checkout, but he said he didn’t want to be any trouble. He’s in there now, so you’re in luck. I take it he’s not expecting you?”
“He’s not, but we only need a few minutes of his time. Thanks, Ben. I appreciate the help. Next beer is on me.”
“Don’t think I won’t take you up on that.”
Greg Holden was easily spotted. He’d set up camp at a table in a quiet corner of the bar, tapping away at his laptop. A half-eaten order of fries was on the table along with a bottle of beer, and his briefcase was tucked next to the chair.
“Greg?” Tate asked as they approached. “Do you have a minute or two? We hate to bother you, but we really need to talk to you before you leave town.”
The man’s brows rose in question, but he nodded at the chairs across from him.
“Sure, although I’m not sure how I can help you.”
