Where was he? She hadn’t heard from him all day. When she came home earlier from her visit with Dessie, she’d tried to reach him, but the call went straight to voice mail. She’d left a message, asking that he get in touch with her immediately. They needed to talk about the photographs she’d texted him earlier. She didn’t want to explain her discoveries over the phone. They needed to speak in person.
An hour went by and then two. The sun slid beneath the horizon and the breeze picked up. She left another message and then considered driving out to the lake. Maybe he was just busy. Or maybe he had company. Maybe he’d packed his bags in the middle of the night and gone back to Dallas.
And maybe you’re being ridiculous.
But she couldn’t shake the notion that something was wrong. Uneasiness prickled her nape as she peered into the deepening shadows. Where are you?
He’d said he would call today. Why hadn’t he?
She picked up her phone and sent another text. Still no response.
Rising from the steps, she started to go inside and grab her bag when she heard a car pull into her driveway. She ran down the steps and cut through the back gate just as Adam was climbing out of his SUV. Even in the fading light, she could see that his windshield was shattered and the hood crumpled down the middle as if someone had struck it with a baseball bat. She rushed forward, resisting the urge to fling herself in his arms.
“What happened?” she said on a breath. “Were you in an accident? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Can’t say the same for my vehicle.”
She took another survey of the damage. “How did that happen?”
“A tire iron would be my guess.”
She caught her breath. “When? Where?”
“I got caught someplace I shouldn’t have been. When I finally made it back to my vehicle, the damage had been done.”
“That’s cryptic.” Nikki took a moment to calm her racing pulse. “Did you file a police report?”
“Not yet. I wanted to touch base with you first, make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” she said anxiously. “But I knew something was wrong. I’ve left messages for you all afternoon. When you didn’t return my calls or texts, I worried that something had happened.”
His expression gentled in the soft light. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. My phone got wet and my grandmother’s house no longer has a working landline.” He turned so that the light hit him just right, revealing a fresh scratch across his cheek.
Nikki said in alarm, “Adam, what happened to your face?”
He put a hand to his cheek. “It’s just a scratch. It looks worse than it is. I don’t even know when it happened. Probably scraped it against a tree branch when I ran from the dogs.”
“What?”
He gave her a look. “It’s been an eventful afternoon.”
“And I thought I had news. If your phone was ruined, you didn’t see the photographs I texted you.” She took his chin in her fingers and turned his face to the light to inspect the fresh damage. “Let’s go inside. I’ll put something on it.”
He pulled back slightly. “It’ll keep. What photographs?”
“I’ll tell you inside. No sense courting infection.”
“Nikki—”
“First things first,” she insisted. “We’ll take care of that scratch and then get you something to eat. Are you hungry? We could order takeout.”
“Maybe later. I had a quick bite when I went back to the house to shower and change. I didn’t want to come over here smelling like the swamp.”
“You have had an afternoon.”
“Sounds like we both have. I don’t need anything to eat, but I could sure use a drink. Something stronger than tea if you have it.”
“I’ll see what I can find. Adam?” She started for the house, then paused and said over her shoulder, “Trouble really does seem to follow you, doesn’t it?”
“I guess you could argue that I sometimes go out looking for it.” He turned to scan the street. “Dark things are happening in this town, Nikki. Dr. Nance was right about that. He really was on to something. I think whatever he found out may have something to do with Dr. Wingate and the man who owns a salvage yard ten miles outside of town.”
“Eddie Bowman?” Her eyes widened. “Did he do that to your car? You were running from his dogs?”
“Apparently he doesn’t take kindly to trespassers.”
“You shouldn’t have gone out there alone,” she scolded. “Why did you go out there in the first place? And why didn’t you tell me what you had in mind? I would have warned you about Bowman.”
“No time. I followed Dr. Wingate out there.”
“You what?” Nikki’s agitation accelerated. “Why were you tailing Dr. Wingate?”
“I told you last night I had a hunch she was hiding something. Somehow this Eddie Bowman is involved.”
“Eddie Bowman is a thug. From what I hear, he deals a lot more than used car parts out of that junkyard.”
“Drugs?”
“Drugs, guns, you name it.”
Adam nodded thoughtfully. “That would explain some things.”
“I’m serious, Adam. You need to be careful with that guy. Everyone in town knows he’s bad news.”
“I’ve dealt with plenty of guys like Eddie Bowman in my time.”
Twilight had deepened, but Nikki could still see the gleam in his eyes and the curve of his lips as he stared down at her. Without warning, he reached over and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “I appreciate your concern, though.”
Nikki closed her eyes at his touch. Something was happening here. She could live in denial all she wanted, but the quivers in her stomach and the pounding of her pulse didn’t lie. “Come inside,” she said on a shiver. “I’ll tell you about those photographs.”
ADAM SAT ON the edge of the bathtub while Nikki swabbed the scratch. Minutes earlier, she’d dug a
