Against the Edge (The Raines of Wind Canyon) by Kat Martin Read Free Book Online

you.”
    He could see by her stubborn expression she wasn’t going to back down. Since it wasn’t worth an argument, he just walked over, took the keys down from the hook on the key rack and started walking.
    “After you,” he said, and pulled open the apartment door.
    * * *
    Claire followed Ben up the metal stairs into the Warner Construction trailer next to a big high-rise building site. They walked over to the Formica-topped counter, and one of the female employees left her desk and came to greet them.
    “May I help you?”
    “Any chance you knew a guy named Troy Bridger?” Ben asked. “I understand he worked here.”
    Claire didn’t miss the way the redhead smiled at Ben.
    “Troy was a crane operator, but he quit a couple of weeks ago.” She gave him a long, slow once-over, clearly liking what she saw. “He didn’t give us any notice, just picked up his check and said he wouldn’t be back.” She was wearing tight jeans and a navy blue T-shirt with the words we dig you stretched over a lush pair of breasts.
    “Did Troy usually pick up his paychecks?” Ben asked. “Or did you mail them somewhere?”
    She tossed a red curl over her shoulder and gave him another smile. “Troy always picked them up.” To his credit, Ben didn’t seem to be taking the bait, but the redhead was definitely interested. Claire couldn’t fault her taste in men.
    “Did he say anything about taking another job?”
    “He said he was going to be moving,” the woman said, “leaving the state. He didn’t say where he was headed. I figured maybe he was going home.”
    Claire’s interest picked up. “Do you know where he was from?”
    The redhead’s gaze never strayed from Ben. “He never said, but I think it was somewhere in the South. He talked about having brothers and he said he liked to hunt. Once in a while, I noticed a Southern drawl.”
    Ben turned to Claire. “You notice it?”
    “We didn’t talk that often. I hadn’t thought about it until now, but yes...I think he did have a slight Southern accent. Not too much, but some.”
    Ben returned his attention to the woman behind the counter. “Troy ever mention a boy named Sam?”
    She shook her head. “Not that I recall.”
    “Is there anyone else I could talk to about him, someone who might know where to find him?”
    “Not that I know of. Troy was a real loner, you know? He did his job and left. He never hung around with the other guys.”
    Ben took out his wallet and handed the redhead a business card. “I’d really like to speak to him. If you think of something that could help me find him, Ms....?”
    “Ferber. Tracy Ferber.”
    “Ms. Ferber. If you think of something that might help us find him, I’d appreciate it if you’d call me on my cell.”
    “Okay—” she read his name on the card, gave him a flirty glance “—Ben.”
    Claire fought the urge to roll her eyes. She felt Ben’s hand at her waist, directing her toward the door, then they were outside heading for the car.
    “That was a big fat zero,” she said as she settled in the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. “Unless you were looking for a date.”
    “Funny. We got a lead. Bridger may be headed home and that might mean he’s moving south.”
    “But we don’t really know.”
    “That’s the way it works, Claire. You collect the bits and pieces, keep adding to them, see which ones fit, which ones don’t. Pretty soon you begin to get a picture.”
    But all of that took time and time was something they didn’t have. “Where to next?”
    Ben started the engine. “I’m going over to his apartment. I’ll talk to the landlord if he’s there, try to get him to let me in. If that doesn’t work, I’m going in anyway. I’ve got his address programmed into the GPS. I’ll drop you off at your place on the way.”
    Claire leaned back in her seat. “Not a chance. There might be something there. I want to have a look.”
    Those blue eyes pinned her where she sat. “You