“What have you found out?” Wade finally responded.
“I got the first hit about a week ago and started looking into the user’s information. Since then, she’s tried a couple more times with different search strings, but she hasn’t had any luck. I’m worried she might come to town and start asking questions. I wanted you to be prepared since you’ll likely hear about it first if she does.”
“Okay. I’ll put a bug in Skippy’s ear.”
Skippy was the bartender who worked in the local Cornwall watering hole, the Wet Hen. He was a hundred-and-fifty years old if he was a day, with skin like aged leather and hearing like a dog. “Do you really think you can trust Skippy with something like this?”
“Absolutely. Skippy knows everything that goes on in this town. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Skippy already knows about Tommy and what happened. He’s a bartender. He’s paid to listen and not talk. If he wanted to, he could probably blackmail half the county with the things he knows. He wouldn’t tell a soul. Besides, if she shows up, odds are, she’ll end up at the Hen. I can count on him to let me know the moment she arrives, even if I don’t tell him why it’s important.”
Wade seemed confident in Skippy. Brody was less so, but he would defer to his older brother on this point. “Her name is Deborah Curtis now, although she might still introduce herself as Deborah Wilder if she’s talking to people that might have known her or her brother as children. Curtis is her married name. She lives in Hartford with her husband and six-month-old daughter.”
“Do you think she’s going to be a problem?”
“I don’t know,” Brody admitted. “If our story sticks, she won’t get anywhere asking questions. Everyone will tell her he ran away and she’ll go home disappointed.”
“You don’t think our story will stick? We did a pretty convincing job. Xander burned all of his things. I told Ken and Molly I heard him sneak out in the night. Until there’s a body there’s no reason for anyone to question it. He could’ve crossed into Canada on foot and changed his name. There would be no trace of him.”
Brody wished he could be as confident as Wade was. “I hope you’re right. But keep an eye out for her, just in case.”
“I will. I’ll let you know the moment I hear something. I’ve got a question for you on a different subject, though.”
Brody frowned at the phone. He didn’t like the subtle teasing tone Wade’s voice had taken on. “Yes?”
“I spoke with Xander the other day. He mentioned you had a lady friend.”
Brody couldn’t disguise his heavy sigh. If you told one brother, you might as well tell them all. They were worse than gossiping old women sometimes. “You could say that.”
“Is it serious?”
“I’m not sure. It’s a little early to speculate.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about her?” Wade complained. “Who is she? Where did you meet her? You don’t go anywhere.”
“I didn’t tell you because there wasn’t much to tell at the time. I only mentioned it to Xander so he’d stop trying to fix me up with a plastic surgeon. Anyway, to make a long story short, it’s my administrative assistant.”
“Agnes?” Wade asked, his voice strained with incredulity.
“No, not Agnes,” Brody snapped in irritation. “I’m not so hard up that I’d chase after my married, retirement-age secretary. She’s older than Mom, I think.”
“Whatever floats your boat, man. I just want to see you with someone.”
“That does not float my boat. Her name is Samantha. She’s filling in for Agnes who is on vacation.”
“I remember you saying something about that, but I wasn’t sure when she was leaving town. So, it’s going well?” There was a naughty lilt to the way he spoke that made his real question very clear. Wade didn’t know Brody had been a virgin until a few days ago, but even then, he didn’t think Brody got nearly enough action for a man in his prime.
“It’s going extremely well,” Brody replied. He couldn’t keep the wide grin on his face from slipping into his voice. “She’s amazing. Beautiful. Smart. And so sexy I can barely focus on my work.”
“Wow,” Wade commented. “You’re damn near gushing. I hope we’ll get to meet her soon. Maybe you can bring her to the farm for Christmas. In the meantime, congratulations for getting laid in this decade, Bro. I feel like we should throw you a party or something.”