“You wanna take that chance?”
“Bay, I may not have a choice. I really don’t know where she is. Ask your sisters. They seem pretty thick with her.”
Harper shook his head. “You really are a moron, aren’t you? They’re the first two I asked. Either they don’t know or they’re not saying.”
“Look, I know you’re upset. I really didn’t want to hurt the poor girl. I was desperate.”
“Not half as desperate as you’re gonna be.”
“Calm down.” Blake rubbed his temples. “She can’t be that hard to find. If you were able to trace me to Donetto, you can easily find Amber Cross.”
Harper let out a sigh. The man had a point. He’d just been so damned angry. She could have gone to San Antonio. Or she could have gone to Thunder Morgan. She might have gone to see her mother. Blake was right. She’d be easy to track.
Chad McCray knew a good PI, Larry something or other. He had no more use for Blake Buchanan. He left without another word.
Within an hour, Larry had located Amber in San Antonio.
Harper tried calling her cell. No answer. He called Catie. She hadn’t heard anything from her. Not wanting to worry the new mother, he didn’t elaborate.
Angie was next.
First his older sister refused to say anything. When he told her he knew she was in San Antonio though, Angie sang like a canary.
“I loaned her some money. She practically begged me. She was so distraught I couldn’t say no. But I’m scared, Harp. God knows what kind of people we’re dealing with here.”
He sat, silent, his heart thumping and his mind reeling. Amber.
Damn, Amber, what have you done?
“Are you there?” Angie asked.
He cleared his throat. “I’m here.”
“Please help her. I have a terrible feeling about all of this.”
So did he. Like someone had knifed him in the gut. “I don’t know who we’re dealing with either, Ang. But I know someone who does.”
Blake Buchanan.
“Please, Harp. If you can’t help her, find someone who can.”
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He nodded into the phone, knowing full well Angie couldn’t see it. “I will help her, Ang. I promise.”
He hung up and dialed the Bakersville Hotel. When he was connected to Blake’s room, he said, “Don’t talk, just listen.”
“What is it now?” Blake said. “I told you I don’t know where she is.”
“I do. She’s in San Antonio. She’s obviously going to try to deal with this problem herself. I have a proposition for you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“I think you will be. How much are you into Donetto for?”
“Twenty grand.”
Twenty grand. Pennies to Harper, but millions to someone like Amber. And Blake Buchanan.