Suddenly, he hurried to his night table and found the printouts of the house Charli had rented for them for their vacation in Fort Lauderdale.
Maybe he could find out.
He quickly rushed to the desk and checked on his laptop to see if the house was available for the month that Charli had booked it. Now that she had a case, he figured she’d have canceled the agreement and gotten a refund… wouldn’t she?
Could the rental agency find another interested party for the expensive house on such short notice? He wouldn’t think so. It should show as available.
Hell. It wasn’t. Either they had found occupants, she hadn’t canceled… or what if she was there? Would the authorities allow Charli to use that particular place for her witness? After all, the house in Fort Lauderdale had already been rented under her own name.
But… in witness protection, the subjects would be forced to change their names. So, couldn’t they show the changed names on the rental agreement now? Therefore, the trail would be cold. Hmmm… would the authorities let that happen?
He wasn’t sure, but one thing he did know, the house sat on a lagoon he was familiar with. Surveying the printout again, seeing the buildings in the background, he knew that area well. Could he find that particular house? Sure, easy-peasy. He’d rent a boat and go up and down the Intracoastal Waterway until he recognized the yard he saw in the photo, the one where the owners had put a stained glass insert in the upstairs window. That alone was like a sign.
But would Charli be happy to see him? He grimaced. He’d never interfered with her job before. He had to think carefully about this.
Would the cops be pissed if he slipped away? Who cares! Well, except for Mark Crawly… he’d become a good friend.
Should that stop him? Aw, crumbs. He was too old for this shit. On the other hand, at ninety, life was too short for him to waste another week without his kiddo. He’d think hard.