Page 49 of Edge of Steele
Finn parked on the road near the mill, now nothing more than a soggy pile of black and charred lumber. Whispers of smoke still rose from the wreckage. If he didn’t know a bomb had been detonated in the back building, the wood scattered over the area as if someone dropped a box of burnt toothpicks would tell him an explosion had occurred.
Ryleigh had been quiet for the drive. Maybe she was disappointed by the mechanics’ call saying they had to order parts for her car and it would take a few days to return her vehicle to her. So she was stuck with Finn for sure.
She sat unmoving next to him, gaze fixed out the passenger window. Today she’d dressed in dark navy pants along with a white button-down shirt and a blue suit jacket. She appeared both professional and comfortable. She’d gone to Ryan’s place to get her suitcase from her sister late last night, and Finn hadn’t seen Mackenzie before she headed back to Portland. Exactly as Ryleigh had planned. Hide him away from her family at all costs. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t hurt.
“This place looks awful.” She glanced at him. “I’d love to poke around in there, but better to sit tight until the Veritas team arrives.”
Finn killed the truck engine. “Do you know all of them?”
She shook her head. “Never met Trent or Chelsea. They’re new to the team. And I don’t know the assistants either. So I guess I know a little more than half of the ones coming today.”
“A big team like that will cost them a pretty penny.”
“I’m so thankful they said yes.”
He looked at her. “And I’m thankful for your help with the hair issue this morning. Avery wassohappy with her braids. Maybe you could teach me.”
“Sure.”
“That along with the soccer pointers solidified you as a good guy in her book.”
Ryleigh frowned.
“You don’t like that?”
“I do, but if this investigation drags on, she has to know I’m just passing through and not to expect me to be around.” Ryleigh clutched her hands in her lap. “Maybe I should move out so she doesn’t get attached.”
“No need.” He hated even thinking about that. “I’ll have a talk with her. Make sure she knows you’ll be going back to Portland when the investigation is over.”
“You sound irritated.”
“Do I?” Of course he did. He didn’t want Ryleigh to leave, and he let it creep into his tone.
As if saving him from saying more, three white vans rolled slowly down the road, giving them something else to focus on.
“They’re here,” Ryleigh announced with gusto. “Let’s get them started so we can move this investigation forward.”
She hopped out and directed the driver of the first van to park on the roadside.
Finn got out too, and despite the bright summer sun shining down on them, he felt a chill. Could be because he knew a woman in one of those vehicles was here to recover the body that Russ protected from the elements overnight with a small bottomless tent.
A man and woman climbed out of the first vehicle that had a Veritas logo on the side. The guy’s dark hair was cut short, and he wore black tactical pants and a black polo shirt with a gold logo on the chest. The sheriff, Blake Jenkins, Finn assumed. The woman had red hair and glasses, and she’d dressed in jeans and rubber boots.
Ryleigh held her hand out to the man first. “Blake. Emory. Thank you so much for coming.”
So Finn was right. This was the guy they’d been talking to, and Ryleigh had mentioned that he was married to Emory.
Finn joined the trio and introduced himself as the security manager.
“He just retired from the SEALs to take care of a little girl who lost her mother,” Ryleigh added, actually sounding proud of him this time.
“Good to meet you,” Emory said, but gave Ryleigh a questioning look.
What was that look about? He opened his mouth to ask but the other team members came forward.
“Let me introduce everyone.” Blake started by giving background on Ryleigh and Finn. “On the end, we have our anthropologist, Dr. Kelsey Dunbar.”
A woman with curly black hair and wearing shorts that looked like a skirt and a frilly top waved at them.
