Page 45 of Veil of Silence

“There’s nothing here that makes me think this has anything to do with what happened to Christian or Mason,” he finished.

Nora nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Luke’s gaze remained steady on hers. “And if something changes, we change with it. But right now, Mikey is the person we need to find.”

Austin remained quiet beside her, not arguing with Luke’s assessment. She was glad he was here. For some reason, even though she hardly knew him, she found a strange comfort in his presence.

Nora drew in a breath and slowly released it.

Maybe this was just a custody dispute. That would still be terrible, yes. But it would be ordinary terrible.

She could handle ordinary terrible.

At least, she wanted to believe she could.

Chapter

Fifteen

Austin had been at Shelby Dawson’s house for less than ten minutes when he understood why Nora had called him.

It wasn’t because she expected him to find the boy. It wasn’t even because she thought the disappearance had anything to do with his father.

It was because she was scared.

She hid her fear well, better than most people would. But Austin saw it.

Nora stood beside him near the edge of the driveway, her arms folded tightly across her chest as Sheriff Wilder disappeared into the house.

“He’s probably right.” Her voice quivered as she said the words.

Austin glanced at her. “About the father?”

“Yes. I mean, it makes the most sense.” However, her words lacked conviction.

Austin looked at the house, where deputies moved in and out through the open front door while another stood near the road talking on his radio. “What bothers you about that theory?”

Nora rubbed her hands along her upper arms. “Shelby was afraid of Mikey. Genuinely afraid. Yesterday she told me he’d been calling her, talking about lawyers and custody. She thought he might take Preston.”

“So why don’t you think he did?”

“I didn’t say I don’t think he did.” Nora let out a breath. “I just keep wondering if I’m seeing what I expect to see because somebody already told me where to look.”

Her statement caught his attention. “Meaning Mikey.”

“Yes. Mikey and the power of suggestion.”

Austin looked back at the house. An angry ex-husband. Custody threats. Missing child. Father nowhere to be found.

It was exactly where any investigator would start.

Sometimes, however, what a scene wanted you to believe and what had actually happened were two different things. His father’s death was a case in point. He hadn’t proved that yet, but he knew it was true.

“You’re thinking somebody could have set him up,” Austin said.

Nora looked at him. “I’m thinking I don’t trust the obvious anymore.”

Austin knew enough about Jacob Morgan—and how thoroughly the man had deceived Nora—to understand what she meant. She hadn’t told him any of those details yet. But he’d done his research.