Eve says something that has Liza throwing her head back and laughing. At this angle, I can’t read her lips. I want to move, but there aren’t a ton of options. Liza sets her glass down and heads to the bathroom. Eve steals a glance over at me again.

She’s supposed to be spending her night with me. Those are the rules. Is she waiting for me to approach her? Of course she is. Eve would need to be chased, but I’m not sure she understands what she’s baiting me with.

Eve walks over to talk to Crane, thankfully. If it were any other fucker, I’d have to go and grab her. For now I’ll watch. Crane is a safe space. The man is consumed in what he has going on with Liza. It’s something I can relate to and understand. Eve takes a sip of her drink and glances back toward the bathroom where Liza disappeared before saying something to Crane and heading that way.

Liza has been in there for some time. Crane’s whole body changes. I try to keep mine relaxed as I glance around to determine what has put him on alert. Eve pulls open the bathroom door before letting out one of her gasps. She has a million different ones. Each one means something different.

I’ve never heard this one before, and I know it's because it’s laced with fear. I rise to my feet immediately and head out of the building to survey the surrounding area. My gut already told me that Liza wasn’t in the bathroom based on Eve’s reaction. She’s gone.

I step back when Crane exits the building to the parking lot with Mayor Grable and Eve with him. Crane points at a parking lot. That’s when everything clicks into place, and I know without a doubt who took Eve. Carlton. That is where he always parks. The devil really is in the details when you watch a small town. You know the routines down to where some people even park. Humans are creatures of habit.

Eve wrings her hands together as she and Crane go back and forth, Clark the town sheriff joining them. I’m too far back to hear them, but I can catch some of what they’re saying from reading their mouths. Before I can go over and tell them it’s Carlton, Crane has already pieced it together.

Both Crane and I have our phones pulled out, and I have no doubt we’re both doing the same thing. Figuring out where this creep has taken Liza. The distress on Eve’s face is more than I can bear. I want to go over and pull her into my arms, but I know I can’t.

I do what I do best instead and start to search my phone. Getting myself into records and places I shouldn’t be is my specialty. If I can find something, I’m going to hand over the information. It doesn’t take me long to see his family owns a property on the outskirts of town.