Beautiful Storm (Lightning Strikes Book 1)

by Barbara Freethy

  "No, they weren't doing that." She poured coffee into two mugs then took them both over to the table and sat back down. "If you want cream or sugar—"

  "Black is fine," he said, taking a sip. "Nice and strong—just the way I like it."

  "Me, too. I've never seen the purpose in turning my coffee into something that looks like a milkshake. I'd rather just drink a milkshake."

  Her words eased the tension in his face. "I feel exactly the same way."

  "Really? No fancy cappuccino or latte maker in your home?"

  "I wouldn't go that far. My company stocked the kitchen with everything I could possibly want."

  "Lucky you."

  "Not feeling that lucky these days," he said, raising the mug to his lips.

  "I guess not. So getting back to the case. What's your next move?"

  "I'm out of moves."

  "Are you sure?"

  "What do you have in mind, Alicia?"

  She thought for a moment. The police had probably talked to everyone who had ever spoken to Liliana. But was it possible there had been gaps in the timeline? Could Liliana have tried to connect to any other old friends besides Michael? "When I asked you what you knew that no one else knew about Liliana, you told me that Liliana almost ran off to get married when she was a teenager."

  "Yeah, so?"

  "Do you know if she kept in touch with that man? Is he someone she might have seen when she came back to town for a few days?"

  Michael's brows knit together. "Possibly. Why?"

  "I was just thinking that if Liliana reached out to you, perhaps she reached out to other old friends as well."

  "She mentioned to me a few years ago that Brad had gotten married, and she was happy for him, that it seemed like he'd finally moved on with his life."

  "Does Brad still live in Miami?"

  "I think so."

  "Did the police talk to Brad when Liliana disappeared?"

  He frowned. "I would doubt it. Unless there was some evidence that she connected with him. I've never heard anyone in her family mention him, not that I specifically asked."

  "Maybe you should ask. Or maybe we should see what we can find out about him on our own."

  He stared at her with a gleam in his eyes. "Are we working together now, Alicia?"

  It was probably the worst idea she'd ever had. On the other hand…she wasn't ready to walk away from the mystery. "Well, the police don't seem interested in keeping either of us up to date, and we both want to help find Liliana, so I'm thinking we should join forces and see if we can come up with a new perspective. It's not like we can hurt anything by digging around a little. We can only help, right?"

  "Right." He gave her a searching gaze. "But I need to ask you something first."

  She knew what he wanted to know. "Yes, I believe you're innocent."

  Relief flashed through his brilliant blue eyes. "I think that's the first time anyone has said the words with actual certainty. And it's you," he said with some degree of amazement. "A woman I only met a few hours ago, not a family member or a friend. How can you trust me when people who've known me since I was born have doubts? It sounds a little—"

  "Crazy?" she put in with a laugh.

  The smile spread across his face in a very attractive way changing his whole expression, lightening his demeanor. "You said it; I didn't. But seriously, Alicia…"

  "When you talk about Liliana there's pain in your eyes. If you're faking it, then you're really good at it. But I don't think you're pretending."

  "I'm not," he said quietly.

  "My gut tells me to trust you. So far, it hasn't steered me wrong. I hope this won't be the first time."

  "It won't be."

  "Good. Let's see if we can find Brad on the Internet. What's his last name?"

  "Harte," he said, spelling it out for her.

  She opened her computer and typed in Brad's name. "What do you know about him? Do you have any idea what he does for a living?"

  "He always liked motorcycles. I think I heard that he worked for a dealer or was a mechanic."

  "So you knew him when you were a kid?"

  "I knew who he was. He had a younger brother who was a year ahead of me in school. I remember Brad used to speed through the neighborhood on his motorcycle and the older neighbors were pissed about it. That's the extent of my knowledge of him."

  She typed some words into the search engine, but the results were not promising. "Let's try social media." She started another search, and this time the results were better. "I think I found him." She turned the computer screen around so Michael could look at the photograph of a man on a bike.

  "That's him," Michael said.

  While most of Brad's profile was private, there were a few public facts, including the name of the motorcycle shop where he worked.

  "We've got an address," she said with excitement.

  Michael gave her a rather impressed look. "That was fast. Maybe you should have been a cop instead of a photographer."

  "I may have found nothing more than a motorcycle dealership, but it's a place to start."

  "A good place," he agreed, getting to his feet. "Shall we go now?"

  She couldn't think of a reason not to go. "All right."

  "I'll drive. I'm in a two-hour spot, so I need to move the car anyway."

  "Sounds good."

  As she stood up, Michael's gaze met hers. "Thanks, Alicia."

  "I haven't done anything yet."

  "Yes, you have. You've given me hope."

  Her heart warmed at his words. "I'm glad, but I have to say this could all lead nowhere."

  "Even if that's the case, it's something to do, and I've been wanting to take action for a long time, but whenever I attempted to get involved, I was shut down. It's been incredibly frustrating."

  She couldn't even imagine how he'd felt when the police had turned their suspicion on him. "Well, you're not on your own anymore. You've got a partner." She grabbed her jacket as they headed out the door. "Hopefully, together, we can make something happen."

  Six

  He had a partner, Michael thought in bemusement, as he opened his car door for Alicia. He hadn't started out the day that way, but things had definitely taken a turn for the better. And he liked that his partner was a beautiful, curious, and fearless lightning chaser… He liked it even more that she'd instinctively trusted him.

  Alicia hadn't needed a lot of information to make a decision. He didn't know if that made her too trusting, but it certainly made him happy. It was nice to talk to someone who wasn't eyeing him with suspicion every time he made a suggestion. Alicia's belief in his innocence had re-energized him. He didn't know if Brad Harte would be able to provide any new information but at this point he was willing to give it a shot.

  "It's an eight-minute drive," Alicia said, checking directions on her phone. "Just stay on this road for another mile and then I'll tell you where to turn."

  "Got it."

  She settled back in her seat, running her hand over the smooth wood console between them. "This is a nice car. Is it new?"

  "New to me. The company leased it for me when I got to Miami. And, no, I did not ask for a convertible. But somehow I ended up with one."

  "If you're going to have a convertible, Miami is a good place for it. Of course, you have to actually put the top down to enjoy it," she said lightly.

  He grinned in return. "It was raining yesterday. I have had it down on occasion."

  "So where do you live when you're not here?"

  "New York City. I have a condo on the forty-second floor of a high rise. There's a great view of the city and the Hudson River."

  "Sounds impressive. I've always wanted to live in a high-rise, but apartments with a view are usually out of my price range. And convertibles like this—also out of my price range."

  "What do you drive?"

  "A ten-year-old Honda Civic that belonged to my boss's grandmother," she said with a laugh. "It's not sexy like this car, but it gets m
e where I need to go."

  He didn't think she needed a car to be sexy. Since they'd left her apartment, she'd pulled the band out of her hair, and thick, dark waves now tumbled around her shoulders. Her eyes were intelligent and wide-set, with long, sweeping black lashes, and aside from the bruise on her forehead, her skin was flawless. She also had a really sexy mouth, full lips, and a warm voice that seemed to steal the chill out of his body.

  His nerves tightened as he realized how much he'd noticed about her, what a strong connection he felt to a woman he'd met only a few hours earlier. It was the circumstances, he told himself. Every emotion was heightened and Alicia was now caught up in his nightmare. But her entrance into the situation had given him optimism. He would hang on to that as long as he could.

  "Take a left at the next street," Alicia said, adding, "You'll be on this road for about three miles."

  As she finished speaking, his phone rang through the car's audio system. "That's Diego. It's probably best if you don't let him know you're in the car."

  "Who's Diego?"

  "The cop who has been helping me." He answered the phone. "Diego, how did the search go?"

  "Unfortunately, we did not find any other evidence that can be connected to Liliana."

  His heart sank. He'd really hoped there would be something besides the ID tag.

  "What happens next?"

  "We keep looking. I heard you were at the park this morning. You shouldn't have gone out there, Michael. You just drew more attention to yourself. Kellerman thinks you were there trying to cover your tracks."

  "He should think I was there because I have nothing to hide," he retorted.

  "It would be better for you if you just stayed out of the investigation. For once in your life, take my advice. I'm trying to keep you out of jail."

  "I appreciate that. Call me if anything new comes up."

  "I will."

  He ended the call and glanced over at Alicia. "Nothing else in the park."

  "That's disappointing, but maybe it's a good thing. Liliana could have gotten away."

  "Or she was taken somewhere else."

  "Or that," she said with a sigh. "So who's Diego? Why is he helping you?"

  "I grew up with Diego. He's one of the kids I got into trouble with when I was a teenager. Like me, he was also arrested, but that experience made him want to be a police officer. They definitely scared him straight."

  "So you both got on the right track."

  "We were lucky to get caught for something small. It didn't ruin the rest of our lives."

  "Turn right at the next corner," she said, glancing down at her phone. "And then it's a quick left on Baker and we're there." She paused. "Why didn't you tell Diego about Brad?"

  "You heard him tell me to stay out of the investigation."

  "True, but maybe the police need to speak to Brad as well."

  "They may have already talked to him, and I just don't know about it. Let's see if we can get anything out of him. Then we'll figure out what to do with the information, if there is any." He gave her a quick smile. "Okay, partner?"

  She smiled back at him. "You like that word, don't you?"

  "It's nice to have someone on my side."

  "Don't make me regret it," she warned.

  "Right back at you, partner."

  "The shop is there." She tipped her head toward the large building on the right.

  "Got it." He pulled into a parking spot in front of the motorcycle dealership.

  As they walked through the display area, the shiny and expensive bikes impressed him. Brad Harte was obviously still living his passion for motorcycles.

  "Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?" Alicia asked.

  "I have, but not in a long time."

  "I don't see the appeal."

  He raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You, the fearless storm chaser, don't see the appeal of a motorcycle?"

  "I like going up against nature, not traffic. Plus, I look really bad in a helmet."

  "Somehow I doubt that."

  "I think that's him," Alicia said, her voice suddenly tense.

  He followed her gaze to the man making his way out of the showroom. His sandy brown hair was thinning on the top of his head, and he had gained a few pounds since he was a kid, but it was definitely Brad.

  "Can I help you?" Brad asked, giving them a cheerful smile. "Are you looking for a bike?"

  "Actually, we're looking for a little conversation," Michael said.

  Brad's gaze narrowed as it settled on Michael's face. "Wait a second—I know you. You're—you're Michael Cordero."

  "Good memory."

  Brad's smile faded. "I think I know why you're here." He drew in a shaky breath. "Has Liliana been found?"

  "No, but you obviously know she's missing," Michael returned, wondering about the sudden pallor of Brad's skin, the nervous gleam in his eyes.

  "I saw it on the news. It's a terrible thing."

  "When did you last talk to Liliana?"

  Brad swallowed hard and cast a quick look toward the showroom, where an attractive blonde woman was walking outside with a young couple. "I can't speak to you here."

  "Why not?" Michael hadn't really expected anything to come from meeting Brad, but his behavior now was a little suspicious.

  "I'm busy. I have work to do."

  "This won't take long," Alicia interjected. "And it's really important. Michael said you and Liliana were close. Surely you want to help find her."

  Brad licked his lips, cast a quick glance at the blonde and then said, "I can meet you tonight. Javier's at eight o'clock." He turned abruptly at the end of his sentence and went over to join the other group.

  Michael watched as Brad slid his arm around the waist of the blonde and then urged her and the couple back into the showroom. "That must be his wife," he said.

  "And he didn't want her to hear our conversation," Alicia murmured. "Why not?"

  "Good question. I didn't think Brad had talked to Liliana in years. Now, I'm not so sure."

  "What is Javier's?"

  "It's a bar in South Beach."

  She met his gaze. "Looks like we have a date tonight."

  "Looks that way," he said, as they walked back to the car. "I just hate having to wait until tonight. Who knows if Brad will show up? He could just be buying time, and we could be wasting another seven hours."

  "So, let's not waste them," she said as she got into the passenger seat.

  He walked around the car and slid behind the wheel. "What did you have in mind?"

  "Well, we could have lunch. It's after one, and I'm starving. What about you?"

  His stomach rumbled at her words. "I could eat. Where do you want to go?"

  She hesitated for a long moment. "We could make it a working lunch. Didn't Liliana disappear in the parking lot of a restaurant?"

  "Paladar," he said, his muscles tightening. "I don't think we should go there."

  "Why not?"

  "Well, for one thing, the Valdez family tends to spend a lot of time there, and I suspect that's the first place they went after finishing the park search this morning."

  "Even better. We might be able to learn something." She paused. "What's the other thing?"

  "My father owns the restaurant."

  Her eyes widened with surprise. "I didn't know that. There wasn't any mention of that in the news articles I read."

  "Well, it's a fact. He and my stepmother opened the restaurant about eight years ago. It's their dream come true. Liliana's older brother Juan is one of the chefs. Both he and my father usually work on Saturdays."

  "We have to go there, Michael."

  "It will be awkward."

  "So what? We might be able to get new information."

  "No one talks to me, Alicia."

  "Well, they might talk to me. I'm the one who provided the break in the case."

  She had a point. And since she was quite possibly the only person who'd seen Liliana since she disappeared, the Valdez family would p
robably be thrilled to speak to her.

  "They'll grill you," he warned her.

  "I can handle their questions. I meant to ask you what happened with Liliana's sister's wedding—did it take place before Liliana disappeared?"

  "No, it was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Liliana went missing on Friday night. Isabel has postponed her wedding plans until her sister comes home."

  "That's rough."

  "It is. I don't think her fiancé is too happy about it, but at this point it wouldn't be much of a celebration."

  "I suppose not. I would like to see where Liliana disappeared, Michael."

  The glint of steel in her eyes told him that she was not going to be dissuaded. "Fine, we'll go to Paladar."

  "Good." She paused. "There's something else I've wanted to ask you. Do you have a copy of the texts that you and Liliana exchanged?"

  "They were on the phone that the police confiscated, and I haven't gotten it back. I had to get a new phone."

  "Do you remember what they said?"

  "Pretty much. There were ten texts in total. The first two came in on Thursday asking me to meet her that night, but I didn't get back to her. I was tied up in meetings that day. The rest came in between eight AM Friday morning and one o'clock when I finally started answering texts. Liliana told me it was important that we get together. I asked why. She said she didn't want to get into it on the phone, but that it was urgent."

  "What did you think it was about?" Alicia asked.

  "I had no idea. She suggested we meet at Paladar. I resisted, because it's my father's restaurant, and I hadn't been there yet. Then she said, 'You've been back in Miami for a few weeks, and you still haven't eaten at your dad's restaurant? What is wrong with you? You need to break the ice, put the past behind you.' So I agreed. We set the time. She said great. Then she sent one more text asking me not to mention our meeting to anyone until I saw her. I thought that was odd, but I was busy, so I just said fine. That was it."

  "So she picked the location."

  "Yes. That didn't surprise me. She was always after me to call a truce with my dad. I used to tell her that I wasn't fighting with him, but she said a cold silent war didn't make it any less of a battle."