When You Dare - Lori Foster [53]
Exasperated, Chris pushed out of his chair to interrupt Dare’s laundry list of instructions. “I was kidding about babysitting, Dare. I can handle it. Just go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll be back, and the sooner I can give up guard duty.”
Dare slapped him on the shoulder. Once again he appreciated having Chris around. Too many times over the years, trusted friends had been few and far between. “I’ll keep you posted.”
Dare went to the dogs and told them both that he’d be back soon. They were smart, and they understood the difference between an extended trip that involved his duffel bag, and one that’d last only a few hours. They followed him to the door but showed no signs of anxiety.
“You girls keep Molly company, okay?” To Sargie he said, “And no shenanigans. I don’t want you to wear her out.” As Dare went out the door, he realized he was already missing her, and it pissed him off.
Hopefully, once he secured her safety, he could take her to his bed with no intention of sleeping. Once he had her, then he’d be able to get her out of his system. He’d have to.
There was no room for a romantic relationship in his line of work—and he was a long way from retiring.
CHAPTER NINE
DARE SAT IN HIS SUV, waiting. Impatient, but unwavering. He’d done many stakeouts, but this one was different. This time he wasn’t watching for the victim or planning to trail a suspect. This time, he wanted information only.
And he’d get what he wanted. Already he’d discovered things, and he didn’t like any of it. Now he needed more. He needed a clearer picture of the circumstances.
Molly’s father could supply that.
Trace had been invaluable in doing a quick rundown on Bishop Alexander. A more thorough analysis would follow; in fact, Trace was working on that right now. He would scour Bishop’s past, dig into his present and even take apart future plans to get as much intelligence as possible. Very shortly, Dare would know more about Bishop Alexander than he knew of himself.
Dare grinned, glad that he’d have an opportunity to return Trace’s money to him. Accepting financial compensation from his friend hadn’t felt right, especially when the job involved Alani. Years of hard work, wise investments and good sense had already amassed him a small fortune. He didn’t need Trace’s money. He didn’t really need anyone’s money. More often than not, he continued to accept assignments to keep his edge and to feed his need for excitement.
Money had little to do with it these days. Thanks to Trace’s incomparable investigative skills, Dare now had the excuse to pay him back in full.
Dare considered the information Trace had already supplied. By all accounts, Molly’s father felt omnipotent to all the “lesser” people around him, including his daughters and his wife. Other than some shady business dealings, he didn’t even try to conceal his transgressions. Because he hadn’t done a very good job of building a bond with a longstanding assistant, it had been easy to glean info.
Some people had no idea how to cover their tracks.
One kernel of data led to another, public records gave clues to private information—and now Dare had enough to accomplish his task today.
Beneath the shade of an ornamental tree that blocked some of the bright sunshine, Dare had watched Bishop drive up in a shiny black Mercedes. The older man had emerged in GQ golf duds, a cell phone to his ear and a shiny platinum ring glinting on his finger.
Bishop had paid little enough attention to the valet as the young man took his keys to park the car. Dare heard him laugh, saw him lift a hand to hail other men and then join a small group of distinguished-looking friends or colleagues.
Bishop Alexander did not act like a man with a missing daughter.
That had been hours ago. Sooner or later, he had to come