Mitch nodded and then said, “Maybe a convertible because it almost looked like the top was down. ”
“Motherfucker. ” It all hit me at once. “Pete Miller. ”
“Who’s that?” Courtney asked.
I looked up at Reed and Mitch and then over at Courtney. “I met him after I bought Whitley’s engagement ring and—”
Mitch and Courtney said at the same time, “What?”
“Oh my God, Layton! You’re going to ask Whit to marry you? When?” Courtney began jumping up and down.
I smiled. “On her birthday. I have the whole thing planned out. ”
Courtney put her hand up to her mouth, and I saw tears building in her eyes.
Mitch walked up and shook my hand. “Congratulations. ”
“Damn, dude, I still can’t believe you’re getting married. ” Reed gave me a quick hug.
Courtney snapped her head and looked at Reed. “You knew about this? Why did you…” Then, she stopped talking as she quickly looked back at me. “That’s great, Layton! She’s going to be so surprised. ”
“Thanks, y’all, but listen, back to what I was saying. This guy knocked on my window. He said he was in town for his cousin’s wedding and needed to find a hotel ’cause he lost the paper with the name of the hotel he was supposed to stay at. He was driving a convertible, and something about him just didn’t sit right with me. I asked him how long he was in town for, and he said only long enough to get back what was his. I thought it was strange because he mentioned being in town for his cousin’s wedding. ”
Reed’s face turned white as a ghost. “I ran into that guy. After the football game last night, he walked up to me and asked me if I knew Whitley and Courtney. He said he needed an event planner for his sister’s wedding, and someone had given him Whit’s name. I’d never seen him before, so I asked him why he would ask me. He said he saw me, um…he saw me talking to Courtney, and he thought he had recognized her as Whitley’s friend. Now, looking back, the whole thing doesn’t make any sense, but then, I’d had a few beers in me, too. ”
Courtney started shaking her head. “Oh God, Reed…did you tell him anything?”
“No, of course not. I told him I didn’t have your business card, so I didn’t know your numbers offhand. Then, I went to get my truck. Anna stayed behind and talked to him, and—oh fuck. ”
Reed reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Anna, hey, it’s Reed. That guy you were talking to last night when I went and got my truck…yeah, the guy who got into the convertible. What did you say to him? Did you tell him anything about Whitley or Courtney?”
Reed’s mouth dropped open, and he looked over toward Courtney. “Fuck! No…no, it’s okay, Anna. Listen, I can’t explain right now. I’ll talk to you later. ”
He hung up and looked at me. “She told him where Whitley lived. ”
“What the fuck? How in the hell does she even know where we live? And why would she tell him that? She doesn’t even know him! Who does that?” Courtney shouted as she pulled out her cell phone.
“Whitley must have told her when she was in the jewelry store,” I said as I started pacing.
“She didn’t tell him Whitley’s address. She just said she told him Whitley lived down from the coffee house in a place she was restoring. ”
I looked at Courtney.
“She’s not answering, Layton. ”
“Courtney, do you have a picture of Roger?”
Courtney started shaking her head and then began crying. “No! No, Layton. He can’t possibly know where she is. How would he know?”
“At the benefit dinner a few months back, a guy was there who Whitley knew. He works with Roger. ”
Courtney slowly started to fall to the ground, but Reed quickly ran and grabbed her. Mitch was next to Courtney and took her from Reed’s arms as Reed shot him a dirty look.
“Courtney, I need to see a picture of him. ”
She quickly wiped away the tears and started looking on her phone. “I think I have a picture of us from last Christmas on my phone. Here! Here it is. ” She handed the phone to Reed, who looked at it, and then handed it to me.
“That’s the same guy I talked to, Layton,” Reed said.