Read Hell or High Water for Free Online

discuss the accident or her.”
    “Might be good for him to have a project.” Nate could imagine Marcus withdrawing from life. “Between the three of us we can cover Kaycie.”
    “Don’t discount Holly. She comes across a little far out there, but she’s tough.”
    “I’ll take your word for it.”
    “FYI, it’s Kay now. She stopped using Kaycie years ago.”
    A piece of useless information. She’d never be Kay to Nate. “Call my cell if you need me. I’ll be in my office most of today.”
    “You hung a shingle?” Tyrell’s head bobbed with a look of approval.  
    “No sign. You’re my first civilian case. But there’s definitely a threat to her safety. We need to assess the situation and decide how we’ll protect her.”  
    Tyrell stepped out of the pickup, looking back over his shoulder. “All pro bono. Right?”  
    “For now.” Nate waited for Tyrell to leave, but when he cocked his head and flashed a buttload of white teeth, Nate braced for a wiseass remark. “Something else?”
    Tyrell stroked the soul patch on his chin. “Just one thing. You didn’t ask me for Kay’s address, so how come you knew where she lived?”
    “Mind your own business.” Nate started his pickup and dropped it in gear, forcing his old friend to step back. “Since we’re getting personal, what’s ‘Little Mama’ to you?” He’d made no effort to hide the ice in his tone.
    “If you’re asking if we’re doing the nasty, my answer is ... what do you care?”  
    “I don’t.” Nate clamped his teeth together to hold back the spew of cuss words boiling up from his gut.
    “Which is why you already knew where she lives.” Tyrell chuckled and then paused on the way to his car. He glanced over his shoulder and called out, “We’re friends.”
    Nate was grateful when Tyrell slid behind the wheel of his car and closed the door. A few more seconds listening to that chuckle and Nate would’ve popped a vein. Tyrell’s vehicle roared to life, and he followed Nate out of the parking lot. They parted ways at the apartment complex exit. Nate’s old friend turned south while Nate hit the freeway headed the opposite direction. He was edgy. The unknown threat was always the most dangerous. He tamped down the panic edging toward the surface.  
    Nate parked in front of the small office space he’d rented in Richardson, a Dallas suburb. He opened the truck door and stepped out, freeing himself from the confines of his pickup.  
    “Damn,” he muttered when his joints cracked and popped as he stretched his torso. The rapid round of fire shooting through his knee got the blood flowing to his brain.  
    He locked the door behind him, dropped the AC to sixty degrees, and then fired up the motel-size coffeepot.  
    Note to self, next time rent an office closer to a coffeehouse.
    The small front lobby with an office to the side was perfect for his needs. If this place had a shower, he’d live here. Eventually, if he decided to do more than government contract work, he’d pick a name as Tyrell suggested and hang a sign out front. For now, he was content the private detective business was up and running.  
    After the incident in the morgue parking lot, he’d driven the Harley to his office and parked it inside. Leaving it outside unprotected wasn’t an option. When he wasn’t riding the Hog, he’d prop his laptop on the handlebars and use the bike for a desk chair. He’d buy more furniture one of these days.
    He used the bathroom, splashed water on his face, poured a coffee, and then slung his leg over the bike. When his computer booted up, he dug out the information Tyrell had given him and ran a search on Hank Walsh. Kaycie probably had intel, but Nate didn’t figure she’d be open to sharing with him. Didn’t matter. He preferred to do his own fact-finding. Know your enemy better than your friends. Safer that way. He’d research the dead girl’s family next.  
    For thirty bucks, Nate had subscribed to a