Page 48 of More than a Memory

“I would have thought that would be me. We’re pretty tight, but for some reason he left me out of it.”

“It’s possible you would have been too obvious of a choice, and he wanted to protect you. You would be a likely person for them to focus on,” Darcy commented. “I’m surprised that they haven’t sought you out, quite frankly. Have you noticed anything unusual, any strangers suspiciously popping up coincidentally?”

“Besides you?” he chuckled ironically. “Come to think of it, yes. Today, on my morning run, I noticed a car cruise by as I was leaving the house and again on my return. Didn’t think anything about it at the time.”

“Do you happen to remember the make and model?” Darcy asked.

“No, it was an SUV of some kind … dark color. It barely registered with me, wouldn’t have at all if you hadn’t brought it up now.”

“I need you to think really hard, anything, even the most innocuous of things, that might give us some clues as to where your brother may be,” she said encouragingly.

“I’ve been thinking about it since we talked on the phone. The only thing I came up with is that he still has a real good friend in the Army who lives on the base in North Carolina.”

“Do you have this friend’s name and address…any contact information?” Darcy inquired.

“All I can remember is that his first name is Josiah and he is with the Airborne Corps Division, still active duty, and stationed at Fort Bragg. He was Liam’s commander. I’m sorry I can’t tell you any more about him. I know he helped my brother out a lot when he was transitioning out of the military,” Heath shared.

“That’s helpful, Heath. Do you have any recent photographs of Liam that I can take with me?” Darcy asked.

“Sure, excuse me a minute. I’ll find some for you,”

He returned several minutes later with two very good shots of Liam solo and a third shot of him standing next to a strikingly handsome African American man, with chiseled cheeks and a tall stature. He looked very commanding in the photo. His arm was casually flung across Liam’s shoulders and both men appeared relaxed. It was apparent from the picture that they were at ease with each other and that they were close friends. The photos of Liam by himself revealed a young, vibrant, and very handsome man, with dark hair and a muscular build. Darcy thanked him and assured him that she would get the pictures back to him as soon as possible.

“That is Josiah standing next to him in that photo,” he said, pointing at the picture she was currently examining.

“This is very helpful! Good work,” Darcy said gratefully. “I’m flying down to Fort Bragg tomorrow to see if I can dig up anything on Liam’s whereabouts. I’ll keep you posted if I find out anything,” Darcy said. “Is there anything else you can think of that might be helpful?” she asked.

“Since you’re going down there, it might be a good idea to stop in a couple of the bars that he used to frequent when he was off duty. When I visited him a couple of times, he took me there. We’d go shoot pool, meet up with women, even karaoke some nights, to let off steam. You might be able to catch some gossip if you hang around long enough. Hell, you might even run into Liam or Josiah,” he offered hopefully.

She jotted the names of the bars on her notepad and stuck it, along with the photos, in a folder that she then placed in her backpack.

“In the meantime, watch your back, keep your doors locked, and keep the security system on at all times,” she cautioned. “I might hit the treadmill at the gym rather than the streets for a few weeks, if I were you, just until we locate your brother, as a precaution,” she added.

“I get it. While in the Army, I was special forces, tough guy,” he grinned, “but I’m smart enough to know that I’m no match for a 5,000 -lb. hunk of metal,” he replied.

“That’s good then,” she said. “You’ve been very helpful, Heath. Thank you so much for your time. Please be careful!”

“Will do. I pray that you find my brother safe and sound. Please keep me updated,” Heath requested.

“Of course. If you hear from him, contact me immediately.”

“Do you mind if I give Fannie a piece of cheese?” he asked, scratching her in her favorite spot behind the ears.

“She would love it, thanks,” Darcy smiled.

He returned with the cheese, and Fannie gobbled up the offering gratefully. They both departed with assurances to Heath that Darcy would do everything she could to find Liam. As she and Fannie were getting into the van, Heath came running out.

“Williams! It’s Williams! Josiah’s last name!” he said excitedly.

“That’s great, Heath! That will save me so much time. Good work!”

“I’m glad I could do something,” he said, suddenly deflated again.

“Hang in there. Hopefully, Liam outsmarted the assholes. With his training that is a definite possibility. See ya.”

“Thanks Darcy.”

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