Missing at Christmas

by K. D. Richards

  He slid a look across the table. Addy had twisted her shoulder-length brown hair into a bun and applied some shimmery powder to her cheeks. She looked fresh-faced and gorgeous.

  “I have a proposal for you. I am in town doing a job for a client, but the client has demanded I keep the reason for my presence confidential.”

  Her eyes lit with understanding. “And you think I can help you do that.”

  Shawn grinned.

  “I had planned to keep a low profile while in town, but that’s out the window now. I need a reason to be in town.”

  “And you want me to be that reason? Even though you won’t tell me what you are working on?” The corners of her mouth turned down.

  “I can’t tell you. But I can help you look into your sister’s disappearance.”

  She chewed her bottom lip, studying the tabletop. “I don’t know.”

  Shawn leaned back in the chair. In his experience, the best way to convince someone to do what he wanted them to do was to provide a sober recitation of the advantages. In this case, his main advantage was that Addy didn’t have the skill or expertise to conduct a missing-person investigation. “I’ve handled several missing-person cases, and West Security is one of the best investigative firms in New York. You’ll have all our resources at your disposal. Free of charge.”

  He waited while she thought it over, confident she’d accept the offer. Addy was a smart cookie, and more importantly, she was motivated to find her sister.

  “Okay,” she answered after a moment of hesitation. “But you have to get out now. I need to shower.”

  She stood, and he did the same.

  He accepted the win and contemplated how he’d convince Ryan to devote West resources to their new pro bono case. It shouldn’t be too hard. Ryan still owed him one from a year earlier when West had become involved in helping Nadia’s brother get out from under the mob. It was time he collected on that IOU.

  “Great. Thank you for doing this.” He headed for the door. “If you pack your stuff, I’ll move it to my room when you’re ready and you can check out of this room.”

  Addy’s eyes went wide. “Hang on. I didn’t agree to share a room with you.”

  “Relax,” he said, retreating to the door. “I have a suite.” A one-room suite, but he’d sleep on the pullout couch in the living room. Addy’s expression remained skeptical. “You’ll have your own room, but Cassie is missing and you’ve already been attacked once. I think it’s safer for you if we stay in the same room.”

  Her nose wrinkled as if she’d smelled something foul, but she nodded finally. “I’ll be ready when you get back.”

  He called Ryan as soon as he got back to the suite.

  “You got anything yet?” Ryan answered without preamble.

  “There may be something bigger than fraudulent computer chips going on here.”

  Shawn explained the situation with Addy, the attack on her last night and Cassie working for Spectrum and going missing.

  “And you think all that is connected to our investigation.”

  “It would be one hell of a coincidence if it wasn’t,” Shawn answered, tossing his meager belongings back into his duffel bag and moving them out of the bedroom. The suite had a tiny powder room near the door that he could use for everything except showers.

  Ryan swore under his breath. “You got a plan?”

  Shawn explained his cover as a PI working with Addy to help her look for her sister.

  “I don’t mind using West resources to help her out, but don’t forget why you’re there. Intellus’s job has to come first,” Ryan clipped out.

  “I got it.” Shawn’s voice came out sharper than he’d intended. Ryan treating him as if he didn’t know how to do his job grated. As soon as this case was over, they were going to talk.

  He gave Ryan Addy’s and Cassie’s full names and asked for background checks on both before hanging up.

  The look of anguish on Addy’s face when he’d asked what she thought happened to Cassie flittered through his memory. He hadn’t mentioned the likelihood of finding Cassie alive diminished exponentially every day, but he wasn’t surprised that she seemed to be aware of that fact. Cassie had already been missing for nine days; that didn’t bode well for finding her alive. But finding Cassie, dead or alive, would give Addy some closure; he could already tell she wasn’t the type who’d be able to move on with her own life without knowing what had happened to her sister. Intellus’s job would come first, but he’d also do everything in his power to find Cassie Williams.

  Chapter Four

  After Shawn left, Addy took a shower and packed before dialing a number that was becoming increasingly familiar to her. As with the last two times she’d called, Suri Bedingfield’s phone rang until the voice mail kicked in. Biting back frustration, Addy left a third message for Cassie’s roommate, then called up to Shawn’s suite and checked out of her room.

  She wasn’t sure whether sharing a suite with Shawn was wise given their history and the attraction she still felt for him. In the end, the balance in her bank account and the bills waiting for her back home tipped the scales. That and the fact that she felt safe with him. The more she thought about the mugging, the more convinced she became that she hadn’t been just a convenient victim. The attacker had targeted her specifically.

  After helping her move her things to his suite, Shawn agreed that they should go see Cassie’s boss. On the short drive from the hotel to Spectrum, Addy relayed what little she knew about Caroline Webb, Cassie’s boss, and Ben Konstam, Cassie’s coworker and boyfriend. She’d purposely chosen a hotel not far from the center of downtown Bentham so she’d be close to Cassie’s office and the duplex where she rented an apartment.

  Located in a midcentury limestone building, Spectrum’s headquarters spanned a half block. Shawn parked in a nearby surface parking lot, and they took the elevator to Spectrum’s seventh-floor offices. Since most of what she knew about tech companies came from the movies and television, she’d expected Spectrum’s offices to be a bright space with lots of chrome and glass and hipster employees sipping lattes in their open-floor-plan offices.

  The elevator doors opened into a typically dull office space with harsh overhead lighting and industrial-gray carpeting leading through a maze of corridors.

  A middle-aged, red-haired woman in a tan sweater and cardigan sat behind the reception desk. “Welcome to Spectrum. How may I help you today?” she said with a practiced smile.

  The receptionist gave Shawn the once-over, a reaction Addy found irritating even though the woman was at least two decades older than Shawn and her.

  Shawn offered a smile but didn’t speak. They’d discussed how they planned to approach Ms. Webb on the drive over. Since Addy had spoken with Caroline Webb over the phone the previous week, they’d decided she would take the lead. It would also be harder for Cassie’s boss to refuse to speak to the sister of a missing employee.

  “My name is Addy Williams. My sister, Cassie Williams, is an intern here. I’d like to speak to her boss, Caroline Webb, please?”

  The woman tapped the keyboard a few times in front of her before her gaze shifted back to Addy. “Do you have an appointment?”

  Addy smiled tightly. “I don’t, but I’m hoping Ms. Webb has a bit of time to see me. You may be aware that my sister is missing, and I’m sure everyone here at Spectrum wants to do what they can to help locate her.”

  She had no compunction about using a little manipulation to get around Spectrum’s gatekeeper.

  “One moment, please.”

  The receptionist dialed a number, and after several seconds announced that “an Addy Williams and a gentleman” were there to see the person at the other end of the line. Moments later the receptionist replaced the phone’s receiver and directed them to take the second right at the end of the hallway.

  Addy and S
hawn passed several smartly dressed employees in designer dresses and tailored suits, reminding Addy of the corridors of Covington and Baker and the stable of suits in her closet back in New York. Like at Covington and Baker, Spectrum’s corridors were a labyrinth of passageways seemingly designed to be as confusing as possible.

  Cassie’s direct boss was the human resources director, Caroline Webb. She and Shawn finally found her office nestled in a far corner of the floor, between the men’s room and what appeared to be the company break room.

  A balding Caucasian man in an impeccably tailored blue suit and a white woman in a boxy gray dress greeted them.

  The man, in his early seventies and round everywhere, held his hand out to Addy. “Ms. Williams, I’m Martin Raupp, CEO of Spectrum Industries.”

  Addy shook his hand.

  Martin Raupp held himself with the self-assurance of a man with power. “Caroline called to tell me you were here. Everyone at Spectrum is just distressed to hear that Cassie is missing, and we’ll do whatever we can to help the police locate her safe and sound.”

  Martin Raupp’s voice rang with sincerity. Addy was touched that he’d made a point to see her when he’d heard she was in the building.

  “Thank you, Mr. Raupp. This is my friend Shawn West. He’s a private investigator, and he’s helping me to find Cassie.”

  Caroline Webb pressed her lips together. Heat rose in Addy’s cheeks, but she didn’t take her hand from Shawn’s.

  Mr. Raupp clapped his hands together in front of him. “Well, I’ll leave you in Ms. Webb’s capable hands. Please know that my wife, Madeline, and I are praying for Cassie’s safe return.”

  He flashed one more smile their way and exited the office.

  Caroline motioned them to sit. Addy lowered herself into the chair next to Shawn and opposite her desk. A full-figured woman in her mid to late fifties, Caroline had pulled her gray-brown hair up into a tight bun at the crown of her head.

  “Ms. Webb, thank you for seeing me without an appointment. I’m sorry to barge in on you like this,” Addy offered, not feeling a bit sorry but hoping to smooth any ruffled feathers.

  Caroline pursed her lips again, although Addy couldn’t tell if it was in annoyance or merely a habit. “Not a problem. I’m sorry to hear that Cassie is missing. I shall do anything I can to help.”

  Caroline Webb had a pronounced British accent. She shot a glance at Shawn, although Addy noted it wasn’t more benign than the receptionist’s assessment had been.

  “I’m hoping you can help me fill in some of Cassie’s movements in the days before she went missing. Sheriff Donovan said that Cassie had resigned her internship, but Cassie never spoke of it to me.”

  Caroline nodded. “Yes, I was quite surprised, to be honest with you. Cassie seemed happy, and she was well-liked.”

  “What exactly did she do as an intern?” Shawn asked, rubbing his thumb against the back of Addy’s hand and sending little shivers down her spine. She stole a glance at him, wondering if he knew what his touch did to her. His gaze stayed focused on Caroline Webb.

  Get a grip. You need to focus here.

  “Cassie did whatever we needed her to do. Mostly filing and other paperwork. But because she was so interested in computer science, I made it a point that she should be allowed to shadow the engineers over at the factory twice a week.” Caroline folded her hands atop her desk primly.

  Shawn’s grip on Addy’s hand tightened ever so slightly. She looked over at him again and saw that his body had also tensed, although for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why. It made perfect sense that Cassie would jump at the chance to hang out with computer engineers, since that was what she’d be studying once she got to MIT.

  “Has she had any trouble at work lately?” Shawn asked, their agreement that Addy would take the lead apparently forgotten.

  Ms. Webb shook her head. “No. As I said, Cassie was very well-liked around here. A hard worker. Always to work on time and willing to stay late to meet deadlines if necessary.”

  That sounded just like Cassie and proved she hadn’t simply quit without notice, as far as Addy was concerned.

  “My sister was dating a Spectrum employee who worked in Spectrum’s factory. Ben Konstam,” Addy said, making sure not to let how she felt about Cassie’s choice in boyfriend show on her face.

  Addy had had reservations about her sister dating a coworker. She’d warned Cassie against starting a workplace romance, but Cassie was Cassie. Stubborn. Bullheaded. Determined to live life on her terms and make her own mistakes. Cassie had accused Addy of not wanting her to date Ben because he wasn’t white-collar enough. Addy had denied it, hurt that Cassie would suggest such a thing, although when she dug down deep inside, she couldn’t deny that the education and potential income disparity likely had something to do with it. Addy’s divorce had devastated her, especially when she’d realized the only reason her ex-husband, Phillip, had married her was for her law firm salary. She didn’t want Cassie to end up in the same situation.

  Caroline’s mouth turned down in a frown. “I am aware.” She didn’t speak for a moment, then added, “Mr. Konstam no longer works in the factory. He’s been promoted to management.”

  “He works in this building?” Addy asked, surprised. Cassie hadn’t mentioned Ben getting a promotion.

  She glanced at Shawn but found his expression unreadable.

  “Down the corridor.” Caroline Webb inclined her head toward the hall beyond her office. “You passed his office on the way here.”

  That was perfect. They could kill two birds with one visit.

  “What did Cassie say when she quit?” Addy asked, directing the conversation back to the days right before Cassie disappeared. “I mean, did she give you a reason why she was leaving the internship almost eight months early?”

  “Well, I didn’t speak to Cassie. I found her letter of resignation, effective immediately, on my desk one morning.” Caroline scowled, no doubt aggrieved at the unprofessional way Cassie had supposedly resigned.

  To Addy, it was only further evidence that something was very wrong. Their father had instilled a strong work ethic in both of his daughters. There’s no way Cassie would quit a job without notice and without talking to her boss in person.

  Addy’s heartbeat ticked up with an increase in the fear she felt for her sister. “Did you try calling her?”

  Caroline’s back stiffened. “I did,” Ms. Webb answered, a haughty undertone creeping into her voice.

  Shawn squeezed Addy’s hand. “I don’t think Addy was implying you did anything wrong.” Shawn flashed a boyish smile. “We’re just trying to get a clear picture of things. Were you ever able to speak with Cassie?”

  Caroline’s shoulders relaxed, but she didn’t return Shawn’s smile. “Miss Williams never returned my calls. It wasn’t like her as far as I knew her, but young people these days are so self-involved.” She shook her head, unhappiness with the youth of the day chiseled in her expression. “I simply filed the paperwork to terminate her employment. Now, I truly am sorry, but I must get on with my workday.”

  “One more question. Could I have a look at Cassie’s resignation letter?” Addy said.

  Caroline shook her head. “I’m sorry. That wouldn’t be appropriate, as it’s part of an employee’s personnel file.”

  Addy scooted forward in her chair.

  “You wouldn’t have any way of knowing if Cassie’s signature was genuine. I’d know if it was a forgery.”

  Caroline’s head continued its side-to-side motion.

  “The sheriff could get a warrant,” Shawn said, as if the idea had just occurred to him. “There is an active missing-person case open. But that would mean formally engaging the company in a legal process, and you know how cops can be. If they start asking for one thing, they’ll ask for a dozen extra things.”

  Caroline bit
her bottom lip, her expression thoughtful.

  The woman seemed to be fond of Cassie, but Addy could tell she was at war with herself over breaking the rules. A rule follower herself, Addy understood the struggle, but if breaking the rules helped locate Cassie, she would break them all and induce whoever she needed to do the same.

  “Please?” Addy pleaded. “Just a glance at the signature, that’s all. You said yourself that resigning this way wasn’t something you’d have expected from Cassie. What if she didn’t really sign that letter?” Addy pleaded.

  Caroline nodded and turned to the computer at the edge of her desk and hit several keys. The printer behind her whirred to life.

  She reached behind her and snatched the paper the printer spit out.

  “We don’t keep much paper around these days.” Aside from a small stack of files on her desk, there was no paper in the office, not even file cabinets that might have held paper files. “Everything is scanned to the system, then sent off-site.”

  Caroline handed the paper from the printer across the desk to Addy.

  A copy of Cassie’s resignation letter.

  Addy skipped over the text of the letter, going straight to the signature. She evaluated every loop, line and dotted i for any sign that the name at the bottom of the letter hadn’t been penned by her sister.

  After a minute of inspection, her heart sank.

  She recognized the signature as Cassie’s.

  Chapter Five

  Shawn could tell by the look on Addy’s face when she read the letter that it was Cassie’s signature. Caroline didn’t have any more information to give them, so they said their goodbyes.

  They retraced their steps back toward the exit, agreeing without words to drop in on Ben while they were in the building. Shawn scanned the office doors on the left side of the hallway while Addy did the same for the doors on the right. As he did, he thought about what Caroline had said about Cassie and her role at Spectrum. He hadn’t been able to control the involuntary twitch of his hand when he’d heard Cassie worked on both the management and production sides of the company. And he knew Addy had noticed.