Seconds later, Max was in his truck, cell phone in hand and punching in the spa’s name into the search engine app. Shifting into reverse, he gunned the engine and glanced up into the rearview mirror.
The truck jerked as he slammed his foot on the brake.
“What do you think you’re doing?” He shoved out of the car and circled around to where Allie Hollister stood, hands on her pink-encased hips, a glare of disapproval on her round face.
“I was about to ask you the same question. Where are you going?”
“To get my niece.” Max slapped a hand against the tailgate. “Now get out of the way or get run over.” He stepped forward, meaning to loom over her, but Allie inched that defiant chin of hers up even higher and poked a finger into his chest.
“You’re only going to cause more chaos for your brother’s marriage by going after her. Let the police and FBI handle this, Max. Let them do their jobs.”
“They don’t know this woman like I do.” What would it take for her to understand? “Gemma will turn on the waterworks and she’ll use whatever time it takes for them to bring her back here to perfect whatever lies she needs to tell. If she took Hope, if she had someone take her, I’ll know. Which means I need to be there when she’s confronted.”
“And if she’s not involved? What are you going to do then? Drive all over Northern California banging on every house until you find Hope?”
“If I have to.” Because that would constitute doing something. “I can’t just sit in that house and wait, biding my time while Hope is out there somewhere. I can’t stand around and watch my brother fall apart.” He’d witnessed enough families disintegrate over the years. He wasn’t going to witness it happening to his own.
Allie’s eyes narrowed. “We don’t even know if Gemma’s at that spa.” She took a step to the side. The second her feet hit the front lawn and his path was clear, he took that as his sign to return to the truck. “It might be a wasted trip.”
“How about you find out and call me,” he yelled over the back of the truck, but she was gone. “Doc? Did you hear me? I said—”
“I heard you.” Allie pulled open the passenger door and hopped in. She settled herself in the bucket seat and stuffed her bag between her feet on the floorboard. “You want to do this so badly? Fine. I wouldn’t mind seeing Gemma’s reaction myself. Let’s go.”
“You’re not coming with me.”
“Kinda looks like I am.” She clicked her seat belt and gave him a look he thought for sure she reserved for her most trying patients. “You can either get in and drive, or we can both go back inside and wait this out.”
“Don’t you need to let your boyfriend know you’re running out on him?”
“My boyfriend? What boy—” She went from complete confusion straight to amusement. “You mean Eamon? Oh, wow. I can’t even fathom that.” She actually shivered. “He’s a friend, nothing more. Same as Jack. In case you were wondering.”
“I wasn’t.” But even to his own ears he protested too quickly. “Doesn’t matter.” And yet, he felt a surge of unexpected relief.
“Look, Max.” She pushed her hand through that short crop of hair and let out a sigh he recognized as frustration. Finally, a sign the situation was actually having an effect on her. “I know you’re angry and you want to blame someone, and striking out at anyone, especially me, feels pretty good. But going into an exclusive members-only spa full bore is only going to a) get you arrested, and b) create more problems for your brother and his marriage than you realize. I can help. I’m going with you. Now get in and let’s go. It’s a long drive.”
Because he didn’t think she or her buddy the detective would appreciate Max hauling her out of his truck, he surrendered. Five seconds was all he needed to speak with Gemma. If she had any inkling as to where her daughter was, he’d know in that time.
Soon he’d know for sure.
And it was that hope, and only that hope, that was keeping him sane.
* * *
“Your friend didn’t sound particularly happy to hear you’re on a road trip with me,” Max said as Allie hung up from her call with Simone. “I can drop you off at the next exit if you want to have her come pick you up.”
“It’s not you she has a problem with.” Well, not him exactly. Allie cringed. What her prosecutor best friend took issue with was Allie heading off on a spur-of-the-moment—and completely useless as far as she and Eden were concerned—search and rescue jaunt to Napa with a man she’d only met hours earlier.
No matter what Hope’s journal led Max to believe, Allie knew Gemma Kellan hadn’t taken Hope. That would have taken meticulous planning and patience, neither of which seemed characteristic of Hope’s mother. But Max needed something, anything to believe in. Who was Allie to destroy his illusion of getting his niece back soon? Especially when she was going as stir-crazy as he was. It wasn’t as if there was anything else she could be doing other than obsessing. So, babysitting the frantic, erratic uncle it was.
“At least she didn’t call me a troglodyte,” Max said.
“I didn’t call you one, either,” Allie sighed. What was wrong with the man that he seemed to need her to think he was on the bottom of the intellectual scale? “Simone called in a favor and spoke with the manager on shift at the spa. According to her, Kent Devlin checked in ten days ago with a female companion, the same female companion he’s been shacking up with every couple of weeks for the past few years. Given the description Simone relayed to me, it’s Gemma.”
“Great.” He glanced at his cell. “Only an hour and five minutes to go. You call Detective Awesome and Agent Attentive at Joe’s to fill them in.”
“I texted them.” Because Allie wasn’t up to another “you’re going where?” discussion, she’d decided against an in-person conversation with Jack. It was only a matter of time before Jack and Lieutenant Santos upped her police protection, and while Allie didn’t know as much as she’d like about Chloe’s killer—and Hope’s probable abductor—she suspected that was yet another tactic that would push him further out of reach.
She wanted this over. She wanted Hope back. She wanted Chloe’s killer caught. She wanted to step out of the haze she’d been living in for most of her life and do what she wanted, not what she was forced to do. If that meant putting her own neck on the chopping block with this maniac, so be it. Geez. She rubbed her fingers hard into her eyes. She was beginning to sound as reckless as Eden.
“Jack reached out to the Napa Police Department,” she added. “They’ll have one of their deputies waiting for us at the spa just in case we need him. I don’t suppose you have a plan as to how you’d like this to go with Gemma?”
“I’ve got this, Doc.”
“I really wish you’d stop calling me that.” Allie rested her elbow on the window and frowned.
“Yeah, I know.” The quick grin actually had her own mouth quirking in amusement. “Hearing about Gemma’s affair didn’t seem to surprise you,” he said and shifted into serious mode. “You suspected?”
Allie shrugged. “When one partner is clearly more interested in salvaging a marriage than the other, the answer usually involves a third party. How long have you known?”
“That Gemma would be unfaithful? Let’s see.” Max glanced over his shoulder before swinging over to go around a truck. “They’ve been married about eleven years, so, eleven years.”
Allie turned wide eyes on him. “You’re kidding.”
“Hard to joke when the bride made a pass at me before the wedding reception started.” He flinched, glanced at her. “Good times.”
Allie swore. She shouldn’t have pushed so hard for Joe and Gemma to remain in couples’ therapy. Maybe she’d been in this line of work too long. Maybe it was time for her to move on. Nothing surprised her anymore. Her phone buzzed, the message from Jack pushing her even more
off-kilter.
“Looks like your brother’s been calling in favors,” she said. “He’ll be doing a bunch of interviews both in person and on the internet in the next few hours.” She pressed her lips together, looked out the window as the drought-weathered fields and meadows stretched out around them.
“You don’t approve?”
No, she didn’t, but it wasn’t her place to protest. She might have spent a lot of time researching and profiling criminals, but when it came to this particular instance, her objectivity had gone up in smoke.
“Joe’s entitled to do whatever he thinks will help get his daughter back.” As much as she wanted to believe this would result in a positive outcome, the truth was public attention could very well have the opposite effect and cause the kidnapper, the killer, to panic. There was no predicting what this monster was going to do next after twenty years in dormancy. He hadn’t contacted the press since his return; he hadn’t done anything to draw actual public attention. Instead, he’d sent her, Simone and Eden reminders—sometimes weekly, sometimes daily—of Chloe’s death. He’d reached out to the long-deceased detective originally assigned to Chloe’s case. He wasn’t interested in notoriety, Allie knew. He was interested in inflicting as much pain as possible on the three of them.
The question was, why?
“But it’s maybe not a good idea, right?” Max nodded. “Makes now a good time for you to tell me what else is going on.”
“I told you before—”
“And I’m still not buying what you’re selling,” Max said. “You better start thinking up something better than that, Doc, because if you’re right and Gemma doesn’t have anything to do with Hope’s disappearance, that means I’ll be looking to you next for answers.”
“Sounds like I could use a lawyer.” She glanced down at her phone when it rang. She squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her head against the headrest. “I do not need this right now.”
“Is it about Hope?”
“No. It’s Sitara. My mother,” she clarified. “There’s a family... Never mind.” She waved away her own attempt at an explanation. “Sorry. I know this seems frivolous. It’ll just take a second.”
“Life doesn’t stop because other people’s do. Take the call.”
“Thanks.” She appreciated his understanding. She flexed her fingers and then tapped Accept, and said, “Hey, Ma. Sorry I haven’t texted back. I’ve been busy.”
“Oh, Allie, thank goodness.” Sitara’s breathy voice had Allie sighing. “Nicole told me you were all right, but I wasn’t convinced. Your sisters and brothers are all starting to arrive and I wanted to make sure you had everything you need for the party next weekend. For all the kids and grandkids, we’re going to have to get the backyard in serious shape. I just hope the weather people are right and we won’t be getting any rain.”
“It won’t rain.” Allie bit her lip as she fell into the familiar cheerleader role. “I’ll make sure the salad and gift get there, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to come.”
Silence was her only response.
“Ma?”
“You promised, Allie. When we planned this party months ago, you promised you’d be here. Your father and I have never asked much of you, but this we need. One time, I want all my kids together. Do you understand me? If everyone else can find a way to be here, if Nicole and Patrick can put their new restaurant aside for the day, you can do this.”
Allie didn’t want to hear about the sacrifices her foster siblings were making. “Ma, I’ve got a case—”
“You always have a case. You owe this to your family. You will be there. Eden and Simone have agreed to come, so you can’t use them as an excuse, either.”
Funny how Simone had neglected to share that bit of information. Then again, Simone was always trying to play peacemaker between Allie and her parents. “It’s not an excuse, Ma. There’s a missing girl, one of my patients, and—”
“She’s your patient, not your child. I’m sure you can pull yourself away for a few hours to celebrate your parents’ anniversary and the family we built.”
The family that never felt like her own. Parents who barely seemed to remember she existed. Allie hated the tears that burned her throat. How was it she was almost thirty years old and she still felt like a neglected child around them? Why did she even care anymore? “I’ll do my best.”
“You do better than your best for everyone else. See that you do it for us for a change.”
Allie dropped her hand, knowing her mother had hung up on her.
“That didn’t sound fun.” Max flicked his turn signal and headed down an off-ramp. “I can’t imagine you not being up for a party.”
“I wouldn’t be up for this one in the best of circumstances.” Allie shoved her phone into her purse and kicked the bag out of reach. “Wait. Where are we going?” The sooner they got to the spa and home again the better.
“I need to fill the tank, not to mention find a bathroom. And if you’re anything like me, you probably need caffeine.”
“I don’t need to be coddled,” Allie told him, trying not to notice how the sun glinted in the gold of his hair.
“Color me all shades of surprised.” He veered off to the right and then turned into the parking lot of a gas station and food mart. He parked, pulled out his keys and turned to her. “We still have a little less than an hour to drive. Let’s get some coffee and recharge. I’d like to have you in fighting shape when we knock on Gemma’s door.”
As anxious as she was to get this trip over with and get back to Sacramento, she agreed that the break—however brief—was welcome. What wasn’t welcome was a less-than-hostile Max. The last thing she wanted was to actually like the guy. “Can I get you anything?”
“Biggest coffee they have would be great. And anything with chocolate. I could use a sugar boost.”
“He’s like Eden but with testosterone,” Allie mumbled as she considered her friend’s far-from-ideal eating habits. She grabbed her bag and climbed out of the car. Once inside the market, she was thrilled to find a wide selection of fresh fruit and snacks. She bought a container of grapes, two coffees, and an oversize bag of chocolate-covered blueberries. Evidence of his perfect physique aside, Max could probably do with the antioxidants. Up at the counter, she added some bottles of water. Spotting a small picnic area outside, she set her purchases down, dug out her phone and texted Eden, who let her know almost instantly she was stuck in traffic about two hours outside Sacramento.
Allie suggested Eden call Simone for the details of the morning, but noted that she’d meet them at the boat—Eden and Cole’s home—as soon as she was back in town. Allie frowned, considering the surrounding view of mountains and meadows far from comforting, as she sent another message.
Did you find anything on your trip?
More than I wanted to. Will explain tonight. Not what we thought.
Not what they thought? Moments before Allie’s stomach had been jumping around the promise of food, but her appetite vanished. Not connected to Chloe? she texted back. But that wasn’t possible. If Hope hadn’t been taken by the person responsible for Chloe’s death, how would Eden explain the very specific plant that had been left? The similarities between the girls? Connected came the response. Didn’t go dormant. Found other cases. More tonight.
Allie swore, clenching her cell phone so hard she was afraid she’d shatter it.
“News about Hope?” Max asked.
Allie yelped, jumping as she spun and found Max standing behind her. “Wow, you’re like a cat. I need to put a bell around your neck.” The open hostility she’d been dealing with ever since they met seemed to have melted away. Maybe it was that he was away from reminders of Hope. Maybe it was because he felt as if he was acting instead of waiting. Or maybe she was getting used to his focused presence. “Let me guess, your ni
ckname was Figaro? No, Tiger. Cougar?”
He grinned and the expression tilted her heart. “Not even close. Guess that makes it my turn. I’ve got a question and remember, you have to answer honestly.” He reached around her and picked up the bag of blueberries. “Good choice, by the way. I love these things.”
“Thanks. So go ahead and ask.” Ask anything you want, just not about the case or Hope or...
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
The sweet grape she popped in her mouth turned sour. Talking about her family was never a fun subject, and she was happy to have a sort of truce in place with him. But a deal was a deal. She’d guessed wrong. She owed him the truth. “At last count? Twenty-seven. How about we get on the road? I’ve got an appointment to keep in Sac.”
Chapter 5
“Wait.”
Max stopped, fist poised to knock on the pristine white door to bungalow number seventeen. The buildings spoke more of Cape Cod than West Coast specifically, with the white plank decks and gravel paths. Allie’s delicate hand locked around his forearm. “What?”
“Just—don’t go in there guns blazing, okay? I know—”
“No offense, Doc, but you don’t know.” How could she when he didn’t know what he was doing himself? He could be—he hoped he was—feet away from his niece. This nightmare of a day could soon come to an end. Besides, if Allie wasn’t going to be straight with him, he wasn’t inclined to make things easy on her. “And now isn’t the time to speculate.” He rapped his knuckles against the wood and sent her a warning look that had her rolling her eyes and stepping back. She shoved her hands in her pockets, continuing to disapprove from a distance.
“Can’t you read?” Bellowed a male voice from inside before a throaty female laugh drifted out the open windows beside the door. “It says do not—” The door was yanked open.
Max planted his hand flat on the door. “Consider yourself disturbed.” He shoved through, feeling, rather than seeing, Allie trailing behind.
Gone in the Night Page 6
