“Why would he do that?” Confusion flickered in Janet’s expression.
I folded my hands in my lap as awkward silence invaded the room.
Then, his eyes flashed. “Are you suggesting my daughter is having a fling with Elias, and that’s why she’s been staying out at all hours?”
“I have no idea.” I shifted. “But Dr. Kurtz was asking questions about your daughter. Not to mention, he had a picture of them together.”
“Fine. But that doesn’t mean she was seeing him. He was her professor.” Janet’s firm tone and accusatory expression matched her husband’s. “Quincy would never have an inappropriate relationship. We gave her a purity ring when she was thirteen.”
If only purity rings came with a protective forcefield. Do not laugh, Georgia Rae. I’d heard Brandi talk about students’ parents who never believed their children misbehaved or made bad choices. But experiencing it was a whole different story.
“How do we know you and Makayla didn’t have anything to do with her taking off?” Stuart stood. “You’re trying to distract us with this ridiculous accusation about my daughter. I think you saw an opportunity to sell an innocent young girl to a pimp.”
My jaw dropped, and Makayla gasped. I had a passing thought of releasing Gus from his crate. Though he was far from ferocious, his friendly—and hairy—greeting would probably be enough to freak out Mr. and Mrs. Perfect.
But he’d probably just sue me.
“Maybe your crops didn’t do well, and you needed some cash to save the family farm.” Stuart looked around my home with disgust. “Perhaps you even think you can get law enforcement to look the other way, since you’ve helped them in the past. A little quid pro quo.” He pointed at me. “Don’t think I won’t hire a PI to check your background.”
With my face burning, I stood. “You’re certainly within your rights to take whatever measures you feel are necessary to find your daughter, and you’re welcome to check my background. I have nothing to hide.” I met his gaze. “But this conversation is over, and you need to leave my house.”
Stuart and his wife made their way to my front door, and he grabbed Quincy’s suitcase.
Janet stopped and shot me a mournful look before turning to Makayla. “If you think of anything—even the smallest detail—please promise you’ll let the detectives know.”
“I will,” she said. “And we’ll be praying for Quincy to make it home safely.”
“Thank you.” Janet took her husband’s arm and walked down my sidewalk.
I closed the door and sagged against it. “Wow.”
“I know, right? I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Yet somehow, I still feel responsible since I told them they could come.”
“It’s okay. They’re just worried.” And a little unhinged.
She twisted her bracelet. “Now what?”
I took a deep breath. “First, I’m going to call Cal and tell him everything that’s happened today—just in case this turns into a big investigation.”
“Then?”
“Are you up for The Sound of Music tonight?”
While Makayla was getting ready for our trip to Bell’s Dinner Theater, I shuffled through my closet choosing an outfit and waiting for Cal to answer his phone. I was trying not to admit that a part of me was thrilled I had a legitimate excuse to talk to him. After all, he needed to know about Elias Kurtz nosing around, and Bobbi Sue couldn’t be counted on to initiate a conversation with a cop.
And it wouldn’t hurt for him to know that the Ashbrooks thought I was guilty of human trafficking.
“Cal’s phone.” Cigarettes had honed the woman’s voice into a friendly rasp.
I froze with my hand on a black pencil skirt. Did Cal have a new girlfriend already? What about Taryn?
“What can I do for you, Georgia?”
“I’ll call back later.” I pushed the pencil skirt aside and withdrew a red jersey dress.
“You sure? Because Cal stepped out to let his dog pee and should be back in a sec. I tell you, I nearly hit the floor when I heard he’d adopted Miss Peacock. I could never get him to take responsibility for our mutt when he was a kid. He got that trait from his dad. It was always me feeding and taking Mindy out.”
I nearly dropped my phone. “Mrs. Perkins?” I tossed the dress on my bed.
“It’s Ms. Conner now—but you can call me Yvonne. Took my maiden name back in the divorce. My boyfriend and I are thinking about tying the knot someday, but Yvonne’s not changing her last name again. Too much work.” She emitted a cackle-croak.
A croakle.
“I see. Please tell Cal I have some information about the Quincy Ashbrook case, and he can call me back at his—”
“You’ve met my ex, so I’m sure you understand why I don’t want to be saddled with his name.”
I’d tried to block out the memory of Darrell Perkins but hadn’t been successful. “We met when he came for Beverly’s funer—”
“I heard. I hope you didn’t end things with Cal because of Darrell and his big mouth, but I wouldn’t blame you if you did. You marry a man, you marry his family. Anyway, you got information about Quincy Ashbrook, huh? Cal told me her parents threatened to sue. From what he told me, if that pair had raised me, I’d vanish too.” She croakled again. “I dealt with a lot of entitled people back when I—”
“Mom, who is that?”
“Your ex-girlfriend. Nice talking to you, Georgia. I hope we can meet while I’m here in town. In fact, I might stroll down the road to your place and say—”
“Hey, Georgia.” He lowered his voice. “And I’m sorry.”
I let out a giggle that was a twenty out of ten on the dorkiness scale. “It’s okay.” At least she hadn’t accosted me like Bobbi Sue—and Yvonne would’ve had many more reasons to chew me out. “I wanted to let you know a few things I learned today.” I updated him on Bobbi Sue’s information and the Ashbrooks’ visit. When I finished, he chuckled.
“I can’t believe they think you sold Quincy to a pimp.”
I pictured his dimple, and my heart fluttered. “I don’t know how I get in such messes.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Did I hear a teeny-tiny note of affection in his tone? Or was it my overactive imagination?
He cleared his throat. “Anyway, thanks for passing along the information.”
I wound a strand of hair around my finger. “It’s nice your mom’s visiting.” It wouldn’t hurt to sneak in a mini fishing expedition before the conversation sputtered out.
“She wanted to see my new house and help me get settled.”
“Cool.” On second thought, I’d better cut this conversation short before it took a wrong turn into awkward territory. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything else about Quincy.”
“Thanks. Take care.”
After disconnecting, I closed my eyes and tried to convince myself I didn’t miss him.
My valiant effort failed.
Chapter Seven
Walking into Bell’s Dinner Theater in Richardville with Makayla, I tried to push away the memory of the last time I’d been here to see Grease—with Cal. Though it wasn’t a romantic outing because Detective Vanessa Hawk and her fiancé Curtis had joined us for a double date, the memory still stabbed my heart.
I hadn’t been able to get the best seats because of our last-minute decision to attend The Sound of Music, but I snagged decent tickets that included a meet and greet with the cast at the conclusion of the play. That’d cost me an extra twenty bucks, but it would give us easy access to Elias Kurtz.
We found our seats in the back row of the U-shaped theater. Buffet stations were arranged on the stage below and would be removed before the show.
“This place is super cool,” Makayla said. She was wearing a black polka-dot dress with a contrasting lacy white collar, and the vintage vibe fit with the musical’s era.
“You’ve never been here?”
“No. Dad and the boys are all about sports. Mom was too. I’m the family weirdo since I’m into music.”
“I’m glad we’re here then.”
“Me too.” She put her napkin in her lap.
After a waitress dressed as a nun took our drink orders, we gorged at the buffet, which included schnitzel with noodles. The show began, and at intermission, we found room for apple strudel.
When the show was over, the waitress-nun led us backstage to the greenroom where Elias Kurtz waited with the actors and actresses who’d played Maria and the children. Makayla and I complimented the kids and Maria on their performances, and when we reached Elias, he smiled broadly.
“Makayla Farthing.” He extended both hands. “Nice to see you again. Are you still singing?”
“Yes.” She clasped his hands. “You’re a fantastic Captain VonTrapp. Even though I’m from Richardville, this is my first experience at Bell’s, and I loved it.” She batted her eyes and gazed at him.
You go, girl.
“I’m glad.” He gave me the once over and dropped Makayla’s hands. “Who’s your friend?”
“My stepsister Georgia.”
Ignoring the feeling that I needed a shower, I shook his hand.
Makayla flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Have you heard about Quincy Ashbrook’s disappearance? I know she took voice lessons from you too.”
Would I even be needed here? I felt a burst of pride at my stepsister’s investigative-flirting skills.
“No. What happened?” His eyes widened.
So that’s how he was going to play it. Interesting choice.
“Quincy, Sammi Cardwell, and I were staying with Georgia after our first concert on chorale tour,” Makayla said. “Quincy stole Georgia’s car in the middle of the night. A cop found it abandoned this morning at a cemetery, but she left a note saying she had something to take care of and she’d be back after spring break is over.”
His mouth dropped open. “That’s strange. I hope she’s okay.”
I gave my eyes stern orders not to roll. For a guy who’d just given a commendable performance as Captain VonTrapp, he sure was botching this act.
“Me too,” Makayla said.
I couldn’t take any more of his charade. “Dr. Kurtz. The show’s over. We know you were in Wildcat Springs earlier today asking questions about Quincy and showing a picture of the two of you together.” I stared until he looked away. “How about being honest with us.”
Red crept up his neck, and he glanced around the room. “Could we wait until this meet-and-greet is over and talk in private?” he whispered.
“Where do you want to have this discussion?” I crossed my arms.
His gaze flicked toward the exit. “My dressing room. Give me ten minutes.”
“Fine.” We moved away so other audience members could gush over his performance as he signed programs and headshots. “I’m not letting him out of my sight until he talks to us,” I muttered.
“Good call,” Makayla whispered.
Fifteen minutes later, the room had cleared, and Dr. Kurtz escorted us down a narrow hallway. The woman who’d played Maria had changed into a Fitness Universe Staff sweatshirt and was on her way out the back exit. She glared as we passed. He opened a door with his name on it, snapped on the lights, and stepped aside so we could enter.
“Have a seat.” He motioned to a green velvet couch pushed against a wall with gold hexagonal print wallpaper.
I perched on the edge of the couch, and Makayla’s posture mimicked mine.
He scooted a chair away from his lighted makeup counter, turned it toward us, and straddled it. “Thanks for waiting. And feel free to call me Elias.”
That wasn’t going to happen—at least to his face—because I didn’t like his overly familiar tone. “I’ll get right to the point. Why were you in Wildcat Springs asking questions about Quincy?”
He stared at the worn carpet. “I know it looks like I’m more than her former voice teacher.”
“Yes,” I said.
“But I can explain.” Elias jiggled his leg. “I’m a distributor for Tune Nutritional Supplements, and Quincy’s part of my downline.”
Chapter Eight
Quincy being part of Elias’s downline in a multi-level marketing company seemed like a convenient excuse to cover up a forbidden romantic relationship, but I decided to go along with him for the moment. “How long has Quincy been selling?”
“A couple of years—since she was a freshman. We took the picture you mentioned after she joined my team.” He turned to his makeup table, lifted a business card from a holder sitting next to his cellphone, and handed it to me. “Our vitamins help people keep their bodies in tune.”
I studied the card emblazoned with his name, phone number, and the Tune Nutritional Supplement Logo before handing it to Makayla, who appeared puzzled.
“How’d you get her started?” I asked Elias.
“Quincy saw my water bottle with the company logo and asked about it during a voice lesson.” He tugged the skin under his neck. “She decided to try her hand at selling, and for a while, she made a lot of money from online sales, but she hasn’t been very active lately.”
Interesting. My eyes fell on Elias’s phone, and a theory about why Quincy had abandoned her phone formed in my mind. “Does she happen to have a second phone for business?” I asked.
Now his leg jostled in double time. “Not that I know of. Why?”
“She left her phone behind at my house, and I can’t imagine she’d want to be cut off from her customers—or anyone else.”
His leg froze in mid jiggle. “Wow. That’s weird. I can’t picture her without it.” There was no mistaking the concern in his voice.
“Can you think of any reason why Quincy would vanish without her credit cards?” Makayla asked.
“Perhaps she didn’t want to be tempted to use them. She mentioned having debt.” He studied his hands. “Or . . . I do know her parents pressured her to succeed. Maybe it got too overwhelming, and she decided to leave everything behind and start over.”
“Did you ever hear her talk about running away?” I asked.
“A while back, she joked about escaping to a deserted island—but it’s something you say when you’re upset. I didn’t take her seriously, especially since she’d admitted to having a fight with her boyfriend.”
That seemed like a pretty personal thing to share with a voice professor, which meant it was time for the big question. “Have you ever had a romantic relationship with Quincy?”
The red that had made an appearance in his neck earlier made a vicious comeback. “No, I think of her as a little sister.”
“Why’d you leave Brenneman?” I asked.
He curled his fingers into a fist. “The university chose not to renew my contract. They never gave a reason other than I wasn’t a good fit—and they didn’t have to because I wasn’t tenured. It didn’t help that Dr. Jackson—the music department head—had it out for me.”
“Do you know why?” I asked.
“He couldn’t stand that I was more popular with the students than him. He even resented me being at the concert last night. He strolled by and gave me a curt ‘hello’ and a scowl.” Elias performed a perfect impression of the stuffy professor.
I’d have to ask Makayla about Elias’s popularity later, but there was another question that’d been bugging me. “Dr. Kurtz, who told you Quincy ran away?” I was becoming more and more certain Elias was lying about his relationship with Quincy—and the reason his contract hadn’t been renewed.
Elias’s face darkened. “Gresham—Dr. Jackson—called this morning and asked if I knew anything about Quincy. I told him I didn’t talk to her last night, and I haven’t heard from her for a while—probably because her sales have tanked.”
“Why would Dr. Jackson contact you?” I met his gaze.
“He buys Tune from me and knows Quincy’s part of my team.” He rested his head in his hand. “After
I heard from Gresham, I was worried and thought the least I could do is go to Wildcat Springs and ask a few questions.” He briefly closed his eyes. “I just can’t stand the thought of something bad happening to her.”
“Elias was definitely lying about his relationship with Quincy,” I said as soon as Makayla and I were back in my truck and on our way home from Richardville.
“No way.”
I stopped for a red light and searched Makayla’s face for a hint of sarcasm. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. “Okaayy. Why do you think he was telling the truth?”
“Because I do.”
“That’s not a reason.”
“Dr. Kurtz wouldn’t lie.”
“How do you know?”
“How do you know he was?” She glared at me. “You’re not a human lie detector.”
I smothered a sigh. “His body language indicated he was hiding something. Plus, you told me he made a pass at Quincy, and she was giddy about it.” The light changed, and I eased through the intersection. “But you know him better than I do, so I’ll listen to your reasoning. Convince me why I’m wrong.” We continued past a row of fast-food restaurants.
“I’d know if my roommate was seeing him.”
“You told her parents—and me—you didn’t know where she was going at night.”
She huffed. “She would’ve told me about Dr. Kurtz.”
“Even if he was seeing her while he was working at Brenneman, and their relationship meant he’d lose his job if someone found out?”
“But he’s not working there anymore, so she’d be free to tell.” She crossed her arms. “I just don’t think he’s lying. Remember I was right when I said Dr. Kurtz heard about Quincy from Dr. Jackson.”
“You thought it was because they’re friends—and they aren’t.”
“Whatever.” She reached out and changed the satellite radio to a 1980s station playing “Silent Running” by Mike and the Mechanics.
I used the steering wheel buttons to turn down the volume.
Deadly Harmony Page 7
