Love You Madly

by Ashlee Mallory

  The woman who answered obtained the make, model, and license plate from him in a monotone voice. She clicked at her keyboard and then put him on hold. Another minute passed as he and Meredith waited, the phone on speaker.

  “Yeah. We have that here. Arrived this morning.” The woman proceeded to give him the information they needed to get the car back as well as the daily rate they’d charge until it was picked up while Meredith stared outside, her face a mask, even though he knew she had to be upset.

  He hung up. Time to make the call.

  With Darcy’s car sitting in an impound lot, it seemed less and less likely that Darcy had taken off for a few days. And from Bryce’s description, she’d been completely out of it, possibly drugged, when he last saw her.

  And nearly twenty-four hours later, she was still missing.

  “Guess I’ll go find a hotel for the night. Looks like, if you still want me, I’ll be taking the case.”

  She glanced over at him, her emotions now clear. But instead of righteous anger that she’d been correct all along, or relief that he was helping, she looked alarmed. No, petrified.

  “Isn’t that what you wanted?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “If you’re taking it, then it means you think something’s wrong. That Darcy really is in trouble,” she added in a near whisper.

  There wasn’t anything he could say. He looked at the front of the building again before pulling away, knowing that at some point tonight he’d be returning to find and talk to the squatter.

  Without his new sidekick.

  Chapter Five

  Meredith didn’t have much to say the rest of the ride back to her car. Her thoughts were with Darcy. Still missing.

  Meredith looked down at her cell phone for the thousandth time. No messages. No new texts. Almost automatically, she tried Darcy’s phone again and was sent promptly to voicemail.

  It wasn’t until they pulled onto Allie’s street that Meredith trusted herself to speak without breaking down. “What next?”

  She hated how her voice trembled. She hated relying on anyone for anything. Giving them that control. She dug her fingers into the side of her thigh as she waited for his response.

  He didn’t speak until they’d pulled up to the curb and parked. “I’ll check and see if we know any of the local law enforcement. Find out if there’s any similar pattern of missing girls. But I want to be clear about something, now that we’ve decided I’m taking the case. I’m in charge of this investigation. Me. I make the calls, and if I tell you to stay put, you need to stay put. You’re not to interfere no matter what. Can you agree to that?”

  She bristled at his suggestion that she might interfere but managed to nod, meeting his hard gaze. “Okay.”

  “I’m heading to a hotel,” he continued. “You should go home, try and get some sleep. If you hear anything, call me immediately. Otherwise I’ll be by at eight to coordinate our next efforts. Get a list of her friends, anyone she might reach out to if she were in trouble.”

  She only nodded numbly and climbed out of the SUV, sensing his gaze on her as she clambered up the driveway and to her car. It was only after she’d climbed in and started the car that he seemed satisfied and drove off.

  She looked at the time on the dashboard. Just after nine. How the hell was she going to go home and even consider sleep when she was tied up in a million knots? She sank her head down to nestle on her arm atop the steering wheel. Someone tapped on the window, sending her bolting upright, sounding off the horn.

  Great. It was Allie.

  Why hadn’t she waited until she was home for this little breakdown? Begrudgingly she rolled down the window.

  “Have you heard anything from Darcy?”

  Meredith sat back and sighed. “No. We haven’t.”

  “I am really sorry, Meredith. Despite our many differences, I care about Darcy and I hope you find her soon. Look, I was just about to make myself a cup of tea. Do you want to come inside for a minute?”

  The thought of voluntarily spending any time with Saint Allie sounded as appealing as having a rottweiler chew off her left arm. “Thanks, but I’m going to head home. Maybe Darcy will be there and surprise me.”

  “All right. Keep me updated, if you don’t mind,” Allie said, not looking particularly surprised by the decline. Actually, maybe “relieved” was a better word.

  Well, Meredith was not a charity case. She started to roll her window up as Allie took a step back. But…pity or not, it was still a decent offer. Before she could change her mind, she added, “Thanks, Allie.”

  Then she backed up and headed home.

  …

  Travis thought of a million reasons why he should turn around now. It wasn’t like he had the time to do the whole reunion thing. If this were a kidnapping case, the first hours and days were pivotal to finding the person, as the scent went cold very quickly.

  What if she didn’t want to see him?

  But the fact that he’d just seen Allie a few hours before meant it was likely she already knew he was in town. And would be hurt if he didn’t reach out. He went ahead and knocked.

  Immediately, a dog barked on the other side, and a few seconds later he heard footsteps that paused at the door. He raised his gaze and stared into the peephole.

  The door swept open, followed by a squeal, then his sister was throwing herself into his arms. Guess she might be happy to see him after all.

  “I almost didn’t believe Allie when she told me you’d been by,” she said once she settled back down on the ground in front of him. “It’s been so long and you look…” She looked him up and down. “Wow. Hot.”

  “You’re not doing too bad yourself,” he said and smiled.

  Claire was only eighteen months older than him, but without makeup and wearing her glasses, she looked like she was twelve. But even as a brother he could appreciate that she was stunning, with her long chestnut-colored hair—something she’d ground into his memory when they were kids any time he tried to call it brown—and those wide innocent blue eyes. With her hair pulled into a ponytail, she looked more like a schoolgirl than a woman.

  “Come in, come in,” she said and scooped up the small, fluffy white dog that was still barking around their feet. “Stop that, Daisy.”

  As if she’d only been waiting for attention, the little dog immediately stopped and stared at him. Travis looked uneasily at it. He wasn’t very good with small yippy dogs. He stepped into the small, sparse, but tastefully decorated condo.

  Not sure what to do with himself, he took a seat on the worn and scarily bright celery-green couch as Claire continued. “I hope it was okay that Allie called me, but she knew that if I heard you were in town and that she knew and didn’t tell me, I would never forgive her. At least not without causing her some bodily harm.”

  He shrugged. “Figured as much.” Although Claire hadn’t gone to St. Andrew, she and Allie now both taught at the school, something he’d learned through the letters Claire sent him over the years. The two women had become quick friends when they realized their connection through him.

  “I couldn’t believe it when Allie told me that Darcy was missing,” she said and put the dog back on the ground.

  “You know Darcy?” he said, trying to ignore the scrap of dog sniffing at his heels.

  “She was a great student, always had her assignments in on time. Math wasn’t her strongest subject, but she studied hard and managed to pull As every time. I hope you find her. From what I know of her, it really isn’t like her to just take off like this. Crap. Where are my manners?” she asked. “Can I get you something to drink? Water, soda? Beer?”

  “Water would be great.”

  When she left, he rose from the couch and headed over to some pictures grouped on a shelf. His gaze fell first to the old picture of the two of them as kids, trying to smile against the bright summer sun. He was around ten. From the swimsuits, he guessed they’d been playing in the sprinklers that day, forgetting for that mo
ment the troubles that usually drew a shadow over their young lives, although he spotted a faint bruise under his right eye.

  There was another photo of Claire and their mom at Claire’s college graduation. The love they had for each other was evident in their eyes and the warm hug they posed in. Mom looked frail, and he knew that within six months of that picture she’d be gone. Guilt assailed him, as it usually did. He hadn’t been around—had been serving his first tour.

  The next photo, the one front and center, drew his brow in a frown. Some guy with a lopsided grin and a toothy smile with his arms wrapped around Claire. She was entirely too good for the schmuck.

  “That’s Rick. I’ve written you about him. It was taken over Christmas break up at Deer Valley. He’d just proposed.”

  He took the bottled water she was holding toward him. Yeah. She’d told him about the guy. And how he’d practically proposed right after their first date. Sounded hinky, if you asked Travis. Like if he waited too long she’d come to her senses and see something she didn’t like. Travis hated him already.

  She held up her left hand and gave him a good look at the massive diamond perched there.

  “The guy wanted to stake his claim on you pretty quick, don’t you think?”

  She looked exasperated at him. “If you’d bother to come and see me every once in a while you’d have met him by now and you’d know what a great guy he is.”

  Still skeptical, he asked, “What do you know about this guy? What’s he involved in?”

  She rolled her eyes dramatically and dropped to the couch. “No. You’re not going to go all annoying brother on me, and you are not going to start any kind of background check on him. He’s a good man. Solid. And…he’s not like Dad. He would never harm me. More importantly”—she met his eyes—“I’m not like Mom. I would never accept it. Or forgive.”

  “Sorry,” he offered and smiled. Lying was probably best, since as soon as he left he was calling Jace, the head of the security firm he worked for and also his friend, and starting a thorough background check on this guy. “Old habits die hard. If you’re happy and you say this guy is good—then I’m happy for you and I’ll leave it at that.”

  “Thank you. You’ll like him. Really. He’s out of town right now at some horse racing event—he loves following the races—but he’ll be back tomorrow. I wrote you about the big centennial gala the school is having? Well, it’s Saturday—heck. What am I saying. You probably already know. I forgot you’re working with the wicked witch herself. Doubt she could let you forget that momentous occasion and all the work she’s put into it. Probably even warned you to have this wrapped up by then so as not to interfere with her plans.”

  Travis took his seat on the couch again. Meredith had mentioned it—briefly. Almost as if she’d forgotten it. It didn’t seem to be a priority to her anymore. More carefully he said, “I caught wind of it, yes.”

  “I bet.” She snorted. “I know she’s a client and all, but how are you handling working with her? Should I be digging a plot out back in case we need to hide her body? I’d totally understand if you snapped and dropped her off a cliff or something.”

  “Well, she is Meredith. Likes to be in control. This thing with her daughter has her off her game a little. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still a bossy pain in the ass, but I can relate to her.”

  “Huh. Well, glad it’s you rather than me. Do you have any leads?”

  “Not really. Looks like Darcy was either drunk or drugged the last time her boyfriend saw her at some rave downtown, just before she slipped out with some other sketchy kid. Actually, the boyfriend said the kid had been a former student at St. Andrew. Matt or something. Dropped out a couple of years ago—or was kicked out? Do you know who he might mean?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry. Not off the top of my head, but I’ll look into it. Maybe call Allie and see if we can figure it out. Do you think—is it possible that something’s already happened to her?”

  “Can’t say. I’ve called in a favor with a friend. Someone who’s good at digging up stuff, finding patterns that no one else has seen, who might be able to offer some insight. But in the meantime, I still have some leads I’m tracking. Which reminds me. I need to borrow your car tonight.”

  “My Bonnie?” He assumed she was referencing the twenty-plus-year-old baby-blue Oldsmobile out front. “I saw the car you pulled up in. What the heck would you want my car for?” When he didn’t respond, she added. “Only if you leave the keys to the Rover out there on the table. Allie and her grandmother Molly will get a kick out of being chauffeured in that tomorrow. We’re giving golf lessons a try. You can have it back by noon.”

  He tossed her the keys.

  Seeing Meredith’s reaction to the blue beast tomorrow was going to be interesting. Hell, just seeing her again was going to be interesting. Period.

  Refusing to analyze this any further, he headed out, the sound of that pesky dog following behind him.

  …

  It was after ten and Meredith was on her third Diet Coke when the doorbell chimed, nearly knocking her off the bar stool where she’d spent the last hour researching things she probably shouldn’t have.

  Like kidnappings.

  Who would be calling on her this late—

  Horror filled her, and she couldn’t move for a moment. The police could be standing outside her door right now.

  Waiting to tell her that her daughter was dead.

  She leaped from the stool and pulled the door open. No blue-clothed officers. The adrenaline ran out of her as quickly as it came. Instead, the small frail frame of her next-door neighbor met her.

  “Mrs. Whitcomb. What are you doing here so late?”

  “I don’t sleep so much these days, and I couldn’t help but see your light was still on. Wanted to check in and see if you heard anything about that daughter of yours. Have the police started looking?”

  “No. Nothing.” Meredith couldn’t even force a smile to stretch across her face. She’d shared her concerns with her neighbor earlier because she’d needed someone to keep a lookout at home. In case Darcy showed up. But it didn’t sit well. Asking someone for help like this. Was she supposed to invite her in now and talk about it over tea? Allie would, no doubt.

  Not Meredith’s style, though. “I’m not sure what the police are doing at this point, but I’ve hired someone to look into it.”

  The old woman nodded. “Good. Like I told you earlier, I’d call you the moment I saw Darcy but there was nothing to report. Still, I wanted to check in. My prayers are with you, and I’ve told a few of the ladies from church, too, and we’re all keeping you two in mind.”

  She turned to go, and Meredith felt an odd sort of gratefulness to the woman. Having never really spoken to her or any of her neighbors save for a quick wave hello or good-bye, it had been hard going to her to ask for anything. But she’d swallowed any pride and done it, not sure of the response. It appeared people were nicer than she’d given them credit. “Thank you, Mrs. Whitcomb, for your help. I won’t forget this kindness.”

  The woman stopped and waved her hand, “Phfft. It was nothing. I just can’t imagine what you’re going through. This is a good neighborhood. We look out for each other. In fact…” She paused as she mulled something over. “Like I said, I don’t sleep much. Restless. Usually sit up in the front room watching some silly show or another. Keeping an eye outside. A few nights ago there was a strange car parked across the street from you, over by the McMullins’. Except the guy in the car never got out to see them or anyone. After about fifteen minutes, I finally opened my front door and turned on the porch light. That got his attention, and he left straight away. Never seen him since. Don’t know if that has any connection with your daughter. But maybe it could be important.”

  Meredith didn’t know either, but it was strange. Why stake out her house? Or anyone’s? Was it possible it was Bryce? Maybe trying to see if Darcy could meet him? “Can you remember anything about the car? Or the guy insi
de? What they looked like?”

  “Sorry, hon. I can’t tell one car from another. It was dark—could have been black or dark blue, maybe. Couldn’t make out anything about the driver, either. Short hair—which is why I’m certain it was male. But it could have been brown or blond for all I know.”

  “Can you do me one more favor? If you see that car again—no matter what time it is—please call me? It may be nothing, but I want to make sure there’s no connection between him and Darcy.”

  With assurances from the woman, Meredith thanked her again and said good night. She returned to the kitchen, thinking about who could have been across the street.

  She was antsy. Darcy was God knew where, terrified, hurt, or worse, she could be—no. She wasn’t going there. However, there was no chance Meredith was getting any sleep tonight. The last place her daughter was seen was that warehouse. Just last night.

  She knew what she was going to do next.

  …

  Travis twisted his head around left, then right, trying to get the crick out of his neck. He’d spent the past two hours sitting nearly motionless in Bonnie’s front seat staking out the warehouse he’d visited earlier. The air was hot and stifling, even with the windows down.

  He tried to stretch his legs but smacked his knees against the steering column. What the hell was this Rick thinking letting Claire drive such a sad piece-of-shit car? Although, knowing his sister—scrappy and independent—she’d have told him where to stick any well-intended gift. He smiled as he thought about the amazing woman she’d become, despite the odds.

  Then his thoughts just as quickly turned to Meredith. Unlike Claire, she’d had everything money could buy growing up, along with an indulgent father, who, from all accounts, helped to feed that enormous ego. She’d been mean back in high school. Terrifyingly so.

  That would have been the extent of his knowledge of Meredith Sanders up until a few hours ago. And he wasn’t sure if he liked the information he’d since discovered. He had liked the nice, easy label of Devious Diva he’d given her. But discovering in her background check that her own mother had run out on her when she was a kid, just like Darcy’s, threw a wrench in his perception.