Colton Manhunt

by Jane Godman

  After removing a stack of files from a chair, Spencer pulled it close to the desk and set one of the coffees in front of it. He reached into a drawer and took out a handful of creamers and sugar sachets. “Use plenty of them. Trust me, it’s the only way to drink it.”

  His visitor sat down, and Dobby immediately jumped onto her lap. As she wrapped a protective arm around him, Spencer caught a glimpse of the logo on her T-shirt. He couldn’t make out the words, but the picture was a silhouette of a woman and a dog high-fiving each other.

  “Colton?” she asked. As Spencer took his own seat and pulled a pad and pen toward him, he was acutely aware of those full-beam eyes watching him. “As in the Coltons?”

  “Yes and no. My dad and Payne Colton were distant cousins.” He laughed. “I’m not part of the dynasty.”

  “I’m sorry. You must get tired of explaining that.”

  He shrugged. “If you live in Mustang Valley and your name is Colton, you get used to it. But we aren’t here to talk about me. Let’s start with some basics.” He wrote the date at the top of a blank page. “Name?”

  “Katrina Perry.” She gave him her contact details and date of birth.

  “And the person you wish to report missing?”

  “My twin sister, Eliza Perry.”

  “You’re a twin?” Spencer looked up from his notes.

  “Yes.” She frowned. “Is that important?”

  “No. It’s just that I’m a triplet. I guess it hit a nerve.”

  “Wow.” For the first time, her expression relaxed. “I thought being one of two was hard. Can’t imagine three.”

  They shared a brief, sympathetic smile. Giving himself a slight shake, Spencer returned to his notes. “We can go into details of Eliza’s physical description, identifying features and personal information later. For now, I’d like you to tell me why you believe she’s missing.”

  “If you check your database, you’ll see this isn’t the first time I’ve made a report of this type.” Katrina took a slug of her coffee. She shuddered slightly as the acrid taste she knew so well hit. “But I’m not some eccentric who does this for fun. My sister is a drug addict... She was a drug addict.” She pushed back her hair with a shaking hand. “She has lapses, lives on the fringes of the lifestyle, but she’d gotten herself clean—”

  “I’m not here to judge your sister,” Spencer said. “If she’s in danger, it’s my job to help her.”

  “Thank you.” She chewed on her lower lip for a moment or two. He’d seen this inner battle so many times in his job. It was natural for a relative to want to protect the privacy of their loved ones. At the same time, the police needed to know the important details. “Eliza had been in a rehab program about twelve months ago, and she was doing well. Ours isn’t an easy relationship.”

  “How could it be? Addiction is a cruel disease and people who suffer from it make bad choices. That has to be hard on both of you.”

  She shot him a glance that was half surprise, half gratitude. “Most people don’t get that. What Eliza wants from me are the things I can’t give her. Money, a shoulder to cry on, unlimited amounts of my time...” She shook her head. “Over the years, I’ve tried my best to get the balance right. If she needs help with living expenses, I make payments direct to her creditors instead of giving her cash. I’ve gotten expert advice every step of the way. Physicians, addiction counselors, therapists—I can list them all in the Mustang Valley region and beyond.”

  “From what you’re saying, although Eliza has gone missing before, this situation feels different?”

  Katrina nodded. “The other times I could sense it coming. This time, everything was fine. Until the earthquake.”

  Spencer frowned. “The earthquake was almost two months ago. Has your sister been missing since then?”

  “I’m not sure what the time frame is.” She hitched in a breath. “I hadn’t heard from her for a few months prior to the quake, but that wasn’t unusual. I knew she had an apartment and she was working with her counselors. When the earthquake hit, I texted and called her a bunch of times to check she was okay. Eliza finally responded that she was fine, although her apartment had been destroyed. She said she was being helped by a relief organization called the Affirmation Alliance Group and they had provided her with accommodation. After that, all my subsequent messages went unanswered. Today, I drove out to the AAG ranch to check on her.”

  “Why only today?”

  “It sounds silly...” She shook her head. “I saw a dog that reminded me of Dobby and confided in a friend. She persuaded me that no matter how angry it might make Eliza if she thought I was interfering, I should go and make sure she was okay.”

  “Your friend was right. But I take it she wasn’t there?”

  “No. At first, the welcome manager at the AAG gave me an empty smile and tried to tell me she hadn’t heard of Eliza. Then, she checked with a couple of security-type guys. They told me my sister stayed for two nights in April, then left without telling anyone where she was going.”

  Spencer looked up from circling “security-type guys” on his pad. “Is there a reason why you have a problem with that story, given that your sister has a history of taking off?”

  “Dobby is my reason.” At the sound of his name, the comical-looking dog wagged his tail. “He’s Eliza’s. They tried to tell me she left him behind.” Tears filled her eyes. “But she would never do that. She’d die first.”

  * * *

  Katrina figured that the good-looking police sergeant had probably written her off as trouble around the time she crashed into him in the lobby. But telling him she believed Eliza would die before she’d leave Dobby? Surely, that added up to a whole new layer of concern about her sibling’s well-being.

  At first glance, Spencer Colton’s blond hair and blue eyes could have appeared boyish, but the strength of his features, combined with a tall, powerful body, confirmed his potent masculinity.

  Yes, he was handsome, but why should she care what he thought of her? Her sister’s safety was the only thing that mattered. And she was starting to believe that something bad had happened to Eliza. Even so, this would be a whole lot easier if she could convince Spencer to take her concerns seriously.

  He continued making notes, apparently unshaken by her dramatic statement. When he looked up, she allowed herself to be reassured by the warmth of his smile. But then she remembered that life didn’t work that way. Depending on other people was a waste of time and emotion. Although she needed his help to find Eliza, the only person she could rely on was herself.

  “Based on what you’ve told me about the uncomfortable feelings you got from the AAG, I guess you’d like me to investigate the circumstances of your sister’s departure from their ranch. And also, of course, try to discover her current whereabouts. Can you explain why you didn’t try to reach out to her before now? And why you’ve only come to the conclusion that she’s missing today?”

  “As I’ve said, ours isn’t an easy relationship. Although she depends on me for money and comes to me for help when she’s in trouble, Eliza values her independence. If she suspects I’m trying to interfere in her life, I’m scared that she might disappear for good.” Katrina sighed. “And, although I hadn’t seen her for a few months, until the earthquake, I knew she was still in Mustang Valley because I got regular reports from her counselors that she was engaging with them. It was only when I went to the AAG Center and found out that she’d only stayed there two days that I realized she was missing.

  “As for the AAG, uncomfortable doesn’t come close to how I felt. That place was creepy.” She shivered slightly. “I know that’s probably not helpful from an investigative point of view.”

  Spencer tapped his pen on the table. “You’d be surprised how useful intuition can be. But the AAG is very visible in Mustang Valley and they seem to be doing a lot of good.”

  �
��But...?” She knew he was unlikely to tell her anything that linked to an ongoing investigation, but Katrina could sense a wariness in his voice that made her even more concerned.

  “Let’s just say, they are on my radar.” He flipped his pad closed. “I hope to find they are as charitable as they appear.”

  She swallowed hard. “And you’ll let me know what you find out? About Eliza?”

  “Of course.” There was that look again. Just the right side of sympathetic. “I know you’ll have been given the standard speech in the past about how some people don’t want to be found, but I can see how painful this is for you. I’m close to both my siblings, and I’d be worried out of my mind if either of them had gone missing in this way. We can’t say for sure that Eliza is missing until I’ve undertaken further investigations, but I’ll do everything I can to help.”

  Tears prickled the back of her eyelids again, and she blinked rapidly. Getting emotional over an offer of support from a stranger was a new experience, but it had been a tough day. She needed to get some fresh air and recharge her batteries.

  “Looks like you’ve got yourself a cute companion. At least until we find Eliza.” Spencer reached out a hand and ruffled Dobby’s ears.

  Dobby was cute. But it took a genuine animal lover to see past his imperfections. It was another reason to like Spencer Colton. Although, at the moment, he was staring at his desk in confusion.

  “Did one of you eat my sandwich?”

  “Ah.” She felt the blush rise in her cheeks. “Dobby may be cute, but he is also a food thief.”

  To her relief, Spencer grinned. “Are you sure it was Dobby?” He nodded to the dog, who was gazing into space, licking his lips. “He looks a picture of innocence.”

  Katrina sighed as she got to her feet. “To be honest, I’d forgotten about the food stealing. I’ll have to theft-proof my kitchen. And my own dog might not be happy at the arrival of an unexpected house guest. Holly is a sweetheart. But she likes having me all to herself.”

  “You work with dogs?” He indicated her uniform.

  “I’m a dog trainer. My business premises are over on Bridge Street—”

  “Look Who’s Walking? That’s your place?” When she nodded, he laughed. “I drive past on my way to work each day and Boris always tries to stick his head out of the window to get a sniff at what’s going on.”

  She stooped to pat the scent dog on the head. “You should stop by sometime when Boris is off duty. Play dates can be fun.”

  When she straightened, Spencer’s blue eyes appeared brighter than ever. Had that offer sounded like something other than a doggy get-together to him? Was there a chance he thought the play date was for the two of them? She could either dig herself in deeper or leave.

  “I should...” Explain. “Um...” Go. She pointed to the door.

  “Yeah. I’ll be in touch.” He held the door open and she scooted around him to get through it.

  Hurrying along the corridor toward the lobby with her face burning, she tucked the dog under one arm as she scrabbled in her pocket for her keys. “Great,” she muttered under her breath. “Now he thinks I’m annoying and desperate. Such a good look, don’t you think, Dobby?”

  “Katrina?”

  Spencer’s voice just behind her startled her into uttering an undignified squeak. Swinging around abruptly, she found herself face-to-face with the person she’d just been talking about. From his expression, she was fairly sure he had overheard her comments to Dobby.

  “You left your keys in my office.”

  * * *

  It had been a long day. Spencer had a dozen cases that took priority over Katrina Perry’s missing sister. But as he left the MVPD building and crossed the parking lot to his car, he couldn’t shake the image of the pain in her beautiful eyes as she talked about her visit to the AAG ranch and her certainty that something bad had happened to Eliza.

  “Can’t hurt to pay a visit,” he commented to Boris as he secured the dog in his air-conditioned compartment at the rear of the vehicle. “It’s only ten miles in the wrong direction.”

  He’d hinted to Katrina that he had his own concerns about the AAG, but he hadn’t shared any of the details with her. She hadn’t been the first person to describe a feeling of creepiness about the organization, although she was the only one to make an outright allegation against anyone connected with a group that appeared to be doing nothing but good. Spencer’s own suspicions centered on one specific AAG member named Harley Watts.

  Following the attempt on Payne Colton’s life, one of the Colton Oil IT guys had tracked down Harley through the dark web, finding rambling references that were troubling enough for the police to get a search warrant. They found the email to the Colton Oil board members about Ace Colton’s birth on Harley’s laptop, and then arrested him. His story was that he’d been asked to send the email by a friend, and since then, he had refused to say anything more. Spencer had tried making a deal for leniency with the DA to get Harley to talk, but the guy was adamant. He was no snitch. He pointed out that he’d been charged under interference-with-commerce laws for his implied threats of exposure regarding the secrets affecting the structure of Colton Oil. The evidence on his computer was enough to put him behind bars, so he may as well stay loyal.

  Like everything else connected to the Payne Colton shooting, it was frustrating because it led nowhere. Spencer had no reason to believe that the friend who had asked Harley to send the email was a member of the AAG, even though he had used the organization’s server. But where was the harm in exploring the theory that Harley’s “loyalty” was to someone within the group?

  Making inquiries about Eliza Perry would give him a chance to check out the headquarters. He could also ask the tough questions that might not have occurred to Katrina. Like what her sister’s behavior had been in the days before she left town and whom she had been hanging out with. Spencer had seen many missing-persons cases that involved substance abuse and, privately, he suspected that Eliza could have drifted back into her old ways. As much as he hoped to be able to give Katrina other news, he doubted that would be the case.

  When he arrived at the AAG ranch, he spent a few minutes behind the wheel of his car, checking out the exterior of the beautiful building. From this viewpoint, it was hard to understand the feeling of creepiness Katrina had described. On the contrary, it appeared the AAG leaders had gone out of their way to create an open, inviting atmosphere.

  As he alighted from his vehicle, and released Boris from his compartment, it occurred to him that the place appeared almost deserted. The impression was reinforced when he entered the lobby and found it empty. Frowning, he approached some of the doors that led off the reception area. The delicious smell of cooking food and the sound of voices drew him along a corridor. As he reached the end, he could see into a large room with a long table, where about thirty people, including adults and children, were seated.

  The sound of footsteps behind him caused him to turn. An attractive, well-dressed blonde woman, who he judged to be in her midsixties, was approaching him. As she closed the distance between them, Spencer could see her blue eyes sizing him and Boris up.

  “Hi. I’m Micheline Anderson, leader of the Affirmation Alliance Group.” Her smile was warm. “I don’t think we’ve met?”

  “Sergeant Spencer Colton, Mustang Valley Police.” Spencer was used to reading people’s reaction when he introduced himself. Micheline’s open expression didn’t change. “I’m trying to track down a missing person who was last seen on these premises.”

  “Oh, goodness.” Her tone was sympathetic. “I got a message earlier today that a family member had been asking some questions. We’ll do everything we can to help, of course.” She waved a hand toward the dining room. “Please, ask anything you need to.”

  Although she gave the impression of being helpful, Spencer felt a twinge of annoyance. He was a police
officer. He didn’t need permission to do his job.

  “Perhaps I could start with you? The missing woman is called Eliza Perry and she is known to have stayed at this ranch prior to her disappearance in April.”

  Micheline shook her head. “I’m afraid you are asking the wrong person. Although I’m the AAG founder and leader, I don’t live on the premises. My home is nearby and I’m here most days, but I don’t know the names of all our guests. Think of my role as that of CEO of a large business. You wouldn’t expect me to deal with every client on a day-to-day basis, would you?”

  Her manner was easy and natural and he could see how her group attracted so many people. He figured that Micheline would be good at making anyone feel comfortable. She had also skillfully closed down his line of questioning before he’d begun.

  “And we’ve been so busy since April, when the earthquake struck.” With the lightest of touches to his arm, Micheline guided Spencer into the dining room. A few glances were cast his way, but no one appeared troubled by his presence. “Let me introduce you to Leigh Dennings, our welcome manager.”

  Micheline beckoned to an attractive young woman. As soon as Leigh got close, Spencer recognized the “empty smile” of Katrina’s description. Flipping back her hair, she gave him a measuring look from beneath the sweep of her long lashes.

  “Why, Micheline, I hope you’re not planning to keep this handsome guest all to yourself.” The tone was flirty, but Spencer caught the questioning look that she threw her boss. It appeared that Leigh didn’t make a move without getting instructions first.

  “The sergeant here wants to ask some questions about a missing person,” Micheline said. “I’ve assured him that we will cooperate any way we can.”

  Spencer watched the way Leigh’s gaze flickered across the room to where two men were finishing up their meal. They were dressed casually, and there was nothing suspicious about their manner. Even so, he sensed they were watching him closely. He figured they must be the security types Katrina had described.