Grave Seasons (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 8)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “No, love, I did not.”

  Dwight barked out a laugh, seemingly tickled at their interplay. “You guys are pretty funny. I’m glad you found some happiness, Maddie. You deserve it. The first time this guy called me, though, I was convinced you were in deep trouble and I was going to have to come up here and bail you out.”

  Maddie knit her eyebrows together. “I don’t need anyone to bail me out,” she said. “Even if I did manage to find trouble, I would never expect you to run to my rescue.”

  “Yes, that’s my job.” Nick cringed as Maddie playfully slapped his leg. “I didn’t say I didn’t love my work, Mad.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you expect me to help you or not,” Dwight said. “I owe you, Maddie. You helped me so many times I lost count. You reunited all of those families and never wanted credit.

  “In fact you demanded I never tell anyone you helped me,” he continued. “I got all the credit and you did all the heavy lifting. It hardly seems fair.”

  “Life isn’t fair, and you did a lot of work,” Maddie countered. “You were the one who rescued the people. I just found them.”

  “Well, I don’t think we need to spend the entire night propping the other up,” Dwight said. “I just don’t want you putting yourself down. You’re a good girl. You did good things. That last case that happened … .”

  Dwight left the sentence hanging as Nick cast a sidelong look at Maddie. He knew a couple of cases went bad while she worked in the city and she was haunted by a few of them. She never wanted to talk about them, though, so he didn’t press her,

  “We don’t need to discuss that,” Maddie said, staring into her mug. “It’s not important.”

  “I think it is, but I’m not going to dictate to you,” Dwight said. “Especially since I’m here to ask you for a favor.”

  “You don’t have to ask,” Maddie said. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

  Nick’s mouth dropped open at the easy way Maddie rolled over and exposed her tender underbelly to Dwight. “Wait a second, Mad, you can’t agree to that without hearing what he has to say.”

  Maddie moved her bottom jaw around as she tamped down her temper, and when she did speak, it was in an even tone. “I love you more than anything, Nicky, but you’re not my king and you can’t command me to do what you want.”

  “That’s not what I was doing!”

  “Wasn’t it?”

  Nick made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat as he tugged a restless hand through his hair. This conversation had the potential to get out of hand really quickly.

  “It’s okay,” Dwight said, breaking the chilly silence. “He has a right to be concerned about you. I believe last time we talked he told me you live together. You’re sharing a life, Maddie. I think that means he gets a say in what you get involved with.”

  “He can voice his opinion all he wants,” Maddie said. “I’m still going to help you. What do you need?”

  Dwight glanced at Nick, as if asking permission.

  “Go ahead,” Nick prodded. “She’s going to do what she wants no matter what. Frankly, I’m dying to hear what you’re going to say. If I don’t like it, though, be prepared for a big fight.”

  “I hope it won’t come to that,” Dwight said. “I don’t want to infringe on Maddie’s life. That’s not why I’m here.”

  “So why are you here?”

  “Because my daughter went missing and I’m afraid she’s dead.” Dwight uttered the words in a matter-of-fact tone as Nick’s heart dropped and Maddie gasped. “Maddie can see ghosts and she gets psychic … inklings, for lack of a better word. If my daughter is alive, I need to find her. If she’s dead, I need to get her back to her mother. It will kill my wife, but never knowing what happened to her will be worse.”

  “Oh my … .” Maddie was horrified.

  “Where did she go missing?” Nick asked, all business. He knew there was no way Maddie would turn down Dwight, especially knowing it was his daughter who was missing. Despite his misgivings, Nick wanted to help the man, too. He looked somehow broken; not at all like the man Maddie described to him months before.

  “She’s a student at that liberal arts college over in Traverse City,” Dwight explained. “I wanted her to go to business school, but she’s always wanted to be a writer. We compromised and she opted to go to school here but take the occasional business class.

  “My wife didn’t like that she was four hours away from home, but I thought the location was actually a bonus,” he continued. “The campus is small and everything is located close enough to walk to every important location. I figured that would cut down on any accidents … you know, boozing and such … and allow her to stick close to her friends when walking to and from school and parties.”

  “How old is she?” Nick asked.

  “Sage is eighteen,” Dwight replied. “This is her first year of college.”

  “I remember the photograph you had in your car,” Maddie mused, her gaze distant. “She looked young in it.”

  “She was young,” Dwight said. “The first time you got in my car was five years ago, Maddie. She was thirteen when that photograph was taken. You were always so mesmerized by it I left it there because I knew you somehow identified with it.

  “At first I thought it was because you were close with your father,” he continued. “That didn’t seem likely after you never mentioned him. There was something about the photo you liked, though, so I never switched it out.”

  “I did like that photo, but not for the reasons you think,” Maddie said. “I liked it because you were smiling and making a goofy face. I never got to see that side of you. As for my father … well … he’s not part of the equation.”

  Nick rested his hand on Maddie’s knee under the table to give her support. “Maddie’s mother raised her alone,” he said. “Well, I guess it’s more apt to say she raised her with her grandmother’s help. Maddie never knew her father.”

  “Well, that’s his loss,” Dwight said. “Maddie, you grew into a fine woman. He has no idea what he’s missing.”

  “Thank you.”

  “As for Sage, when was the last time you talked to her?” Nick asked.

  “It’s been almost two weeks,” Dwight replied. “That’s not uncommon. We generally talked every two weeks. When she first got to the campus she called every few days. Those calls tapered off to every two weeks. I was fine with that because I knew she was having fun. Her mother was another story.

  “When my wife called to talk to Sage, her cell phone’s voicemail was full,” he continued. “We called the roommates and they said they hadn’t seen her in days and it never occurred to them that she might be missing. They thought she was just hooking up.”

  Nick could tell the words pained Dwight to admit. No matter how old Sage grew to be, she was still his baby. “Did you trace the phone?”

  “Yeah. It pinged on the campus tower several days ago and then went dead. It’s not active.”

  “That doesn’t mean it’s been destroyed,” Nick said. “It could’ve run out of battery life for all we know. That doesn’t necessarily mean something bad.”

  “I’m a cop, so I know how lame this is going to sound to another cop because I’ve heard it all before on missing person’s cases, but Sage is not the type of girl who would just take off and party for a week without telling anyone,” Dwight said. “She’s either been taken or killed. I’m not sure which one is worse.”

  Nick knew what the man was talking about without him going into great detail. Sage was a young woman. If she was taken, it was likely for only one reason – and that reason was sexual in nature.

  “Well, then I guess our first step is going to the college,” Nick said. “We can’t trace her steps if we don’t see what she saw.”

  “We?” Dwight cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Are you helping?”

  “I’m off this week so that won’t be a problem,” Nick said. “Maddie is going to help you no matter what and I’m g
oing to help her no matter what. There’s really no sense arguing.”

  “Oh, son, I wasn’t going to argue,” Dwight said. “I was going to thank you. I don’t know this area well and I could use all the help I can get.”

  “Then let’s get moving,” Nick said, getting to his feet. “We have a daughter to find.”

  Dwight flashed a legitimately appreciative smile. “One way or another.”

  Maddie impulsively leaned across the table and grabbed Dwight’s hand, giving it a good squeeze. “We’ll find her. I promise.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Dwight said. “I’ve told you that numerous times, young lady. I don’t expect you to find her. It’s not fair to put that weight on your shoulders. I just need you to do your best.”

  Nick instantly liked the man for taking the onus of the investigation off Maddie. She was having none of it, though.

  “Have a little faith, Dwight,” she said. “Some things have happy endings. It surprised me, too, but if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”

  Nick’s heart warmed when he realized she was talking about him. “Get your coat and boots, Mad. We need to move on this now. Let’s see if we can find Sage before Thanksgiving. Then we’ll really have something to be thankful about.”

  4

  Four

  “Do you know which dorm she was in?”

  Nick insisted on driving once they left Maddie’s house – mostly because Dwight didn’t know the area very well – and Dwight took the passenger’s seat. Maddie was happy to take the back seat in Nick’s Ford Explorer. It gave her time to think while the two men chatted over the course of the thirty-minute drive.

  “Lester Hall,” Dwight replied. “We brought her here the day she moved in, but we came in from the other direction and I’m not sure where the building is.”

  “I think that’s on the other side of campus,” Nick said. “I’m pretty sure I know the way.” He navigated the streets of the small college campus as if he visited on a regular basis, but since he attended a different college, Maddie was suddenly suspicious.

  “I guess it’s lucky you’re driving,” Dwight said, chuckling hollowly. “I’d already be lost. I can find my way around the city just fine. Going to the country is like going to an entirely different world.”

  “Well, when Maddie and I visit you in the city, you can drive us around because I’ll be lost,” Nick said. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been here a time or two.”

  “Yeah, why is that?” Maddie asked, leaning forward in the backseat so she could meet Nick’s steady gaze in the rearview mirror. “You didn’t go here.”

  “No.” Nick shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. “I visited some friends here when I was in college, though.”

  “Who?”

  “Just friends from high school.”

  “Well, I was your best friend in high school, so I’m sure we knew the same people,” Maddie prodded. “Who did you visit here?”

  Nick wrinkled his nose as he made a right turn. “I … um … don’t recall.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Maddie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head to stare out the window. “I’m sure she was lovely.”

  “Oh, Mad, don’t be like that,” Nick chided. “You abandoned me, remember?”

  “I remember,” Maddie said, guilt pricking at her stomach. She had no reason to be upset. She left Nick and attended college down south. He phoned on a regular basis until she started dodging his calls, convinced it would be easier on both of them if she severed ties. He was lost without her and dated a wide bevy of women in her absence. He was known as a leaver – not a lover – for years. Maddie was the person who changed that for the better when she returned. Still, it drove her crazy to picture him running around campus with a different beauty on his arm every night.

  “You cannot be angry at me for something I did in college,” Nick said. “That’s not allowed.”

  “I’m not angry.”

  “You’re totally ticked off,” Nick countered. “You’re sitting back there pouting. It’s not very becoming, Mad.”

  Maddie shifted her eyes back to the mirror and offered Nick a slit-eyed glare. Her sea-blue eyes shone brightly thanks to the sun, and while she was trying to look mean, Nick thought she was adorable.

  Dwight chuckled, breaking the silence. “You two are a trip,” he said. “I like it, though. Maddie was never this animated down in the city.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Nick stopped at a traffic light and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he considered how deep he wanted to delve into Maddie’s time away from him. He made up his mind relatively quickly. “What was she like?”

  Dwight didn’t miss a beat when answering. “Incredibly sad.”

  Nick’s heart rolled at the admission. He was furious when Maddie abandoned him, confused because he had no idea what crazy ideas fueled her decision. He soothed his wounded heart with booze and women throughout his college years and then distanced himself emotionally from anyone but family after that. Despite his pain, he was pretty sure Maddie had it worse.

  “I wasn’t sad,” Maddie interjected, her voice small. “I was just … alone.”

  “You were sad,” Dwight said. “You never smiled. You were so thin and tiny I worried you didn’t have enough food to eat. I was going to take you groceries one day because I was so worried and my wife told me that was weird because I barely knew you.”

  “That would’ve definitely been weird,” Maddie said. “I probably would’ve hid if you knocked on my door. No one ever visited me.”

  Nick fought the inexplicable urge to cry. The thought of her being alone year after year – sitting in a drab apartment with no one to talk to because she didn’t have any friends – was enough to break him. “Maddie, I don’t think we should talk about that.”

  “Why not?” Dwight asked, confused.

  “Nick feels guilty because I was alone,” Maddie explained. “He blames himself even though I’m the one who made all of the mistakes.”

  “Not all of the mistakes,” Nick said. “I should’ve come after you. I knew you breaking off contact didn’t make sense, but I was so … butthurt … I didn’t think about what you were going through. I only cared about myself.”

  “Oh, Nicky, stop blaming yourself,” Maddie said. “I did it. You’re the hero in our story. You’re definitely my hero, that’s for sure.”

  “Oh, you two are so adorable I kind of want to puke,” Dwight intoned. “Are you always like this?”

  “I think it depends on who you ask,” Nick replied.

  “What will most people say?”

  “That we’re sickeningly sweet and they want to run us over with their cars.”

  Dwight barked out a sharp laugh as Nick parked, sobering when he recognized the building his daughter called home the past few months. “It feels so strange to be here without her.”

  “We’ll find her,” Maddie said, resting her hand on Dwight’s arm. “It’s going to be okay.”

  Nick killed the Explorer’s engine and then climbed out of the vehicle, Maddie following suit. Nick grabbed the front of her shirt before she could wander ahead and pressed a fervent kiss to her mouth, taking her by surprise.

  “What was that for?” Maddie gasped, pressing her hand to his chest. “I’m kind of mad at you.”

  “No, you’re not,” Nick said. “You want to be angry, but you know that holding a grudge for something that happened ten years ago is a waste of time.”

  “How do I know she was a waste of time?” Maddie challenged.

  “Because she wasn’t you.”

  The simple answer was enough to warm Maddie’s body even as a cool breeze hit her head on. “I love you, Nicky.”

  “I love you, my Maddie.” Nick cupped the back of her head and kissed her forehead before releasing her. He was utilizing his cop face when he joined Dwight at the front of the vehicle. “Let’s try questioning the kids as if we’re not worried and w
e’re just trying to find her for a good reason first.”

  “How come?” Maddie asked, confused. “Wouldn’t they be more likely to help if they thought it was a life-or-death situation?”

  “You would think so, but no,” Dwight replied. “Nick is right. Kids don’t trust authority figures. Even though Nick and I aren’t in uniform, they’re going to know we’re cops if we question them the wrong way.”

  “I still don’t get it,” Maddie said. “Why wouldn’t they want to help?”

  “Think about when you were in college, Mad,” Nick prodded. “What did you have in your dorm room?”

  “Books. Clothes. Diet Coke.”

  Nick made an adorable face as he shook his head. “Oh, you’re so cute I can’t stand it. I forgot what a goody-goody you were back then.”

  “I was not a goody-goody!”

  “You were,” Nick argued. “You wouldn’t even sip my beer at the senior party because you said we weren’t twenty-one.”

  “I’ll have you know I drank tons of beer when I was in college,” Maddie said. “I drank those big metal things of it. What are they called? Barrels! I drank barrels of beer.”

  “Yes, you’re a hardcore drinker, love,” Nick said, slipping an arm around her shoulders. “They’re called kegs, by the way.”

  “Kegs! I knew that. I just forgot the word. I drank kegs!”

  A couple of students glanced in their direction as the trio passed. Nick offered the students an easy smile before admonishing Maddie to lower her voice. “Mad, we don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves,” he chided. “We’re here for a friendly visit. Remember? We’re not here on official business.”

  “I remember.”

  “That’s good,” Nick said. “Don’t forget.”

  Dwight remembered the way to Sage’s room, and when the small group exited the elevator they found the hallway mostly quiet.

  “I don’t remember it being empty like this when I was in college,” Maddie said.

  “It’s Thanksgiving week,” Nick reminded her. “Kids have classes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Then they have an extended weekend. A lot of the students skip the early week classes or take them online for those days so they can have a longer break.”