Missing Her

by Brenda Chapman

  After a hot shower, I dressed in jeans and a warm pullover. When I entered the kitchen, Dad was standing at the stove frying bacon and scrambling eggs. He glanced at me as I poured a cup of coffee.

  “You look rough this morning, kiddo. Trouble sleeping?” he asked.

  “I saw every hour on the clock all night long.” I took a drink of coffee and leaned against the counter. “Can you help me track someone down today, Dad?”

  “Most certainly. I’m driving Evan over to a buddy’s house after we eat so I have nothing but time.”

  “I’ll update my files and we can talk when you get back.”

  After we’d eaten and Dad and Evan left, I loaded the dishwasher. I turned on the radio to listen to the weather report. The announcer called for freezing rain mixed with sleet starting after lunch. Driving and walking were going to get a lot less pleasant and I had to get a move on.

  I sat down at my computer and finished typing my notes into the Vincent file before beginning a search for Joe Costa. It didn’t take me long to find the construction business where he worked on St. Laurent Boulevard. There was only one near the Dairy Queen and it was called Timber Construction. The ad said they built modern houses that were good for the environment. They had offices across Canada in all the major cities and some of the smaller ones. Joe might be a carpenter but my bet was that he worked in the office.

  Dad arrived home from dropping Evan off at his friend’s house just as I was putting on my coat.

  “I wrote Joe Costa’s information on a piece of paper on my desk. Find out anything you can about him—family, home address, any arrests, job history. Give me a call when you have something. I’m going to his workplace now to talk to his boss and coworkers.”

  “I gather you’d like something before you talk to this fella. That doesn’t give me much time.”

  “Joe’s probably not in today. He said that he’s semi-retired. You can text the information to me whenever you find something. I’ll keep my phone handy.”

  “You got it. Why don’t you take one of my trucks? They both have new snow tires and four-wheel drive. The weather is turning nasty. It’s also a good idea to run them, which I don’t do enough in the winter.”

  “Thanks, Dad. The tires on my loaner car aren’t the best.”

  “So I noticed. You should trade that car in for a more winter-ready model.”

  “I’ll call the dealership when I get a chance.”

  “And I’ll sleep better.”

  . . .

  Timber Construction was a two-storey log building that took up most of a block near the Dairy Queen. A parking lot was at the east corner of the property and I found a spot in visitor parking. My phone buzzed as I was getting out of the truck. I looked at the name and saw that Albert Romaine was phoning. I thought about letting him go to voice mail but figured he’d keep calling.

  “Hi. Anna Sweet here.”

  “It’s Albert. I’m . . . uh . . . in my car and wondering where you are.”

  “I’m tracking down somebody who knows Shelley.”

  “Do you want to meet and you can update me?”

  “No, I have nothing worth meeting about. I’ll send a report to you next week if I don’t find her before then. I have to go. I’ll be in touch if I find anything.” I clicked off my phone as he was starting to say something. He wasn’t my first impatient client and I knew not to feed into his anxiety.

  The inside of Timber Construction was as well built as the outside. The interior walls were reddish brown cedar logs and the floor was made of wide pine planks. A cheery log fire was blazing in a stone fireplace to the left of the entrance.

  A young woman in a red plaid shirt and jeans greeted me from behind the counter. “Welcome, and how can I help you?”

  I took out my ID badge and set it in front of her. “I’m trying to track down someone and I believe he works here. His name is Joe Costa. Do you know him?”

  She blinked, then laughed. “Are you joking?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Joe does more than work here. He owns the business, which has offices across the country. He’s in today. Would you like to speak with him?”

  It was my turn to blink. “Joe Costa owns Timber Construction?”

  “Yes, he does.” She turned as she spoke and I heard footsteps coming down the hall. A moment later, Joe Costa was standing next to her.

  “Anna Sweet. We meet again,” he said when he spotted me.

  The girl smiled at him. “This woman is here to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes to give her?”

  “Not a problem. I was ready for a break.”

  He motioned for me to follow him down the hall to his office, which was smaller than I would have expected. It was the size of a large walk-in closet and held his desk, computer, and two chairs. The screensaver was a photo of Joe on a snowboard halfway down a mountain. His long grey hair was loose and blowing behind him in the wind. We sat down and our knees brushed again as he rolled his chair around to face me.

  “I hope this isn’t becoming a thing,” he said with a grin as he rolled back a foot.

  “You didn’t mention that you owned the company,” I said.

  “It’s not something I usually talk about, especially with people I’ve just met. Anyhow, my job wasn’t why you wanted to speak to me, as I recall. Any leads on Shelley?”

  “A few.” I had none but wanted to see how he reacted.

  He smiled as if he didn’t believe me. “Well, that’s great. You’re outdoing the police if you find her after all this time.”

  “Fresh eyes,” I said, not taking mine off him. I would have bet my PI licence that he had something to do with Shelley’s disappearance. However, a gut feeling was not proof of a crime.

  “I dropped by to see if anybody knew you. But I see how foolish that looks now.”

  “Extremely foolish. I’m more respectable than you imagined.” His smile turned serious. “I would never have hurt Shelley. I wasn’t attracted to her and she had nothing I needed.”

  “Then I guess I’m wasting my time.”

  “I guess you are . . . unless you’re interested in building a timber home.” He flashed another self-assured grin in my direction.

  I knew then that he wasn’t going to give anything away. I stood in one quick motion and looked down at him. “I hope you’re telling me the truth, Mr. Costa. But I can’t help thinking you’re keeping something from me. Call it a feeling, but it’s one I get when I’m being played. And I feel like I’m being played now. Be assured that I’m not done looking for Shelley—or her body. I will find out what you’re hiding from me and the police. I owe that much to Shelley’s family, who miss her more with every day that goes by.”

  I waited a moment for him to respond. But he sat as still as a statue with a strange look on his face. Like a cross between regret and worry. I dropped my business card onto his desk and said, “Call me if you remember anything that could help me to find her.”

  I left Timber Construction without answers but with the knowledge that I’d wiped the smug look out of Joe Costa’s eyes.

  And with the strongest feeling that I’d better keep checking behind me for trouble.

  CHAPTER TEN

  I stopped to check on Evan’s gift on my way home. It would be ready for pick up Christmas Eve and I bought other supplies that I’d need. The freezing rain started as I pulled into our neighbourhood. The clock on Dad’s dashboard read four o’clock, so the bad weather was a few hours later than predicted. One small bit of good luck in my day.

  I found Dad and Evan in the kitchen icing gingerbread cookies and listening to “Deck the Halls” on the radio. Dad gave me an odd look from under his bushy eyebrows. He waited until Evan was taste-testing a cookie to pull me aside.

  “I didn’t want to scare Evan, but somebody was parked outside the house before you came home. The person drove off after you got out of the truck. I know because I was keeping an eye on them.”

  “What time d
id they arrive?”

  “Not sure, but the car was there an hour ago when I first looked.”

  “Are you certain they were watching our house?”

  “I saw the same car earlier in the day, around lunchtime. I got my coat on to check it out, but the person sped off when I opened the front door.” Dad’s face was regretful. I knew he would have liked to get his hands on the driver.

  “Did you see their licence plate?” I asked.

  “The car had tinted windows and I never got a good angle on the licence plate. The car was a four-door, black.”

  “What the heck is going on, Dad? Someone tries to break into our office and now someone is watching our house? The Shelley Vincent case is over a year old, so can this even be connected?”

  “How many people have you interviewed?”

  “Her mom and sister, people at work, her father . . . I think I know who could be behind this but I have no idea why. And I have no proof.”

  “Then you need to be very careful, Anna.” He paused. “I could cancel my trip.”

  “Definitely not. I’ll be fine, Dad. Cheri will be back in town Christmas Eve and Jada is on call. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “I sure hope you’re right.”

  “I can handle whatever the week has in store. You go and sun tan by the ocean as planned.”

  “If you’re sure.” His eyes showed he was worried. “I made some notes about Joe Costa for you. He lives in Vanier. He is not married and has a longtime girlfriend. His company is worth half a billion dollars on paper. He keeps his name out of the news. He was arrested thirty years ago for smoking pot at a rock concert when he was in his twenties. Nothing illegal since then.”

  “Hmm. Not what I was expecting.”

  “What were you expecting?”

  “A more violent history, maybe. Someone who might be capable of swinging a hammer at Gino. Well, thanks anyway for looking, Dad.”

  Dad scratched his head and said, “Maybe this Joe Costa’s simply good at covering his tracks.”

  “Maybe.”

  . . .

  The next day, I stayed close to home and hung out with Evan while Dad packed for his Florida trip. He was still uncertain about going and I wanted to make sure he didn’t back out because of me. After a quick soup and sandwich supper, Evan and I drove Dad to the airport in his truck for his seven o’clock flight. The freezing rain had stopped and flights were on time. We helped Dad with his bag and hugged him goodbye at the escalator that would take him to the lower level and security.

  “Remember, Evan, I’ll be home in the blink of an eye,” Dad said, as he gave Evan a hug.

  “And you take care,” Dad ordered me, before turning away.

  Evan saw me salute my father’s back and laughed. “Grandpa likes to tell you what to do, Aunt Anna.”

  “Always has and always will.”

  I took Evan’s hand as we walked toward the entrance. I felt as if someone was watching us, but couldn’t spot anyone staring our way. The hair on the back of my neck was standing on end and I told myself to ignore the feeling. My body was in nervous mode because of everything going on.

  “Let’s go right home,” I said to Evan. “I’ll make popcorn and we can watch a movie.”

  “Can I pick?”

  “You can.”

  If anybody followed us on the trip home, I never spotted them. Once inside the house, I double-checked that all the doors were locked. Then Evan and I snuggled up under a blanket on the couch to watch Finding Nemo. I forgot all about the case and the break-in for the next few hours. After the movie ended, Evan got ready for bed.

  I made a final check of the doors and windows and took a long look at the street before climbing into bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The house phone woke me early Christmas Eve morning. I leapt out of bed and scooted into the kitchen to answer before it went to voice mail.

  “Oh thank God!” Cheri cried across the miles of telephone wire. “I was so scared you’d be gone. Is Evan with you?”

  “He is but he’s sleeping.”

  “I need to know if Dad left for Florida.”

  “He left yesterday. What’s going on, Cheri?”

  “We can’t get off this island today. There’s a hurricane warning and flights are cancelled.”

  “Are you safe?”

  “I think so. I was lucky to get through because phone lines could go down any minute. Jimmy’s not answering his phone. Can you keep Evan until I reach him?”

  “Jimmy’s in Cuba. Of course I’ll keep Evan.” I didn’t like the idea of telling him that his mom wouldn’t be home today. He was going to be so disappointed.

  “I hope we make it back tomorrow. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Don’t worry about Evan.”

  “Thanks Anna. I’m going to owe you big time.”

  I hung up the phone and stood looking out the kitchen window. The sun was only beginning to send slivers of pink light through the darkness. A wind was rattling pings of frozen rain against the glass. What was that expression? Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Looked like another bad weather day ahead.

  “Who was that, Aunt Anna?”

  I looked toward the doorway. Evan was standing there in his Batman pajamas, staring at me.

  “Your mom is stuck in Barbados because of a storm. She’ll try to get a flight home tomorrow but no guarantee. It looks like it’s you and me today, buddy.”

  His smile surprised me. “That’s okay. Can I help with your new case?”

  “I’m going to put the case aside for the day. How do pancakes sound for breakfast?”

  “Great! I can make the batter. Can we add chocolate chips?”

  “That’s the only way I know how to make them.”

  We got busy and I turned on holiday music while we cooked and ate. Despite my plan not to celebrate Christmas, my morning with Evan was putting me into the mood. We were deciding whether to go skating or sledding when I heard my cellphone ring on the counter. The caller had a private number. I clicked on it anyway.

  “Anna Sweet? This is Joe Costa.”

  A surprise to say the least. “Why are you calling, Joe?”

  “We need to meet. I have something important to share with you about Shelley.”

  “Should I be worried?”

  “No, I don’t believe so. Are you able to drive to Carleton Place this morning? We can meet at the Starbucks on the highway in, say, an hour and a half.”

  I took a few seconds to respond. “Two hours.”

  “Okay, and Anna?”

  “Yes?”

  “Make sure you aren’t being followed.”

  I hung up and went in search of Evan, who was upstairs getting dressed. I needed to phone his friend’s mom to make sure he could visit for a few hours. I had no idea what lay ahead in Carleton Place, a growing town forty-five minutes west of the city. Joe’s last warning made me cautious.

  This time, I picked the truck that Dad kept in the garage, remembering that he’d asked me to drive both when I got the chance. A longer drive would warm up the engine and get the oil flowing.

  . . .

  I drove a few side streets to make certain nobody was following me before I took the on-ramp to the Queensway. I exited without signalling, watching to make sure nobody cut off the highway with me. All looked good and I pulled into the Starbucks parking lot in Carleton Place only five minutes late for the meeting.

  Joe Costa was sitting at a table near the windows and he watched me enter. I went to sit down across from him but he raised a hand to stop me. “Are you sure you weren’t followed?” he asked.

  “I’m sure.”

  He pointed to a woman in a black jacket sitting near the back entrance. “Shelley’s waiting for you.”

  I’d run through several scenarios in my head on the way to Carleton Place, but this was not one of them. I crossed the floor to sit across from her. “Shelley Vincent?” I ask
ed, but I already knew it was her. She’d cut her hair short and dyed it blonde but her eyes and face were the same as in the photo.

  “Alive and well,” she said. “I’m only here because Joe said you weren’t going to quit looking. You need to stop or you’re putting us in danger.”

  “By us to you mean you and Joe?”

  “No, Joe is helping us. He gave me an accounting job in one of his offices in another city. He’s paid for me to start a new life. By us, I mean my daughter and me.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “This isn’t easy to talk about.”

  “I’m not here to judge you.”

  She took a deep breath. “Albert Romaine is not the nice guy he appears to be. You need to know that.”

  I’d felt something off about Albert and wasn’t as surprised as I might have been. Still, I needed proof that what she was saying was true. “Can you give me some examples?” I asked.

  Shelley closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, they were filled with pain. “We were good together at first. But that changed. During the last few years of our relationship, he called me every name under the sun and made me feel useless. He was controlling and jealous. He timed how long it took me to drive home from work and got angry if I was a minute late.” Her eyes kept looking past me toward the door. She took a deep breath.

  “He took my pay cheques and decided how much money to give me. He made sure I didn’t have any friends or activities outside our apartment. He even stopped me from seeing my mother and sister and visiting my father. I had to sneak phone calls to my mom from work. If I hadn’t met Joe, I don’t know what would have happened to me and my baby. Joe saved us.” She grabbed onto my hand. “Albert must never find out about Lulu. I named her Lulu because my sister, Rosemary, calls her favourite doll that name.” She smiled for the first time.

  All the while that Shelley was talking, her eyes were darting past me to the windows and at whoever entered the coffee shop. I could see that Joe was watching too. I felt a chill pass through me even with my warm parka on.