“Would she have confided in anyone else here?” I persisted.
Lindstrom squirmed uncomfortably, collecting his thoughts before answering. “She and Jeff Yeats used to have lunch together every once in a while. You may want to check with him.”
“Is he in today?” Duffy asked, reaching inside his jacket for notepad and pen to write down the name Lindstrom had given him.
“Yes. I’ll get him and you can use my office to speak with him.”
When Lindstrom left the room to get Yeats, I turned to Duffy. “Awfully squirmy guy, wouldn’t you say?”
“Something’s buggin’ him,” Duffy agreed. “My guess is he’s holding back on info until he’s sure nothing is going to come back to bite him in the butt.”
A minute later the door opened and an extremely handsome man with chiseled features and broad shoulders walked in. “Hello,” he said to the two of us. “Mr. Lindstrom said that you had some questions for me?”
“Yes, Mr. Yeats, please sit down,” Duffy said, indicating the chair vacated by Lindstrom. When Yeats had settled himself, Duffy said, “I’m Sheriff McGinnis and this is my associate, Abigail Cooper. We’re trying to locate a friend of ours, Gina Russell. We think she may be missing and we’re trying to track her down. Do you know where we might be able to find her?”
Yeats went pale at the mention of Gina, and he didn’t speak for several seconds. Finally, he said, “You gotta understand, I have a wife and a baby on the way.”
“Are you saying you know where Gina is?” Duffy asked, leaning forward in his chair again to focus on Yeats.
“No,” Yeats answered, and held his mouth open for a moment as if he were going to continue, but then snapped it shut and just stared at Duffy and me.
After another pause Duffy said, “Mr. Yeats, we are concerned for the well-being of our friend. If you have any information that could help us find her, I would strongly encourage you to offer it to us.”
Yeats squirmed under Duffy’s steady gaze, and with a heavy sigh he said, “I don’t know where she’s gone. We broke up and she split. That’s all I can tell you.”
“You were having an affair?” I asked as I looked at his energy and got the symbol of a triangle in my mind’s eye.
“Yeah,” he said, avoiding my eyes and looking at the desk. “It wasn’t anything big. We started out going to lunch, and things got flirtatious. Then one night we were both here late and one thing led to another….” Yeats’s voice trailed off, his complexion now colored a slight pink.
“So you broke it off with her, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Duffy supplied when Yeats fell silent.
“No,” Yeats said, looking up at Duffy. “It wasn’t like that. It wasn’t that serious. About two weeks ago we were supposed to hook up, and I was gonna tell her it was over, but she beat me to it.”
“She beat you to what?” Duffy said.
“She called me on my cell and said that she’d given it a lot of thought, but she didn’t want to see me again.”
“Kind of an uncomfortable working environment,” I commented.
Yeats chuckled wryly. “You could say that. We avoided each other like the plague.”
“Did Lindstrom know about you two?” I asked, thinking that he had been awfully quick to point to Yeats for information on Gina.
“I’m not sure. I mean, we were careful and all, but we’ve always suspected he reads our e-mails. He’s like that—really suspicious of the staff, always thinking we’re up to something.”
“Except in your case he was right,” I pointed out.
Yeats blushed again. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Duffy asked, “So what did you think when you heard Gina had quit without notice?”
Yeats shrugged. “I guess I sorta felt relieved. I mean, I was considering leaving myself, so I was glad she stepped up before I had a chance.”
“Do you know where she’s gone?” Duffy pressed.
“No.”
“Have you heard from her?”
“No. Not a word.”
My lie detector remained silent, and I managed to catch Duffy’s eye, giving him a slight nod that I believed Yeats. “Thank you, Mr. Yeats. We appreciate your help,” Duffy said as he pulled a card out of his jacket and extended it across the desk. “If you should hear from Gina, would you please call me right away?”
“Sure,” Yeats said, taking the card, then giving us both a pensive look. “Say, you don’t think anything’s happened to her, do you?”
“Happened?” Duffy asked carefully.
“Yeah. You said she was missing. You don’t think she’s hurt or something, do you?”
Duffy held his gaze steadily as he said, “That’s what we’re trying to rule out, Mr. Yeats. Again, if you hear from her, or if you can think of anything else that might help us locate her, please call the number on the card.”
Duffy and I took our leave and headed out of Lindstrom’s office. We passed Lindstrom in the hallway, and Duffy gave him a business card as well. He added that he would appreciate it if Gina’s hard drive weren’t wiped clean for the time being, until it was determined that Gina was safe. Lindstrom was quick to reassure Duffy that he would cooperate fully with the sheriff’s department.
When we were back in the car Duffy asked me, “So what do you think?”
“I think this thing gets weirder by the moment. Was Gina the type to have an affair with a married man?” I asked, suddenly wondering if Ellie knew about her friend’s affair.
“Not that I ever saw,” Duffy said. “Gina was this really smart, dynamic, headstrong girl. She could have any guy she wanted, so I didn’t think she was the type to waste her time on a married guy.”
“So what happened to her?” I asked, more puzzled by this mystery than ever.
“That is the sixty-five-thousand-dollar question,” Duffy said grimly. “I’ll drop you off at Ellie’s, then I’m going to head into the station and file a missing persons report.”
“Should we tell Ellie?” I asked, feeling a sense of dread at the prospect.
“Not yet. Let me work this a little longer before we get her upset. She may hate us later for keeping it from her, but until we’ve got some evidence about what happened to Gina I think we should hold off.”
I nodded. “You’ll get no arguments from me. Where else are you going to look?”
“I’m gonna try to track down her neighbors and see if they’ve seen or heard from her since last week. Then I’ll look for a bead on her car. That might give us some clues.” Just then Duffy pulled into Ellie’s driveway and parked behind her Lexus.
I got out but heard him call to me before I shut the door. “Yes?” I said, poking my head back in the car.
“Thanks for coming with me today, Abster. I’m glad I had you along.”
“Anytime, Duffles,” I said, using an ancient nickname for Duffy.
“Whoa!” Duffy chuckled at the mention of his old moniker. “Don’t let anyone else hear you using that; it took me years to shake off that baby.”
“Be safe,” I said as I shut the door and headed up the steps to Ellie’s condo. Behind me I heard Duffy’s car roll away down the drive and a soft toot on his horn. A moment later, as I was about to knock, the door was pulled open and a startled redhead stared at me. “Oh! Hi, Abby! We’ve been waiting for you.”
“Hey, Sara, good to see you again,” I said as I stepped over the threshold.
“Ellie’s upstairs; she said she’d be down in a minute.”
“Great. Are you coming with us to the bridal shop?”
“Absolutely. I’m the official fashion coordinator for the wedding. As maid of honor it is my duty to make sure that none of us looks cheesy.”
I smiled as I took in Sara’s outfit. She was fashionably put together in a light blue cashmere sweater, black skirt and spiky pointed-toe shoes. On her arm was a new Kate Spade, and I commented, “Well, I love your taste in pocketbooks.”
“You can never go wrong with Kate,??
? Sara said.
“Is that Abby?” we heard from the upstairs hallway.
“Yep,” called Sara. “So let’s get a move on already; I’ve got a hair appointment at three.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Ellie said, making her way downstairs.
As she descended the staircase, my intuitive phone went haywire. I cocked my head as I looked at her, and as I picked up the intuitive message in my ear a small smile formed at the corners of my mouth. “How ya feelin’?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” Ellie said as she swept a stray hair out of her face. “But I swear, this wedding has me completely nervous. My tummy’s really been acting up.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, and gave her a wink.
Ellie eyed me for a moment, then seemed to make up her mind about something. She turned to Sara and said, “I think we should take separate cars.”
Sara blinked in surprise and said, “But I thought we were all going in my car.”
Ellie eyed me again and said, “Yes, but you have that hair appointment, and there’s an errand that I have to run with Abby that might make you late. If you take your car and we take mine, we don’t have to rush at the bridal shop, and I know you won’t be late for your appointment.”
“Oh,” Sara said, looking a little dejected. “Okay, then. I’ll meet you two at the bridal salon. Abby, don’t let her drive like a maniac. It’s also my responsibility to make sure she reaches the altar in one safe piece.”
I saluted smartly and said, “Aye-aye, Madam Bridesmaid!”
“I can see why you like her,” Sara said to Ellie as she headed out the door.
The moment the door closed Ellie turned to me and said, “You cannot breathe a word!”
I smiled, folded my arms like a cradle and sang, “It’s a girl!”
Ellie seemed to look at me with a mixture of emotions that ran from excitement to relief to nervousness. “Abby, not even Eddie knows,” she cautioned.
“I told ya so, I told ya so, I told ya so!” I sang, jumping up and down on the balls of my feet. Years earlier I had predicted that Ellie would have two children, and her firstborn would be a girl. I had also predicted that if she wasn’t careful, she would walk down the aisle with a bun in her oven.
“You’re sure it’s a girl?” she asked as she grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight, an anxious look on her face. Ellie had always wanted a little girl.
I gave her a huge smile and said, “All I can hear in my head is the phrase ‘pretty in pink,’ so yeah, I’d bet it’s a she.”
“Eddie is going to be so excited,” Ellie said as she grabbed her purse and waved me to the door.
“How come you haven’t told him?” I asked.
“Are you kidding?” she answered. “That boy can no more keep a secret than a sieve can hold water. He’s the worst.”
As we headed to Ellie’s car I noticed another car coming down the driveway. I recognized it from the night before as Eddie’s Jeep. “Hi, sweetheart!” Ellie called as he parked and opened his door. Turning quickly to me she said, “Remember, not a word!”
I nodded solemnly as Eddie walked up to us, still in his hospital scrubs and looking very tired. “Hey, babe,” he said when he got close to Ellie, and reached around to grab her by the waist, pulling her in for a kiss.
“What’re you doing home?” she asked. “I thought you had another fifteen-hour shift today.”
“I switched with Calvin. I forgot my passport on the kitchen table, and I have to take care of my license today or we can’t get married.”
“You guys haven’t applied for your marriage license yet?” I asked, shocked that they had left it for the last minute.
“No,” Ellie explained over her shoulder as Eddie continued to hold on to her. “He lost his wallet and he’s got to replace his driver’s license.”
“Must’ve slipped out of my back pocket,” Eddie said right before he kissed Ellie’s neck playfully.
Ellie giggled. “Your wallet wouldn’t slip out if you’d grow a butt big enough to fill out a pair of jeans,” she said as she gave his behind a playful slap.
As I watched the two of them banter back and forth I felt the most awful melancholy, and I realized how much I missed Dutch. I swallowed hard and turned slightly away, blinking at the tears that were forming against my will.
“Abby?” Ellie said as she noticed my shift. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said hoarsely. “Must be this altitude. How long does it take to adjust to this place, anyway?”
Eddie let go of Ellie and stepped close to me. “Why don’t you come inside and let me check you out?” he asked, looking concerned.
I turned to him, and an intuitive message hit me with such blinding force that I stepped back quickly, as if I had just lost my balance.
“Abby?” Ellie said as she stepped forward, holding out her hand as if to catch me.
I looked at her, but her voice seemed far away. I tried to focus on her face but kept getting a feeling of being sucked backward, and then I really did lose my balance and nearly went down.
Eddie caught me and held me up, half carrying, half walking me to the steps. “Pants on fire,” I said as the singsong chant reverberated so loudly in my head that I thought everyone could hear it.
“What?” I heard Ellie ask as Eddie set me down on the steps and tilted my chin to look in my face.
“Pants on fire!” I yelled as I looked at him, and jumped up, nearly knocking him back.
“Abby, it’s okay,” he said, watching me closely. “You’ll feel better once you sit down for a few minutes.”
I was breathing hard and my chest felt tight. Something was very, very wrong, and I was having a hell of a time trying to sort out what was going on. Every time I looked at Eddie, all I got were the chills. I didn’t know what was happening. I’d never had an intuitive message this strong before. I felt as if I were coming unglued, as though some unseen force were pulling my soul right out of my body, but my conscious mind wouldn’t let it go without a fight, and a kind of tug-of-war was taking place. I was aware of Eddie and Ellie, even able to register that they both looked alarmed, but I was unable to shake the feelings of disconnectedness.
With a thump I sat back down, and gripping the concrete stairs focused all of my energy on taking deep, easy breaths. After a few minutes the alarm and disconnectedness had passed and I began to feel a little better.
“How you doing?” Eddie asked when my breathing had returned to normal.
I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment that I’d had such a reaction, and said, “Better. I don’t know what is going on with me lately.”
“It’s the altitude,” Eddie said. “It happens a lot with out-of-towners. They push themselves before their body’s had a chance to adjust, and they get panic attacks that can feel pretty scary.”
“I’ll say,” I said, standing up and brushing off my skirt. “Sorry about that,” I said to Ellie, who still looked a little shocked and concerned.
“Don’t apologize, Abby. My God, it’s not your fault. I just want you to be okay. Do you want to skip the bridal salon and go lie down for a while?”
I thought about that for a minute but shook my head no. “I think I’ll be okay. Maybe just a glass of water?”
“We’ve got bottled water in the fridge,” Ellie said, and looked at Eddie, who moved quickly into the house and came back a minute later with his passport and a bottled water for each of us.
“Sip it slowly,” he advised as he opened the top and handed it to me.
“She’ll be okay?” Ellie asked him as he gave her a bottle.
“She’ll be just fine. But go easy on her, which means don’t drive so fast. Hey, where’s Sara? I thought she was going with you.”
“She has a hair appointment after the salon, so I suggested separate cars. We’re meeting her there,” Ellie explained.
Eddie nodded. “Okay then, gals, I’m off to stand in line at the DMV for the rest of my life. Abby, it might be
a good idea to take a nap later on. Don’t overdo it, okay?”
I nodded at him as I took a swig of water. After swallowing I said, “That’s a great idea, Eddie. I’ll think about taking a nap after we get back from the bridal shop. Good luck at the DMV.”
Ellie kissed Eddie and sent him off to his car. After he pulled out of the driveway she sat down on the step next to me. “That wasn’t just the altitude, was it, Abby?” she asked, a note of trepidation in her voice.
“I don’t know what the hell it was, Ellie,” I answered, avoiding her eyes.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Ellie said, her arm swinging companionably over my shoulders.
“You remember that, huh?” I said.
“Absolutely. Every time you were within hearing distance of a lie you’d repeat that rhyme and point your finger at the liar. It’s how we knew Ricky Smith knocked down our fort, and how we knew Duffy was the one who broke Mom’s favorite china plate.”
“Yeah, I remember,” I said, looking back at my bottled water.
“So what is Eddie lying about?” Ellie asked me point-blank.
I didn’t answer her for the longest time. I was afraid that Ellie would see the fear I held for her friend Gina, and for something that had to do with Eddie that I couldn’t quite place. “I don’t know, Ellie,” I whispered. “But when I do, I promise you, friend-to-friend, I will tell you.”
Ellie took that statement in, then slowly nodded. “Good enough,” she said, and squeezed my shoulder. “Come on, girl, let’s go meet Sara before she throttles us for being so late.”
Little did I know then that Sara had another engagement that would prevent her from meeting us at all.
Chapter Six
Ellie did her best to drive with care, which meant that I was still white-knuckling it, but at least I wasn’t screaming, “Oh, God, look out!” every time she took a turn or changed lanes. Still, I was doing a lot of praying, and that must have been the trick, because we made it to the bridal salon in one piece.
We found “rock-star parking” as Ellie put it, which meant we were lucky enough to wait behind a little old lady as she backed her huge Buick out of a spot close to the mall’s entrance. Once parked, we hurried out of the car and dashed across the lot; Ellie was anxious to meet up with Sara and apologize for our lateness.