Lost in the Dark, page 6
part #1 of Camden Point Romantic Suspense Series
She left, and Ash glanced back his way, her head tilted. “You know that’s not the first time today I’ve heard Hailey called sweet. Seems to be the consensus of everyone who knew her.”
“What are you thinking?” Nate had a few ideas, but he wanted to hear Ashley’s take on the missing girl first.
She let out a pent-up breath of air. “A couple of thoughts come to mind. One, she might have given the boyfriend a second chance. Maybe they went someplace to reconnect? Two, she met someone new. Three, the boyfriend grabbed her in retaliation for dumping him. He seemed like the type that walked a fine line. Or four, an unknown has her.”
“I’m guessing this morning you’ve already talked to the roommate?” he asked.
Ashley nodded. “Yeah, checked out the apartment, talked to Jules, their closest neighbors, her boss, and the other women at the resort. None have seen or heard from Hailey. None have any idea where she could be.”
“Same here. I’ve swung by the ex-boyfriend’s home a couple of times over the weekend. Place was quiet. According to his supervisor over at McQ’s Grocery, he’s got some time off and should be back by Wednesday. There’s nothing new on his social media, and the phone goes to voice mail. Same for Hailey.”
“Sounds like we’ve been following each other down the same trail,” Ashley said before sitting back when Miss Elsie delivered their meals.
When they were alone again, he continued. “Yeah, and it’s a desolate road. Hailey’s cell phone is under the father’s name. Sweeney has given us permission to access the records. We’re waiting for those from the phone company now. We found out the last time her phone pinged was Thursday night in the vicinity of Camden Point Beach Park.”
“I was wondering where she might have stopped between work and home. Makes sense. The weather was near perfect that day.”
“Yeah, I’m going to head over there after lunch. Hopefully, someone at the arcade, Funtasma, will remember having seen Hailey on Thursday.” He hesitated before he continued. Before Elsie made that date comment, he wouldn’t have thought twice. He didn’t want Ashley to get the wrong idea. She’d asked him to back off. He respected her choice. But a young woman had disappeared, and they were wasting time and resources conducting separate yet identical investigations. Screw it. “You’re welcome to come with me.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She dug into her sandwich with enthusiasm as Nate scooped up a forkful of eggs. For a bit, they ate in silence. Deep lines between her brows made him feel like Ashley had more on her mind than the case. They’d been there when they’d met six months ago, and the quieter life of a PI should have erased any stress she’d carried with her from New York. It wasn’t the first time he’d had a sudden, overwhelming urge to know more about the woman before him. But Ashley was a pro at dodging personal questions. Didn’t mean he didn’t keep trying.
“You never said what you were doing Saturday night at the office.”
“Looking for a needle in a haystack.” She picked up a fry, then tossed it down. “Actually, I was checking out Hailey’s social media posts. I guess you can take the cop out of the precinct, but you can’t take the cop out of the person.”
“Speaking of which.” He looked away, wondering if he was opening a can of worms he’d be better off leaving alone. Then he looked up to meet Ashley’s gaze. He hoped she didn’t take this wrong. The last thing he wanted was for her to leave. “When are you heading back to work?”
“I’m working right now,” she said.
“I meant the police force. New York.”
She pushed the half-eaten plate of food away. “Not sure. I should be there now. My mom is on me about coming home. My boss is sending me daily texts, asking me if I’m ready.”
“Are you?” The grease from his eggs and sausage churned in his stomach, burning its way back up his esophagus. He didn’t know what caused Ashley to step away, to take a break from a career that she clearly loved and was meant to do. Maybe she’d share? Maybe she wouldn’t, but he hoped she’d trust him enough to open up. If not, that was okay, they could still move forward, if she’d let them. He understood not everything from the past needed to be dredged up into the present.
“I don’t know,” Ashley said.
“What’s holding you back? What’s keeping you in Camden Point?” He knew what he’d like to hear to that second question.
The look Ash gave him said one thing, but her words said another. “I don’t know.”
“Fair enough.” He’d try a different tactic. “Will you tell me why you left?”
She pulled in on herself, wrapping her arms around her middle, sitting as far back into the booth as possible. At first, Nate figured she’d clam up, but then she looked at him. He saw confusion, pain, and a flash of fear.
“You know I worked Missing Persons. My boss had just put in his recommendation for me to be promoted to detective. Everything had been going so well until then.”
“That’s usually when the shit hits the fan.” Murphy’s Law was always on the hunt for another target. He knew that too well.
“We were looking for a kid. He disappeared on the way home from school. A tip came in, and my partner and I headed to an old warehouse. I took point. As I came around the corner, a noise off to the left caught my attention. I shifted and didn’t see the guy with the gun to my right.”
“A diversion.”
She nodded. “Bullet hit the bull’s-eye, and I died before the ambulance could arrive. But hey, my partner saved the kid. The bad guy? He’s living out his worst fears in the land six feet under.”
Nate sat with his jaw hanging open, absorbing her words. She’d died. He clutched the table until his knuckles turned white as he sucked in the breath he’d been about to expel.
“Obviously, I survived. I’m not a ghost sitting here having lunch with you.” She made light of it, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “For four minutes, my heart stopped before the paramedics brought me back. Thank goodness they were close by. For four minutes, I was… not here, and when I came back, something in me had changed.”
Nate reached out, squeezed her hand. “Getting shot. Flatlining would change anyone.”
“Yeah, let’s just say it was a wake-up call, and I needed some time to process what had happened.”
He could tell she was holding something back, something she didn’t want to share. She’d probably experienced a blow to her confidence, maybe even lost her passion for the job. He could understand that. Dying or coming close had a way of making many people rethink their priorities. He’d gone through the same thing when his wife, Mara, had died.
But he also knew Ashley had been clear that she’d be returning to New York, that she was just on a sabbatical. A feeling in his gut told him that there was something else going on. Something deeper had shaken Ashley Medearis to her core. He didn’t push for more. When and if she was ready, she’d tell him. Or she wouldn’t. It was her choice, and he respected that.
“If you ever need an ear to listen or vent to, just say the word. In the meantime, I’m happy to have you working on this case with me. I just wish we had more to go on. Let’s hope those phone records come in soon.”
“Thanks.” She ate another fry, then looked up at him. “Oh, when I was at the apartment, I noticed Hailey’s laptop. I’ve got a friend who will see if he can access her email. Maybe he’ll find something that gives us a lead.”
“You’re going to hack her computer?”
“Well, yeah. It’s password protected, and we don’t have the password.” Ashley looked at him like he had three heads.
“Let me put in for a search warrant to cover our asses.”
“That could take days, and we don’t have that kind of time, Nate.”
Maybe so, but he didn’t need a lawsuit for violating Hailey’s privacy. “She’s not a suspect. We need a warrant.”
“Rules state we can search her computer without a warrant if she’s in danger.”
“We don’t know if she’s in danger.”
“We don’t know that she’s not.” She leaned forward, palms on the tabletop. “Time is ticking, and the answer might sit on her computer.”
He saw a new side of Ashley just then. He respected the hell out of her dedication to solving the case, but not at cutting corners and breaking the rules. Rules protected people. They protected the innocent. Breaking the rules brought pain and chaos. Things he’d rather not have in his life again.
He pulled money out of his wallet to cover both of their meals. They could argue it out later. He wasn’t backing down, and he had a feeling she wouldn’t either. Maybe it was a sign? Just because they fit between the sheets didn’t mean they did outside the bedroom. And maybe it was just a bump in the road? “I’m putting in for the warrant.”
“Fine. Do what you need to do. As a PI, I don’t have to follow the same straight and narrow path you do.”
He got a feeling that even when Ashley was on the force, she didn’t follow the straight and narrow. He also couldn’t help wondering if that’s what caused her to get shot. But that was a question for another day.
Chapter 4
The next day, he picked Ashley up, and they headed to the home of Austin Harris, Hailey’s ex-boyfriend, and Nate’s primary person of interest. Neither were in the best of moods after the day before. The trip to Funtasma was a bust.
“I wish more businesses in Camden Point utilized security cams. If they did, maybe then we would know if the couple arguing in the beach access parking lot outside of the arcade was Hailey or not.”
“Yeah, but that would ruin the small-town charm. Eventually, we’ll find a witness. Or maybe we’ll get lucky this morning.” As they approached the small, one-story rambler, Ashley stopped by the garage. “How do you want to do this?”
“If he doesn’t cooperate, I’ll play tough guy, and you be the sympathetic one.”
“What if I wanted to play bad cop?”
“You should have stayed in New York then.” He grinned as her jaw dropped for a split second, then her eyes turned steely with glints of outrage. “Just kidding. He’s a Romeo and a narcissist, from what we’ve heard. He’ll respond better to you being the soft one.”
“Fair enough, but the next time we interview someone, I get to play hardball.”
He liked the idea of a next time, but unless Austin wasn’t their perp, with Ashley planning to head back to New York, it didn’t seem likely. Nate rapped on the door as Ashley stood back and to the side. A young man, early twenties, approximately six-foot, one hundred seventy pounds, with light brown hair, opened the door.
“Is Austin Harris home?” Nate asked.
“Who’s asking?”
Nate held up his badge. “Camden Point Police.”
The guy held the door open and yelled over his shoulder for Austin. A few seconds later, they heard a back door hit what sounded like a wall, and the roommate swore.
Nate turned to Ash, his hand on his hip. “Why do they always run?”
Ashley grinned as they both watched Austin Harris round the corner of the house and head down the street, cutting through the neighbors’ front yards.
“Time to get your cardio in,” she quipped.
Nate swore under his breath and took off. Austin was younger, but that didn’t mean he was faster, especially when he kept looking over his shoulder. Nate learned his first week on the job… they always run. That’s when he took up running for exercise. Every day, rain or sun, Nate ran five miles for just this type of occasion. He jumped over toys in one yard, dodged a pile of dog crap in another, and dove when he was a few feet behind Austin. They went down in a tumble of arms and legs. Before the kid knew what was happening, Nate had him face down and the cuffs on. Ashley pulled up in his car, got out, and leaned against the door frame.
“I thought you were behind me,” Nate said.
“Why run when you can drive?”
Nate hauled Austin to his feet and over to the car.
“Why’d you take off?” Nate asked.
“You’re cops,” Austin sneered. “I’ve seen the news.”
“Yeah, well, if you’re not guilty of anything, then you don’t have any reason to worry now, do you?”
“Austin, we just need to talk to you about a friend of yours.” Ashley gave him one of those barely there smiles. “A girl you recently dated.”
“Look, I didn’t do it. She’s lying.”
“What’s she lying about?” Nate wondered who Austin was referring to and what he thought they were there for.
“That’s entrapment. I’m not saying anything else and incriminating myself.” Austin glared at the two of them.
“Kid, you already did by running.” Nate reached for Austin. “Let’s take him down to the station. Maybe some time cooling in a cage will give our guy here a new outlook and the incentive to cooperate.”
Ashley looked at Austin, let out a sigh, and shrugged.
“Wait. I didn’t do it. You can’t arrest me. I’ve got to get to work or I’ll lose my job.”
Nate opened the back seat door and put his hand on Austin’s head. “Should have thought of that before you ran. It’s called resisting arrest.”
Austin scrambled and put his back against the car. “Look. The girl had sex with me of her own free will.”
“The girl? Is that how you refer to your girlfriend? As just some random person? If you’re going to be intimate with someone, have the decency to use their name.” Ashley looked down at her phone like she’d had enough of the guy. Clearly, she wasn’t good at playing good cop.
“Lana. Is that better? And she pretty much was a stranger. Just a random hook-up at a party. Everything was fine. Then someone mentioned I had a girlfriend, and she… Lana started all this crazy talk. She said I forced her to have sex.” He flashed what he probably thought was a sexy come-on smile toward Ashley. “Do I look like I have to force girls?”
Ashley didn’t return the smile. Instead, she stared Austin dead in the eyes. “When and where did this take place?”
“Like a week and a half ago at this party we were all at.”
“Is that the night you and Hailey broke up?” Ashley’s voice was as sharp as cut glass.
Austin’s cheeks turned red, and he had the grace to look away. “Yeah. She—Hailey was flirting with this guy we went to school with. We got into an argument. Hailey left, then I hooked up with Lana.”
“Where’s Hailey now?” Ashley asked, more of a demand than a question.
“I don’t know.” He rolled his eyes, but not before Nate glimpsed something that looked like guilt or remorse in them. “She won’t talk to me.”
“When’s the last time you saw her?” Nate took on the role of good cop, leaving the anger and hard edge out of his voice.
“I… I don’t know. Sometime last week. Why? Why are you asking about Hailey?” Panic laced Austin’s voice as he glanced back and forth from Nate to Ashley.
“When last week?” Nate pushed.
“Tuesday. No, wait, it was Wednesday. I left Thursday morning with some buddies of mine. We went camping up in New Hampshire, but Hailey wasn’t answering my calls. I stopped by her house.”
“And?” Ashley asked.
He clamped his jaw tight, blew out a hard breath from his nose, and looked toward the sky. “Hailey told me I was a jerk. She hoped I got a disease from the girl I slept with and then slammed the door in my face.”
One side of Ashley’s mouth tilted upward as she cocked her head. The smile grew as she taunted Austin, knowing that the admission had cost Romeo some pride. Austin’s gaze dropped to the ground, probably trying to play the sad puppy card, but Ashley shook her head. She wasn’t falling for his tricks. No wonder her boss wanted her back and to promote her.
“Bet you didn’t like that reaction from her, did you?” she asked.
“No. Would you?” he shot back. “But I deserved it. Look, I was a jerk, okay? If Hailey would give me three minutes, I’d tell her I’m sorry.” His gaze shot back and forth between him and Ashley. “I answered your questions. Now answer mine. Has something happened to Hailey?” For the first time, Nate heard actual sincerity in the kid’s voice.
“You said you went camping. With who?” Nate asked.
“Five of my buddies. I can give you their names if you want.”
“Oh, we want… names, phone numbers, addresses. All of it,” Ashley said.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Where in New Hampshire did you go?” Nate asked. Depending on where they’d gone, there was a possibility Austin could have driven back down, grabbed Hailey, and made it back to his friends.
“This campground about four hours away.” Austin swallowed hard, and he stepped into Nate’s space. “Look, I’ll give you anything you want. I didn’t do anything to Hailey other than be an ass. Just tell me what happened to her. Please?” His voice had started out strong, demanding, but by the time he hit the last note, he had broken.
“She’s missing. No one’s seen or heard from her in days.” Nate never took his eyes off the kid, watching for any tells.
“What do you mean, days? Hailey would never take off and not tell her dad or her roommate.”
“That’s what we’ve heard.” Nate walked behind Austin and released the cuffs now that the chance of him taking off had lessened. “We’re going to need that list of friends you went camping with and their contact information.”
Austin pulled his phone out of his pocket and started reading off names, numbers, and addresses. Nate told him to stick around town, that they’d probably want to talk to him again. The kid walked away, head and shoulders down. He took about ten steps before he turned back to them.
“Are you going to find Hailey?” he asked.
What did the kid think their end game was here? “We’re going to do everything we can to find her.”
“Um, give me a second.” Austin pulled his phone back out and started tapping on the screen. Then held it up. “Her phone is turned off right now. That’s not like her either.”
Ashley snatched the phone and glared. “You’ve got a tracking app on her phone?”
