He said nothing, a gentle smirk on his lips.
He doesn’t believe me.
Tessa’s shoulders quaked.
She’s laughing.
“Sometimes what you don’t say tells me more than anything you do say,” Alan told them. “Deputy Black here purposefully didn’t say who you worked for. I doubt she searches for people missing for seven years with the help of a baker.”
Tessa pulled out one of the barstools and took a seat. She signaled to the bartender, who headed their way. “It’s time for lunch,” she told Cate, patting the stool next to her.
Cate looked from Alan to Tessa.
He is amusing.
She reluctantly dragged out the other barstool as Tessa ordered fish and chips along with iced tea. Cate did the same.
Alan’s face lit up. “This is great. A working lunch. Maybe we can brainstorm some ways to find Ashlee. She’s in the area; I just know it. Her jewelry is quite distinctive.” He frowned. “Unless someone has decided to copy her designs.”
“We can get more information from the owner of Shiny Objects,” said Cate. “I’m sure she met the person who sold her the jewelry. If he asked to remain anonymous for the sales, she would respect that. But once she knows why we’re asking about him, she’ll tell us anything we want to know.” The bartender delivered two huge iced teas, and Cate took a sip. “So do you think the boyfriend might be—”
Keeping Ashlee out of sight?
She froze as the parallels of Kori’s and Ashlee’s lives slapped her in the face.
The women have similar physical characteristics. Coincidence?
“Cate?” Tessa asked. “You okay?”
“Just a second,” Cate murmured as she tried to put her thoughts in order. “Who else do we know that kept his woman away from everyone? Made her essentially disappear?” she asked Tessa. “Alan just said there are no coincidences . . . is it possible Ashlee’s boyfriend is Rich Causey? Am I grasping at straws here?” She looked at the PI. “Do you have any information about the boyfriend at all? Was he older? Surely Ashlee told her girlfriends something about him.”
Alan looked sharply at Cate. “One said that Ashlee was confident the boyfriend would give her a stable life . . . that he was older . . . but Ashlee wasn’t specific about the age to the friend. When you’re eighteen, even someone who is twenty-one is ‘older.’”
Tessa pushed away her iced tea and leaned toward Cate, her expression intent. “If that message on the newspaper article is current, Ashlee could have written it if she’s with Rich Causey.”
“Rich Causey,” Alan repeated. “That’s the name?” He grabbed his phone and opened a browser.
Cate ignored him, her gaze locked on Tessa. “Rich posing as the artist for Ashlee’s jewelry work? And keeping her hidden somewhere? It fits what we know of him.” She pressed a hand against her forehead. “Is it as simple as that?”
“It’s not simple if we don’t know where he’s keeping her,” said Tessa. “It makes total sense that he’s repeating a pattern, though. Like keeping her from accessing the internet and friends or even showing her face.”
“Where could they be?” Cate murmured, mentally scouring the island, wondering where Rich would keep a woman completely isolated. There were too many places. It was a small island, but it had numerous rural and forested areas.
“Holy shit,” said Alan, focusing on his phone. “You thought I might be this asshole who kidnapped his ill daughter?”
“We have some recent evidence that indicates he might be on the island,” said Cate.