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“It didn’t say dark red.” She crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it at him.
He caught it and closed his fist around it. “Let’s see what yours is, and then we’ll know for sure if Lottie tampered with the fortunes.”
With a smile playing about her lips, Hailey broke the remaining cookie in two and pulled the slip of paper from one half. As she read the words, her mouth twisted, killing her smile.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s just one of those stupid, generic fortunes that could apply to anyone.” She dropped the fortune as if it scorched her fingertips.
“No tall red-haired strangers in your future?” Joe swept up the piece of paper, a frown creasing his brow.
He read this one aloud, too, but he didn’t have to. Hailey had already memorized it.
“‘Be on the lookout for coming events. They cast their shadows beforehand.’” He dropped the fortune, and it floated to the table. “You’re right—just silliness. I guess Lottie didn’t rig the cookies.”
“Coming events casting shadows? That sounds ominous.” She flicked the piece of paper away from her—the farther, the better.
“Hailey.” He entwined his fingers with hers. “Those are printed words someone baked into a cookie around the corner.”
“Yeah, I know that.” She bit into the cookie, catching a shower of crumbs with her hand. “I just don’t think I’ve ever gotten a serious fortune like that one before.”
“I get those all the time.” He smoothed out his own fortune with his thumb. “It’s the sexy ones like this I never get.”
She cracked a smile, feeling like an idiot. She may have a lot of problems right now, but a warning from a cookie wasn’t one of them.
Her phone buzzed, and as she reached for it, she noticed Joe folding his fortune and slipping it into his wallet. He’d probably done that to make her feel better.
Uneasiness fluttered in her belly as she glanced at her phone’s display. “I don’t know what this number is, but it’s local. Hello?”
A man’s voice answered, his words carrying a slight accent. “Is this Hailey Duvall?”
“Yes, it is. Who’s this?” She shrugged her shoulders at Joe’s raised eyebrows.
“My name is Joost Palstra. I’m a friend of Marten’s.”
Hailey gripped the phone tighter. “Have you seen Marten lately? We were supposed to get together and he never showed.”
Joe tapped the leg of her chair with his foot and she held up her finger.
“I saw Marten yesterday afternoon. He was staying with me. That’s why I’m calling. He took off, but he left some stuff here.”
“D-did he tell you he was going somewhere?”
“You know Marten, sketchy on the details. Anyway, he did ask me to call you if he didn’t return, so I’m doing that, but I’m thinking his disappearance might be related to his gambling.”
Hailey’s heart stuttered. “What makes you think that?”
“He has a lot of people looking for him all of a sudden—and they don’t look like the type of guys you want to disappoint.”
Chapter Six
Hailey’s eyes grew round, and she put one hand over her heart.
Joe shoved a napkin and pen toward her and tapped on the napkin with his fingertip.
As she continued to talk to Marten’s friend, she scribbled on the napkin.
Joe squinted at the words she’d written—people looking for Marten—and cocked his head. If they’d killed him, why would they be looking for him?
Before he could write a question back, Hailey ended the conversation on the phone.
Snatching the napkin back, she said, “Marten had been staying with Joost and told him to call me if he didn’t return, but now people are looking for Marten.”
“Wait.” Joe held up his hands. “Is this guy at a hotel?”
“A hotel? No.” Hailey looked up, pen poised above the napkin. “Why do you think that?”
“Don’t forget, I followed Marten from the airport. He went to a hotel in some ritzy area of the city—Nob Hill, I think. That’s how I tracked him to the Alcatraz ferry last night. He wasn’t staying with anyone.” He leveled a finger at her phone. “How do you know this guy is legit and not trying to lure you into a trap?”
