She exhaled. “He didn’t answer the door when we went to interview him, even though we’d scheduled it in advance. He also didn’t answer his phone, so an officer entered the house and did a welfare check. Mr. Andersen wasn’t there. His car was missing and indentations in the carpet in a closet indicated that a suitcase was also missing. Several drawers in hisdresser were open, and there were no toiletries on his bathroom sink. His car was found parked on the street near a bus terminal.” She paused. “I think he ran, though if he did, he left his phone behind. We found it on the floor.”
The bottom fell out of Hez’s gut. This couldn’t be happening. “Are you sure? He seemed more than willing to talk. Maybe something happened to him. Why would he leave his phone behind if he was leaving of his own free will?”
“This is the second time he’s disappeared, and the first time seems to have been voluntary. He could have forgotten his phone. Or he was afraid it would be used to track him.”
“Hold on a minute. I’ll go check his office.” Hez walked down the hall to Andersen’s office. It was empty and the only light came in through the window. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Hez scanned the desk—and spotted something odd. “TGU is switching insurance plans, and there’s a half-filled-out form on his desk. If he doesn’t submit it by tomorrow, his premiums will double. I don’t think he was planning to take a trip.”
“Hmm. Maybe not.”
“Hold on a sec. I’m putting you on speaker.” Hez got on his hands and knees, turned on his phone’s flashlight, and shone it on the underside of Andersen’s desk and shelves. His heart jittered when he saw a small round object. He got to his feet, hurried into the hall, and took the phone off speaker. “There’s a bug under his desk.”
The line was silent for a heartbeat. “I’ll submit a missing person report and get an investigator assigned. Have you checked your office?”
Hez walked back to the Justice Chamber. Thirty secondslater, he found an identical bug on the underside of the room’s table. No wonder Michael always seemed one step ahead of them.
Savannah parked in the lot by Pelican Harbor Beach and got out into the salty breeze. Whitecaps foamed on the sand and retreated to repeat their hypnotic movement. A tern did a slow roll and dive-bombed to snatch a hapless crab before it could scuttle to safety in the waves. She hadn’t been sleeping well while Nora was in jail, and she needed this walk along the water. Everything felt off-kilter.
She spotted Nora tossing pieces of food to a brown pelican and waved, then picked up the pace to reach her. “Looks like Pete knows a soft touch when he sees one.” Jane had rescued Pelican Harbor’s unofficial mascot when he was a baby, and he loved people.
Nora wiped her hands on a napkin before she rose from the bench. “I couldn’t eat all my shrimp, but Pete was happy to take my leftovers.” She enveloped Savannah in a fierce hug. “Thanks for coming to meet me. I still can’t believe you paid for my bail. I—I didn’t expect you to do that. It was fifteen thousand dollars!”
Savannah squeezed her tightly. “You kept me sane when I was drowning in grief. I know you arranged for me to get that prisoner file too. Even in jail you tried to help me like you always do. I couldn’t let you rot in a cell. We’ll get it back.”
Nora frowned. “What prisoner file?”
“Martine’s father’s file.”
“That wasn’t me.” Nora released her and stepped back. “Hez was okay with the bail money?”
“We took it out of our wedding fund.” When Nora’s eyes filled with tears, Savannah took her hand. “The wedding’s not in jeopardy, so don’t assume you wrecked our plans. I realized I trusted Hez enough to believe him. Michael orchestrated the pictures somehow.” She took off her shoes, dangling them in one hand, and nodded toward the beach. “Let’s walk while we talk. I need to feel the sea breeze in my hair. Now that you’re out, we have to figure out who used your credentials to steal Ella’s report at the Birmingham PD. Any ideas?”
Nora walked beside her but said nothing for a long moment. Savannah stopped and studied her downcast gaze. “Nora? You must have possible suspects in mind.”
Nora pushed her glasses up on her nose and gripped Savannah’s hand. “You don’t know how much I appreciate your loyalty, Savannah, but I can’t let you get in the middle of this. I—I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Who would hurt me? Your uncle Michael? I’m used to dealing with him now. There’s something you aren’t telling me.”
“There’s nothing you can do about this, Savannah. Let it go.”
“Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
“I can’t talk about it!” Nora walked ahead with a jerky gait and didn’t look back.
Savannah started after her and slipped in the thick sand. She went down on one knee as she lost the fight to keep her balance. “Nora, wait!”
Nora turned and saw her struggling to get up but didn’t approach. “Please trust me, Savannah. Stay out of it.”
Savannah struggled to her feet and brushed the sand fromher hands before walking toward Nora, who had gone pale. “You can’t ask me to trust you with no information. This is about Ella. You, of all people, know what I’ve gone through. You understand. I have to know. You can’t cover for her killers, Nora—you just can’t!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” A sob tore from Nora, and she turned to run off down the beach.
Savannah clutched the bracelet circling her wrist, and the beads bit into her skin. Nora couldn’t have been involved in the theft of Ella’s file—Savannah refused to believe it. There had to be another answer. But no matter which way she examined the known facts, she couldn’t come up with any other reason Nora’s credentials had been used. No one could have “borrowed” them without her knowledge.
Hez knew there was a problem the instant Savannah opened her cottage door. Her puffy red eyes told him the meeting with Nora hadn’t gone well. He stepped in without saying a word and held her tight.
She buried her face in his chest. “I can’t believe Nora would do this.”
He reached back and closed the door behind him to block prying eyes. “I’m sorry, babe.”
