Page 12 of The Missing Couple

Mr. Sowell scrubbed a hand across his chest. “Let me get a shirt on and y’all can come in.” He wandered back into the house once more.

“Thanks,” Billie said quietly.

She looked up at the man next to her. “He just needed reassuring that we weren’t looking into his personal business.”

Billie lowered his chin in acknowledgment of her explanation.

Mr. Sowell appeared at the door again. “Come on in.”

Billie opened the screen door and waited while Charly walked inside ahead of him. The place was dimly lit, more than a little cluttered and smelled a bit on the stuffy side. The furnishings gave her the impression of an older woman’s touch. Maybe he inherited the place from his mom or maybe she lived here, too.

“Sorry about the mess,” he apologized. “I worked eighteen hours a day for the last three and I’m beat. My mother’s disabled and can’t do much anymore.”

“I imagine all the deliveries keep you pretty busy,” Charly said. Delivery was immensely popular these days. She didn’t eat out much, so she hadn’t used the service in ages.

Mr. Sowell plopped into a well-worn recliner. “I work maintenance at the hospital in the daytime and then deliver at night. You wouldn’t believe it. There are some people who never go out anymore and the rest only do on special occasions. I swear, everyone stays home now.”

“It’s the same way in the big city,” Billie chimed in.

Mr. Sowell eyed him a little suspiciously, even now. “So what’s the deal with this couple?”

Charly kept quiet. She figured it was better to let Billie reveal whatever he thought needed to be told.

“My sister, Briana, and her new husband, Martin.” Billie smiled. “They came here for a short honeymoon and now they’re missing.”

Mr. Sowell pulled a confused face. “Missing? Like in vanished?”

“Everything they brought to that cabin is still there—except the two of them,” Billie confirmed. “The police are investigating the case.”

“Wow.” He ran his fingers through his hair. It was fairly short and mostly gray. The tee he’d chosen sported a logo from a local restaurant and was the same color gray as his gym shorts. “That’s crazy.”

“When you saw them,” Billie went on, “did everything appear to be okay? Nothing struck you as peculiar or out of place?”

“The man,” Mr. Sowell explained, “came to the door. He was nice. Gave me an extra good tip. That’s always welcome.”

“Did you see the woman, Briana?” Billie asked.

He nodded. “Yeah. She was on the sofa watching television.” His face scrunched in concentration. “I think she said something about being glad I arrived so quickly because she was starved.”

“Was there anyone else at the cabin or was it just the two of them?”

Mr. Sowell shook his head. “I didn’t see no one else. Just those two.”

Billie asked, “Did you notice what they were wearing?”

“He…” Mr. Sowell hesitated. “I think he had on jeans and a tee with some baseball team on it. I can’t recall which one. She never got up but whatever she was wearing had these—” he touched his shoulder “—spaghetti-like straps. I think that’s what you call them.”

“Did they seem calm? Happy?” Billie prodded. “You didn’t notice any tension? No black eyes or bruises?”

Mr. Sowell frowned. “No. They seemed normal.” He shrugged. “You know, hungry. Happy, I guess. Relaxed for sure.” His chin lifted as if he’d just remembered something else. “And she smiled at me. I remember that.” His head bobbed up and down. “She had a nice smile.”

When Billie didn’t ask another question, Charly did. “Mr. Sowell, did you notice any other vehicles? I’m sure you’ve delivered to the retreat before. Generally, there’s one vehicle at each parking area. Did you see anyplace as you were driving through where there was an extra vehicle? Maybe you saw someone coming in as you left or coming out as you arrived.”

He appeared to think on the question for a bit. Then he met her gaze. “I didn’t see any other vehicle coming or going. I noticed the parked ones but don’t remember if there was more than one at each spot. Sorry.”

“You’ve been very helpful, Mr. Sowell.” Billie handed him a business card. “Please call me if you think of anything else or if you hear anything about my sister and her husband. I’m really worried, Mr. Sowell.”

He studied the card a moment before meeting Billie’s gaze. “I will. For sure. I’m sorry to hear of your troubles.”