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“Her phone didn’t even ring,” Ari said.
“Let me try.” Lia turned to her screen before frowning. “Same. Maybe she got an emergency call. Isn’t her dad having some health problems? Something to do with his heart?”
“I think she said he’s on medication that’s keeping it under control.”
Lia put her phone down before looking out the window. “Her car isn’t here.”
“In the back?” Ariana asked. “The employee lot. I’m going to look. And I’ll see if I can find Miguel while I’m at it. Missy said maybe he’d heard from her.”
“Good idea. I’ll call Boone.”
Ariana stopped each employee she passed, but none had heard from Rita all day. Miguel was nowhere in sight.
Rita’s red Mercedes wasn’t in the parking lot. However, some of the gravel was disturbed. The marks were too small to be from car tires. It looked fresh.
Once a cop’s kid, always a cop’s kid. Ari couldn’t help thinking of her dad on the other side of Washington state, probably on the job at that moment. He’d spent much of her teen years teaching her what to look for in order to stay alert and safe. And she’d always listened, especially after being abducted.
She’d even gone into pre-law in college, intending to join a police force herself. But while taking her pre-law classes, she’d realized she wanted to help people before — not after — they became victims. For that reason, she’d switched her focus to psychology. But she’d then decided she didn’t want to become a psychologist like her aunt Macy either. Much to her mom’s relief, her plans had changed drastically. Ariana studied writing next.
It was a miracle she’d graduated at all given how many times she’d changed her mind. But it had worked out, as she and Damon had basically invented their own line of work. They spent their time teaching safety and prevention through their books, website, and podcasts, and were increasingly speaking at schools and giving interviews.
Should she have spent more time telling her friend about personal safety?
Ariana snapped a few pictures of the gravel, just in case. Anything to help Rita. Then she returned to the table.
“Didn’t find her?” Lia asked.
“No. There was messed up gravel outside, like there was a scuffle. Want to see the pictures?”
“You sure you don’t want to be an officer?” Lia teased.
“Definitely not, I don’t want the stress. Did you reach Boone?”
Lia sighed. “He doesn’t know where she is, and he isn’t worried.”
“Of course he isn’t. He never pays her any attention. She could walk into traffic and he wouldn’t bother to look away from his work.”
“Or his girlfriend.”
Ariana squared her shoulders. “Maybe we should stop by and talk to him in person. Might get more out of him that way.”
“I don’t think he knows anything. Did you talk to Miguel?”
“Didn’t see him.”
Lia rose. “I’ll find him. You call Boone. Maybe hearing from both of us will get it through his head that something’s wrong.”
“Sure.” Ari called Rita first. Maybe she’d be off her phone to answer. Or she’d see they were trying to reach her and just let them know she was okay. Plus, Ari didn’t want to talk to Boone if she could avoid it.
Voicemail.
She found Boone’s number and called him.
“What do you want?” Boone answered. “I already told Lia I don’t know where she is. She doesn’t check in with me. I’m not her parent.”
Ariana bit back a sharp comment. “Aren’t you worried?”
“Not in the slightest.”
