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She wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she’d started her impromptu sentry duty. Five minutes... an hour. Seconds blurred even though she felt a loud ticking deep inside. A sort of countdown to the inevitable end.
Her mind heard sounds. Aaron’s voice. His footsteps. Him haunting her in his supposed death as he had in life.
Cradling her cell in both hands, she backed away from the window and the desperate scene she provided to anyone watching. Inch by inch, never breaking her surveillance, she moved. She only stopped when her heel slammed into the far wall. She’d slid from one side of the room to the other, so sure a shadow would spring to life and attack her.
Aaron and his games had reduced her to this.
With her back against the wall, she lifted the phone and dialed. It rang once.
Before she heard a voice, she jumped in. “I’m in trouble. I need to see you.”
Chapter Eleven
PETE RUSHED INTO GINNY’S OFFICE THE NEXT MORNING BEFOREshe had a chance to take her jacket off and sit down. She knew she should have shut the door behind her. She might have if he hadn’t been closing in on her from across the busy floor at the time. Only his wise decision to bring her coffee saved him from getting a door slammed in his face.
“You’re awfully energetic this morning.” She dropped into her chair and turned on her computer. “For the record, I hate that about young people.”
“I’m not that young.”
She peeked up at him as she signed in, not bothering to look at the keys as she typed in her password. “Uh-huh.”
“I do have news on our most recent case.” He slipped a thin file from under his arm and waved it in the air.
“Your youthful energy level just got less annoying.” She leaned back in her chair and gestured for him to take a seat across from her.
“First, no sighting of Aaron or his car. No hits on his creditcards or bank accounts. No calls. No pings to hunt down.” He smiled. “You know what that means.”
“You’re too excited.” She had to admit the haze was clearing in an unfortunate way. With each new piece of information, Aaron Payne looked less like a runner and more like a victim.
“I’m enthusiastic about my job.”
It was too early for this disagreement. “I see it’s going to be that kind of day. The news?”
“Before we get to that, I checked with the principal and the brother.” He words sped up as if they were trying to catch up to the eagerness in his voice. “Nothing. Aaron never checked in or showed up. He’s missed work for a second day, which the way the principal made it sound bordered on apocalyptic.”
“What did Lila say? Did she hear from him last night?”
He winced. “I figured she was the least likely to give me a straight answer about her husband’s whereabouts.”
“She’s not a step you can skip.”
Loud shouts from the outer room grabbed their attention. From the two sheriffs making the noise, she guessed the cheers were sports related, likely college football—the office’s favorite pastime.
“I had a car go by the house this morning. All quiet.” He dropped the file on his lap. “Because I was curious, I drove by as well, and no sign of him or his car at the house.”
The move didn’t surprise her. They’d already startedcollecting information and picking through the couple’s lives. “But clearly you’re keeping an open mind as to his wife.”
“Of course.”
Possibly the least convincing response she’d ever received from a partner. “This easily could be a guy needing space. Don’t jump to conclusions. That will just keep you from seeing what you need to see.”
Ginny stumbled trying to sell the line. It rang hollow in her head and sounded even worse when it came out.
Pete snorted. “Doubt it.”
No need to argue since she felt the same way and sucked at hiding it. Save the lectures. They had a case, and it promised to be messy. Which led to her biggest concern. “Any sign this has spilled out into the media?”
Once word got out, the phone lines would light up with neighbors tattling on neighbors, conspiracy theories, and fake sightings. That was nothing compared to the wrath that would fall on Lila. The press would stake out her house and rip apart her life.
