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“Tish was on a modeling gig on Kauai for a couple of days and assumed Meredith had made it back from her escort assignment.” Kiana’s lips twisted. “Based on the backlog of mail overflowing their mailbox and mold growing on the half-eaten bowl of cereal in the sink, Tish realized Meredith probably hadn’t been back since her last message.”
“Did she call the escort service?” Dev asked.
Kiana nodded. “They said they’d check into it but never got back to Tish.”
“What about the police?”
“She called the police and reported Meredith as missing. I talked to Tish again last night after the police came to the apartment to ask questions. They said they’d follow up with the escort service and check in with the ex-boyfriend.” Kiana wrapped her arms around her middle as a chill rippled across her body. “Tish is beside herself. She feels awful that Meredith could’ve been missing for a whole week and no one has been looking for her. Don’t they say the first forty-eight hours are the most important?”
Dev nodded. “Yeah. The first forty-eight hours after a crime has been committed is like the sweet spot for gathering evidence. After that, it gets harder to locate clues. They could be destroyed or thrown out with the trash. Finding people who might’ve seen something important to a case gets trickier.”
“And memories fade the further away from the event you get.” Kiana sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Why not leave it to the police to investigate?” Dev asked. “They should have better access to information.”
Kiana snorted softly. “And how many crimes are they investigating every day? A missing woman who worked as an escort might not rank high enough on their leader board, or whatever they call it.” Her eyes narrowed. “The escort service might not be as open to the police with confidential client information. They’ll likely wait for a search warrant.”
“Which will take time to acquire.” Dev’s lips pressed together into a thin line.
Kiana nodded. “Time Meredith might not have. Plus, I figure the more people looking for her, the sooner we find her.”
“Good point, and I’m here to help,” Dev said. “We should exchange phone numbers in the unlikely event we’re separated.” He offered her his cell phone and held out his empty hand for hers.
Her brow furrowed as she clutched her phone to her chest.
His eyebrows rose in challenge. “It’s not like I’m going to call you for a date. You made that very clear.”
As she laid her phone in his palm, her fingers brushed against his skin, sending a spark of electricity shooting up her arm that shocked her in more ways than one. She grabbed his phone and quickly entered her number into his contact list, reminding herself he was her bodyguard. Exchanging numbers was expected. Still, it felt strangely...intimate.
Once they had their own phones back, Dev slipped his into his pocket and glanced at her. “So, what’s the plan?”
“First stop is the apartment. Tish might’ve heard back from the escort service. If she hasn’t, we’ll go there next.” Kiana adjusted her seatbelt as the plane descended into the Honolulu International Airport.
While the plane taxied across the tarmac, Kiana called Tish.
“Are you here?” Tish answered on the first ring.
“I am.” Kiana tensed at the worry in her friend’s tone. “We just landed. I’ll be there in less than half an hour.”
“Oh, thank God,” Tish said. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“It’ll be okay,” Kiana said. “We’ll find her.”
“I hope so,” Tish said. “Hurry.”
“I will.” Kiana ended the call as the plane rolled to a stop. She grabbed her backpack from beneath the seat and followed Dev out.
Once in the open-air terminal, she pulled out her cell phone to arrange a lift.
Before she could request a pickup, Dev covered her hand. “I called ahead for a rental car. I figured we’d need to get around on our own without waiting for a taxi or ride-share. They’ll have the keys ready. All we have to do is grab the keys and go.”
Kiana’s brow dipped. “You did that?”
“I did. Come on.” He took her hand and led her through the airport to the rental car agency. All he had to do was give his name, and they handed over a set of keys and gave him directions to the vehicle.
Moments later, Kiana slid into the passenger seat, relieved she didn’t have to wait for a ride and she didn’t have to do the driving in the heavy Honolulu traffic. As much as she didn’t like relying on a man for anything, she was glad she had Dev with her. There was no room for stubborn independence as long as her friend was missing. She’d take all the help she could get.
And if he was handsome as hell, it wouldn’t hurt to look. As long as she didn’t do something stupid like fall for the guy.
