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“I can go with you.”
“Okay.”
He climbed to the third floor, where Owen sat in a little alcove with his laptop, phone and papers in hand. “Selah called,” he said. “Cami had receipts from gas stations and a few food places to prove she was on her way to the Outer Banks. And specifically here, Ty. She bought a loaded tea at a little shop here in Blue Harbor, right on the main strip. Tea Totalers.”
“When?”
“Ten days ago, Saturday. Around one o’clock. Seems like she made the drive, got into town and had time to kill—” He cringed. “After one o’clock, nothing tangible to track her. No phone location. Nothing.”
Winds were at almost fifty miles an hour, but the property management had arrived earlier and hurricane prepped. Thunder roared.
“He told Violet to make sure and keep up with the weather, to vacate before it was too late. And we both know she adheres to rules better since John.”
Ty huffed. “The old Violet would have said, ‘Pound sand, we’re staying.’”
Owen chuckled and pointed to his notes. “Cami had no hotel or condo reservations. She told her parents and her sister she was going to Florida—a lie. One he probably manipulated her into telling.”
“Where would she have stayed? With him. But where?”
“Selah and I have already checked from here to Hatteras to Nags Head. I’ve narrowed down island homes that are more secluded, like the house Patrick Swain owns. There are four private islands that have had a home or homes built on them, and twelve of those homes might fit the bill. I’m looking into the private homeowners and the companies. The locations are far enough out for complete privacy but not so far you couldn’t park at a boat landing or marina and ride out there. We’re going to have to split up since we don’t have Asa or Fiona with us if we want to search properties and continue our interviews with families before we can’t.”
Ty nodded. “He could leave them to die in a hurricane. And if it’s bad enough, the hurricane could destroy everything, wash homes out to sea and ultimately decimate our investigation.” A gale struck the house. Ty’s heart pounded.
“I can work the properties that might fit the bill and the private islands for now if you want to cover the last two women who went missing. Not all of them had flower names or we aren’t sure if they are flower names. I’m not a botanist. Violet is covering Catherine Overly’s place and working through the victimology.”
Asa always preferred they work in pairs or even trios, but time was slipping through their fingers. They’d all be fine alone.
Owen tucked his ink pen behind his ear and shuffled through a few papers, handing two of them to Ty. “We aren’t going to be able to physically go to the private islands, only the secluded properties we can drive to. Fishing boats aren’t even running.” He stood. “I mean it. It’s dangerous, Ty. No one will rent you a boat anyway. No one is that crazy.”
Ty kept his remarks to himself. “I hear ya.”
Owen shot him a warning glance. “You hear me. Fine. Listen.”
“I’m going to shower.” He walked out of the alcove and to his room. Thirty minutes later he was dressed—not for rainy weather but work. Some days he wished his job didn’t require suits and ties.
He grabbed his phone and saw a missed call.
Unknown number.
Chapter Twenty-One
Blue Harbor
SCU beach house
Friday, September 7
9:02 a.m.
Thunder shook the beach house. The sky had darkened like an evil beast who’d been woken from slumber. One wicked battle at a time. Ty’s phone rang again as he grabbed the hot-pink umbrella with purple unicorns that had been left by a preschooler, no doubt, but it would do in a pinch. This time he answered it. “This is Agent Granger,” he said.
“It’s me.”
“Lysander?” Ty had given him his card with hopes he might be in touch, but he hadn’t been holding his breath. “Is that you?”
“Yeah,” he whispered, as if trying to keep his conversation discreet. If he lived in the main house with his wife and son, then ears were everywhere.
Emotion clogged his throat. He’d always tried to look out for his little brother and wished he could have taken him with him, but Rand would never have allowed it.
