The Amateurs

by Sara Shepard

  A shiver ran down her back. She touched Seneca’s arm. ‘Heath Ingram?’

  Seneca nodded. ‘That’s who I thought of, too.’

  CHAPTER 26

  Not only had Aerin been cool with reopening the case and having her to stay, but she’d also filled Seneca in on her foray into the Dexby PD site. The next day, after a decent night’s sleep and a shower, Seneca had FaceTimed with her dad, showing him around Aerin’s place and introducing him to Aerin to prove she was okay. Once she was in the clear, the girls set off for the Ingram mansion.

  Seneca knew a little about the Ingrams, mostly because they were friends with the Kellys and had pitched in start-up cash for the first Scoops of Dexby store. Years ago, on Facebook, Heath Ingram had been tagged in some of Helena’s photos. One was at a Christmas event; he and Helena were both in tartan plaid, making goofy faces. In another, they were sitting on the back of a horse-drawn carriage, huddled in a friendly way. Or maybe more than friendly …

  ‘I can’t believe Heath still lives with his parents,’ Aerin whispered now, navigating the country roads with one hand on the wheel. She was wearing a black-and-pink printed dress that clung to every curve and a pair of nude heels. ‘He didn’t sponge off his family in high school at all. He drove an old Subaru. He shopped at consignment stores. When we were little, he made up this play called Ms. Badger and Ms. Fox Have a Plan, about how these characters burn down their parents’ mansion so that the fire would heat the town. Helena was Ms. Badger, I was Ms. Fox, and Heath was Mummy, who begged us not to burn her handbags and shoes. And when we slept over there, Heath said we all had to pretend we lived in a tenement and had to sleep in the same bed.’

  Seneca gave her a strange look. ‘You all slept in the same bed?’

  Aerin twisted her mouth as if she’d just realized how strange that was. ‘Maybe that’s why Helena kept a relationship with Heath a secret. We were basically raised as siblings.’

  Seneca widened her eyes. ‘I heard your mom call him her almost-son in an interview once.’

  Aerin took her eyes off the road for a moment. ‘What interview was that?’

  The memory changed shape. ‘No, actually, it was a YouTube video of your mom making ice cream. Heath and someone else – I can’t remember who – were guest stars.’

  Aerin looked really confused. ‘I thought my mom took those videos down years ago.’

  Mrs. Kelly probably had – Seneca had watched them when Helena first vanished. ‘The timeline fits, too,’ she rushed on. ‘Heath attended Columbia the same winter Helena disappeared. That January, Heath dropped out, moved to Colorado, lived at the Ritz in Beaver Creek, and learned to snowboard.’

  ‘I thought he was so lucky,’ Aerin mused. ‘The Ritz at Beaver Creek is the bomb.’

  ‘But I called the Ritz this morning, and there were no lesson records for Heath on file. Maybe he taught himself.’

  ‘He would have definitely needed an instructor. He was a mess on the little slopes around here, even on beginner skis.’

  ‘So maybe he wasn’t snowboarding – or even at the Ritz.’ Seneca looked at her phone. ‘I’ve called in a favor from MizMaizie, this woman I know on Case Not Closed. She used to work with the Seattle PD, and she’ll run ID checks of Heath in Colorado – see if he rented an apartment, got a driver’s license, registered to vote. I’ll have her run a check on New York, too, as well as some other states. We’ll find where he was. And as for this visit, we’ll see what he tells us. We’ll keep it light and friendly.’

  Aerin’s face clouded. ‘I’m not feeling particularly friendly right now, if all this is true.’

  ‘I know. It goes to show you that you often don’t really know a person at all.’

  She heard the acid in her voice only after she spoke. Aerin cleared her throat. ‘What happened with Maddy?’

  Seneca’s cheeks blazed. ‘He has a sort-of girlfriend he forgot to mention.’

  Aerin snorted. ‘Who? ’

  ‘This girl Tara. She’s beautiful.’

  Aerin rolled her eyes. ‘His loss.’

  Seneca pretended to study a red barn whipping past. Maybe Aerin was right. It was a much better way of looking at it than wallowing in misery. She felt ashamed of herself – last night she’d had a dream about Maddox. They were on that penthouse deck again, and Maddox had pulled her close and told her that it was over between him and his girlfriend and he chose Seneca. She couldn’t believe she was even capable of dreaming something so teenybopper and saccharine. Worse, she hated how elated she’d felt in those hazy moments when she’d just woken up, before reality had set back in.

  ‘Here we are,’ Aerin said faintly, pulling up to a wrought-iron gate. The place was like a fortress, all stone and slate and iron and grandiose columns. It had double chimneys, ivy crawling up the walls, a greenhouse, and a small vineyard. A gardener was digging in the flowerbeds in the front. Off to the side was a garage that had space for at least six or seven vehicles.

  ‘When was the last time you were here?’ Seneca asked.

  Aerin’s mouth twisted. ‘Christmas. They had a big party. But when Helena was alive, we were here practically every weekend.’

  ‘Sleeping in his bed,’ Seneca quipped, then winced.

  Aerin put her head in her hands. ‘I’m so not ready for this.’

  ‘I know,’ Seneca said. ‘But thanks for doing it today.’ She’d explained that she only had two more days before she was due home and that they had to put this case on speed-solve.

  Aerin sighed and pressed the intercom buzzer. ‘Yes?’ called a tinny, accented voice.

  ‘Hi!’ Aerin said brightly. ‘It’s Aerin Kelly. Is Heath home?’

  ‘Uh …’ There was a pause. Then the voice said, ‘Yes, come in.’

  The gate rolled open. Aerin started up the long driveway. She glanced at Seneca again, looking conflicted. ‘I think we need to bring the boys back. Not to be sexist or whatever, but in moments like this, it would be nice to have some muscles on our team. And Madison, too – she’s just good to have around.’

  Seneca slumped, but she understood Aerin’s logic. ‘Let’s just get through Heath, okay? Then you can call the others.’

  They parked on the driveway and got out. Aerin led them to the front door, which was opening as they approached. A tall, wavy-haired guy in his early twenties appeared. He was wearing a rumpled gray T-shirt, khakis, and loafers that barely had any soles left. There were three string bracelets on his wrist. He had a winning, I’ve-been-a-bad-boy smile, made even cuter by two crooked front teeth. Seneca didn’t want to stare at him, but it was hard not to.

  ‘Ms. Fox!’ Heath said, gliding toward Aerin with arms outstretched. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Fine.’ Aerin touched Seneca’s arm. ‘This is my friend Seneca. We have a question for you – I considered calling, but we were in the area so I thought we’d just stop by.’

  ‘You’re always welcome.’ Heath gave Seneca a once-over, long lashes shading his green eyes. She felt her skin go hot. There was something unapologetically sexy about him. Like the kind of guy you’d make out with at a music festival in the desert.

  Heath led them into a huge foyer with marble floors and a double staircase. A vase half the size of Seneca’s body stood on a table; phallic lilies protruded from it. By the stairs was a portrait of Marissa Ingram sitting on a divan, her face in profile, her legs outstretched, a long-haired white cat tucked into her side.

  They turned and walked through a parlor full of ancient-looking books, leather furniture, Oriental rugs, and fiddly wooden tables bearing half-completed jigsaw puzzles. Every painting was of a man on a horse. Finally Heath stopped in a smaller room. It held a grand-looking fireplace, but this one was filled with hardcover books. An egg chair hung by the window. The curtains were paisley silk, and there was a huge saguaro cactus in a pot in the corner.

  Aerin looked around. ‘Didn’t this used to be your dad’s office?’

  ‘Yeah, but he took a room upstairs. I remodeled
.’ As Heath dropped into a leather sectional, his iPhone rang. ‘Hey, Mom,’ he said patiently. ‘Dad? I don’t know where he is …’

  Seneca studied the books in the fireplace. Your Best You. Overcoming Anything. When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade! Could Heath’s lemons have to do with Helena?

  Heath hung up and groaned. ‘My mom tries and tries and tries, but my dad’s so checked out.’ He leaned back on the couch. ‘So what’s up, Ms. Fox? Can Lupita get you something to drink? Water? Rum punch?’ He chuckled slyly. ‘It’s a little early, but she makes a good one.’

  ‘We’re fine.’ Aerin moved closer to Seneca. ‘I told Seneca you went to Columbia since she’s considering transferring there, and she was wondering what you thought of it.’

  ‘It’s awesome.’ Heath looked wistful. ‘I wish I could have stayed longer, but college and me didn’t mix at the time. Are you looking for someone to contact? I could probably put in a good word for you with the dean of admissions – he owes my dad a favor.’

  Seneca widened her eyes. If only she could take him up on that. It would certainly cushion the blow when she had to tell her dad about U of M.

  Aerin shifted her weight. ‘Didn’t you give Helena a tour of Columbia?’

  A wrinkle formed on Heath’s brow. It seemed like mentioning Helena’s name made everyone around here bristle. Then again, who wanted to be reminded of such a horrible thing? After Seneca’s mom disappeared, no one wanted to say her name, either. ‘Helena was more of an NYU girl,’ Heath answered.

  ‘So did you guys tour NYU together?’

  Heath shook his head. ‘I didn’t see her in New York. And if she did tour Columbia, she probably went with that Kevin guy.’ He chuckled. ‘What did she see in him, anyway?’

  Aerin’s foot jiggled so wildly Seneca worried it might fall off. ‘I’m not sure she was into Kevin, actually. She didn’t mention that to you?’

  ‘No …’ Heath cocked his head, still smiling.

  If he knew something, he was doing a good job of hiding it. Seneca decided to switch tacks. ‘Where did you transfer to when you left Columbia?’

  Heath let out a mix between a laugh and a cough. ‘You don’t know? My mother acts like it was national news that I didn’t pick another school.’

  ‘What did you do instead?’

  ‘I went to Colorado. Chilled out. Learned to snowboard.’

  ‘Oh, that’s right,’ Aerin said. ‘You lived at the Ritz in Beaver Creek, right?’

  ‘Uh-huh.’ He furiously rubbed his nose, like he was trying to erase his freckles.

  ‘I’ve only been to the Ritz for lunch,’ Seneca piped up. ‘I can’t imagine staying there.’

  ‘The rooms are pretty sweet,’ Heath agreed.

  ‘And it’s a short shuttle to the slopes, right?’ Seneca asked, recalling the research she’d done on the Ritz that morning.

  Heath shook his head. ‘Nope, there’s a lift out back. Ski in, ski out.’

  Seneca jiggled her foot. That was true. ‘And I’m guessing you met Phinneas?’

  Heath blinked. ‘Phinneas?’

  ‘You totally met him,’ Seneca egged on. ‘He’s, like, a Ritz fixture.’

  ‘Oh, Phinneas,’ Heath said after a beat. ‘Yeah. Most amazing bartender ever.’

  The door swung open. Everyone jumped. Mrs. Ingram bustled in. She wore a cream-colored shift with big interlocking Chanel Cs on the belt. She was pulling her husband behind her, who was frowning at something on his phone. ‘Heath, I’d really like you to come with us to lunch,’ Mrs. Ingram was saying, but then she did a double take. ‘Aerin! Why, hello, honey!’

  Aerin air-kissed Heath’s mother, then hugged Mr. Ingram. ‘Sorry to drop in on you. We just had a question for Heath about Columbia. My friend is interested in the school.’

  Mr. Ingram made a sour face. ‘Heath won’t be much help. He never went to class.’

  Marissa shot him a look, then smiled at Seneca. ‘Are you from Dexby? Have we met?’

  Seneca’s gaze swiveled from family member to family member. Marissa’s smile was all gums. Mr. Ingram’s attention was on his phone again. Heath wasn’t looking at his mother. He was looking at Seneca, his focus laser-sharp, his eyes cold. Seneca glanced down at his hand. It was gripping the arm of the chair so hard that blue veins stuck out.

  Aerin’s gaze was on Heath’s hand, too. She jumped to her feet. ‘Anyway, we don’t want to interrupt your lunch.’

  Marissa scoffed. ‘Don’t be silly. Why don’t you both come? We’re going to the yacht club.’

  ‘Thank you so much, but we’re good.’ Aerin was already at the door. She waggled her fingers at Heath, but he only gave a trace of a smile. A vein throbbed in his neck.

  Only when they were safely out the door and in Aerin’s car did Seneca let out a breath. ‘I think Heath’s a little confused.’

  ‘Why?’ Aerin asked, eyes wide.

  ‘Because Phinneas? The Ritz fixture? I did some research on him this morning, too. He’s not a bartender, like Heath said.’ Seneca raised her eyebrows meaningfully. ‘He’s the resort’s dog.’

  CHAPTER 27

  Brett slumped on the leather couch in Maddox’s den. The start screen to Battlefield 4 was on the TV, but neither he nor Maddox had picked up a game controller. The room smelled like feet, Goldfish crackers, and weed – Madison had wandered in, too, and was reading a Vogue on the chaise.

  Brett hadn’t been ready to leave Dexby, so after wandering around town, he’d cabbed it back to Maddox’s place. ‘Can we hang?’ he’d asked. He was grateful that Maddox had let him in, because his near hook-up with Aerin was eating at him, and he needed a guy’s perspective.

  ‘We were this close,’ he was saying to Maddox, describing how Aerin had seemed so into it. ‘But it just didn’t feel right, you know?’

  ‘Wait until she isn’t drunk,’ Madison called from the couch. ‘So it’s real.’

  ‘Exactly.’ Brett sat back and smiled. It was going to happen between them. He knew it.

  Maddox’s phone dinged. He looked at the screen and made a strange face. Brett leaned over – his buddy’s phone had been dinging like crazy since he’d arrived. A text read, What are you doing right now?

  He poked Maddox’s side. ‘Who’s this Catherine who’s so eager to find you?’

  ‘This … girl,’ Maddox said, hesitation in his voice.

  Another ding. Brett peeked at the screen. Uh, what’s with the silence? a new text read. Don’t you remember what we talked about? ‘Jeez, pushy much?’ he murmured.

  ‘I told you Catherine’s crazy,’ Madison said, not looking up from her magazine.

  Maddox mumbled something Brett couldn’t make out.

  ‘You should call Seneca,’ Madison singsonged.

  Maddox placed his phone face-down on the couch. ‘What’s the point?’

  ‘I’m sure she’d appreciate an apology,’ Brett said. ‘Maybe she wants to apologize to you, too. I got an apology text from her already.’

  Maddox shut his eyes. ‘I don’t know …’

  Brett shrugged. ‘Dial *67 before you call her. Or use mine.’ He lobbed his phone across the cushions; it landed next to Maddox’s lap. ‘C’mon. Clear the air.’

  Sighing, Maddox picked up the phone and scrolled through Brett’s contacts. After a moment, he pressed the phone to his ear. ‘Put it on speaker,’ Brett instructed.

  Maddox shot him a look. ‘I’m not putting it on speaker!’ But he ended up hitting the speaker button anyway. On the third ring, Seneca picked up. ‘Hey, Brett,’ her voice blared through the speaker, sounding business-like. ‘I was actually just about to call you.’

  ‘Actually, it’s Maddox,’ Maddox said into the phone.

  There was a pause. ‘Oh,’ she said frostily. ‘Well, I guess you can hear this, too.’

  ‘Wait,’ Maddox said. ‘I want to talk first.’ Brett gave him a thumbs-up. ‘I’m really sorry. About … you know. I screwed up big time.’ His voice seemed filled with regret.
>
  Seneca took a while to respond again, but then she sighed. ‘Okay, Maddox. I’m sorry, too. And actually, we have more work to do on the case.’

  ‘You’re not in Maryland?’ Brett blurted in the background.

  Maddox shot him a look.

  ‘Hi, Brett,’ Seneca called out. ‘I had my dad turn back. Actually, Aerin and I are pulling into Maddox’s driveway right now.’

  An engine purred at the front of the house. Brett, Maddox, and Madison strode to the door just as Aerin and Seneca were stepping out of Aerin’s car. Brett was so overjoyed to see them again he gave Seneca a huge hug. ‘Good to have you back.’

  ‘My turn!’ Aerin said next. Brett picked her up and swung her around, wishing he could dip her romantically and kiss her right there.

  But then Seneca started up the path, all business. ‘We’ve ruled out Kevin and Greg.’

  ‘How?’ Brett said, following them.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Seneca said, shooting Aerin a conspiratorial glance. ‘But, Brett, your text about the crane got me thinking. What if HI is actually initials – H.I.? One person fits: Heath Ingram.’

  Brett felt proud of himself. ‘I knew that crane was a clue. But who’s Heath Ingram?’

  ‘Kelly family friend,’ Madison piped up.

  Seneca glanced at Maddox. ‘Do you remember Heath from the Kellys’?’

  ‘Sort of,’ Maddox said slowly. ‘He came over with Helena once. Helena left the room, and he turned to me in the kitchen. And he said …’ Maddox trailed off.

  ‘Said what?’ Seneca urged.

  Maddox sighed. ‘He was like, You’re into Helena, aren’t you? I see the way you look at her. You’re spying on her.’

  ‘Were you?’ Aerin demanded.

  ‘Dude, no,’ Maddox groaned. ‘My point is that he seemed paranoid. Like maybe he was making sure I didn’t know something.’

  Seneca sat down at the kitchen table and pulled a laptop out of her bag. ‘We caught him in a lie this morning.’ She looked at Aerin. ‘Everyone at the Ritz knows that dog. It’s all over TripAdvisor – guests can take Phinneas out for walks, and he hangs out at the front desk – you practically trip over him when you check in. And he was definitely alive five years ago, when Heath was there. If he had really stayed at the Ritz, he would have known about that dog.’