by T. R. Ragan
“On the day Tinsley was taken, her teacher said that the woman who took our daughter not only looked like me but also that Tinsley seemed to know her, even looked excited to see her. Our daughter walked away with the woman, hand in hand, which tells me she knew this person or had at least met her.”
Dani stared at Matthew, waiting for him to see the correlation. Why wasn’t he jumping up, angry that this woman may have had something to do with their daughter’s abduction?
This time when Matthew looked at her, he shook his head as if Dani had lost her mind.
“Who is she, Matthew?”
“I already told you. Rebecca Carr. That’s all I know.” He sighed. “You’re grasping at straws.”
Dani crossed her arms. “What happened to her after she left RAYTEX? Where did she go?”
“My guess is as good as yours.”
“That’s all you have to say about the matter?”
“I’m worried about you, Dani.”
Her face softened. “If that’s true, if you care at all about me, you’ll help me find Rebecca Carr so I can question her. That’s all I want to do. Just ask her a few questions.”
Matthew stood, his arms dropping to his sides in defeat. “I give up. I’m done trying to save you from yourself.”
“What does that even mean?”
“You’re in denial. Intent on spending the rest of your life looking for ghosts.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Dani said. Her head tilted to one side. “Don’t you feel an overwhelming sense of injustice by what happened?”
He said nothing.
“When Tinsley disappeared,” Dani told him, “all my unfulfilled dreams vanished with her. I lost a vital part of me. And the worst part is I feel responsible.”
“Dani,” he said. He stepped closer, as if he meant to offer her comfort. “I wish it wasn’t so, but Tinsley is gone and she isn’t coming back.”
“Please go.” Dani pointed toward the door. The only reason he’d come was because he’d been upset that she had reached out to his coworkers. As far as his relationship with Rebecca Carr, she wasn’t sure what to think.
The minute he left, Dani grabbed her laptop and brought it to the family room. She logged on to one of her favorite pay databases and typed in Rebecca Carr’s name. Judging from the photos she’d seen, she guessed Rebecca’s age range to be between thirty-five and forty, which matched the age given by Forensics based on the video provided by the school on the day Tinsley was taken.
All she had was a name and approximate age and height. Hair color could easily be changed. She sipped her tea as she waited for the database to compile a list. It didn’t take long. There were hundreds of Rebecca Carrs in the US alone. But they were all the wrong age or they had never lived in California. It was as if Rebecca Carr had never existed.
She pulled up another website that would allow her to check public records. If Rebecca had an arrest record or even a speeding ticket, she would pop up.
Two hours later, Dani’s eyes blurred and her head throbbed.
Was Matthew right? Was she merely chasing ghosts?
She leaned her head back against the couch and shut her eyes.
Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into? Those words had been the first thing PI Hugo Cavin had asked her when she’d expressed interest in buying the agency from him. He’d also said, The job requires diligence and persistence.
She sat up.
Goose bumps washed over every part of her. Sometimes, like now, she felt Tinsley’s presence. It was as if she were pushing her to keep going, telling her to never give up. Dani wondered if all parents felt that when their child went missing.
Then she did something she’d never done before. She grabbed her phone, looked through her contacts, and called Hugo. When he didn’t answer, she waited for the beep and then hung up. It was a dumb idea. She had tackled insurance fraud, infidelity, and corporate impropriety. She could do this.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
After dropping off Ethan at the mobile home park, Quinn made a phone call. Dylan Rushdan, a senior at McClatchy High School and Ali’s boyfriend, according to Ali’s little sister, picked up on the first ring.
“Hi, Dylan. My name is Quinn Sullivan. I’m working with a private investigator, Dani Callahan, and I was hoping we could meet. I have some questions regarding Ali Cross.”
“I’ve already talked to detectives.”
“Please,” she said. “I promise I won’t take up too much of your time.”
“I’m taking classes at Sacramento City College, West Sacramento Center on West Capitol Avenue. If you want to meet me in front of the library in thirty minutes, I can spare a few minutes.”
“That’s great,” Quinn said. “I’ll be there. Look for the brunette wearing jeans and a white T-shirt.”
“That narrows it down,” he said with a laugh.
“I’ll find you,” she said. “I’ve seen your picture on social media.”
“Then you already know everything there is to know about me.”
“True, that. I’ll see you soon.”
Thirty minutes later, right on schedule, she spotted Dylan Rushdan standing in front of the library entrance. He was even better looking in person. Tall with dark curly hair and a nice square jaw. She waved as she got closer.
He smiled.
“We can talk right over there if you want to sit down,” he said, pointing to a small grouping of tables and chairs.
Once they were seated, he said, “I hate to rush you, but I’ve only got five to ten minutes, tops.”
“Then I’ll be quick.” She pulled out her notebook and pen.
“I’ve already talked to the police,” Dylan said, “and I really don’t have anything useful to tell you. If I did, they would have already found her.”
She nodded, feeling the time pressure. “According to Ali’s sister, Gracie, you and Ali were dating. Is that right?”
He nodded. “Ali didn’t want her mom to know, but yes. We’ve been friends forever, but things got serious about six months ago. I love Ali and she loves me.”
“Do you know if anyone had been bothering Ali—you know, before she went missing?”
“Bothering her?”
“Yes. For instance, did she ever mention anyone following her or refusing to leave her alone?”
“No. She would have told me.”
“Did she have any enemies at school?”
“Not that I know of. She’s a sweet girl who has nothing bad to say about anyone. Everybody loves Ali.”
“I talked to some of her friends, including Natalie and Stacy. They mentioned a guy named Brent Tarone. They said there was a time when he wouldn’t leave Ali alone.”
“I forgot about Brent. It’s true that he was obsessed with Ali, but he’s harmless.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Well, for starters, he’s married with a child on the way.”
Quinn’s eyes rounded. “Seriously? How old is he?”
“He was nineteen when he graduated, so my guess is twenty-one or twenty-two now.”
Quinn didn’t like spitting out the questions, but she knew Dylan would need to go soon. “Did Ali have a job? After school or on weekends?”
“No. Her job was basically watching her little sister while her mom was working.” He looked at the time on his phone. “I should go.”
“Just two more questions,” she said. “Do you think Ali ran away from home?”
“No. I don’t.” His eyes watered. “Sorry. I don’t mean to get emotional; it’s just that I really don’t know what to do or how to act. I feel like a zombie most days, taking classes here, working at Starbucks, doing chores at home. I keep expecting Ali to call me or show up at my house.” He inhaled.
“What about the ‘big fight’ with her mother everyone is talking about?”
He shook his head slowly. “Ali has been fighting with her mom for years. She was excited about going away to college. She lo
ves her sister. And her mom too, for that matter.” He stood. Instead of just rushing off he said, “I’m sorry I’m not much help. It’s frustrating.”
“What is?”
“Feeling so useless. Not being able to do anything but wait and hope they find her.”
She nodded. “Do you mind if I call you again if I have any further questions?”
“Call or text anytime. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
He swung his backpack onto his back and walked away.
Ali was a lucky girl, Quinn thought before the irony hit her like a brick to the head.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
It was almost dark by the time Carlin saw Dylan Rushdan riding his bike toward him in River Walk Park. Once the sun began to set, it got cold fast. Carlin was shivering. The last group of students had passed by twenty minutes ago. He’d started to think maybe Dylan Rushdan had skipped class.
But here he was, coming his way, moving fast.
Carlin tugged on the wire he’d already secured to the tree across from him and held tight. The seconds ticked by until Dylan Rushdan’s front tire made contact with the wire and sent the poor boy flying through the air.
With little time to get the job done, Carlin raced across the gravel path and cut the wire loose, then tossed it aside. Just as quickly, he hurried to Dylan Rushdan’s side and held out a hand to help him up. “Whoa, man. Are you okay?”
Dylan was on his back. He looked dazed, but he took Carlin’s hand and let him help him to his feet.
Dylan brushed himself off. “What the hell was that?”
Carlin shrugged. “I don’t know. One minute you were speeding by, and the next you were flying through the air. Must have hit a rock.”
He gave Dylan a minute to catch his breath before he pointed a finger at Dylan and wagged it at him. “I know you, don’t I?”
“No,” Dylan murmured. “I don’t think so.”
“No. I recognize you,” Carlin said. “You’re dating Ali Cross, aren’t you?”
Dylan frowned. “Who told you that?”
“Ali Cross’s sister, Gracie, did. I was doing some work at the house. Ali’s little sister is quite the chatterbox.”
“Yeah, we’re dating.” Dylan Rushdan looked around as if he was just noticing that it was dark and cold and he was talking to a complete stranger out in the middle of nowhere. He frowned. “Did you set this whole thing up?”
“What whole thing?”
“My bike. Something tripped up my front wheel.” Dylan looked past Carlin, peering into the dark, trying to see the area where his bike had flipped over. Dylan then leaned down, grabbed hold of the handlebar, and pulled his bike upright.
“Ali told me the two of you were just friends.”
“What is your fucking problem? She loves me and I love her, and someday we’re going to get married. Does that answer your question?”
Carlin felt his blood pressure building and rising. All he could hear was a pounding in his ears. Ali had lied to him. As he reached into his back pocket, he counted to three.
“Who are you, anyway?” Dylan asked. “When did you talk to Ali?”
Carlin looked into his eyes as he plunged the knife into Dylan’s chest, holding tight and staggering forward as Dylan struggled to stay upright. The knife was new and sharp, but it still surprised him how easily the blade had penetrated shirt and flesh. He’d never stabbed anyone before. It felt like a dream—fantastical and odd.
The surprise on Dylan’s face was borderline comical. Despite all the warning signs, the big good-looking guy with the square jaw and brawny muscles had obviously thought he was safe. As soon as he felt Dylan Rushdan starting to lose his bearings, Carlin let go of the knife’s handle. After Dylan collapsed, he pulled a rag from his back pocket and quickly wiped off his fingerprints. He stared at Dylan’s face, surprised by how easy that had been. And fun. “You’re not going to marry Ali Cross, after all.”
Carlin’s body thrummed with excitement. He wanted to take a picture for Ali but figured that wouldn’t be a smart move. He was about to walk off when he noticed how close Dylan’s body was to the steep slope that touched the river’s edge. If he could roll him over the side, he might be able to buy himself a little more time to get out of sight. Bending forward, he wrapped the same rag as before around his hand and rolled the body toward the edge. One final push with the toe of his shoe sent Dylan Rushdan careening toward the water. He tossed the bike over the edge too. Nobody was around, so he ran back to the tree and cut the wire loose. As he walked away, he twisted the wire into a manageable ball, whistling as he went, eager to get home and tell Ali the good news. She’d probably be relieved to know she no longer had to lie to him about Dylan. Maybe he’d wait until morning, make her a stack of golden pancakes with crispy bacon on the side, and tell her then.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Early the next morning Dani jolted awake, sitting up in bed so fast her head spun.
She had an idea.
After the room stopped spinning, she slid off the mattress and made her way to the guest room that she also used as a home office. It was still dark out and she flicked the lights on as she went along. Once she was sitting at her desk, she began opening and closing drawers until she found what she was looking for. It was a hard drive from when she’d backed up all of her and Matthew’s combined files and documents before the divorce, afraid she might need access. Fortunately the divorce had gone smoothly, each of them ending up with half of their combined assets.
She booted up her laptop. When the screen brightened, she inserted the hard drive into the USB port and gave it a few minutes to restore document files. When that was done, she went to File Explorer and then to the PDF files, where she pulled up paperless statements.
While they were married, Matthew had insisted on being in charge of paying the monthly bills, which included credit cards. Most of the higher-ups at RAYTEX were issued a credit card to use for business expenses, including hotels and dinners with clients. But the what-if question that had popped into her head and awakened her this morning was, What if Matthew had been intimate with this temporary employee? Would he have used a credit card to take her out to dinner or to a hotel?
If she did find an odd dinner charge, what then?
Would it help her locate Rebecca Carr?
The only thing a dinner charge would tell her was that Matthew probably did have a fling with this mystery woman and that he had lied about it. And for some reason, the notion hurt more than it probably should. Dani had always thought of Matthew as her friend. Even after all they’d been through together. But she’d never once thought him a liar.
With renewed urgency, wishing to know one way or another, she decided to concentrate on the four months that Rebecca Carr had worked at RAYTEX, plus the month before and after—March through August.
Matthew had been adamant when they married that they keep debt to a minimum, afraid too many credit cards would ramp up their spending. For that reason they’d had only two major credit cards: Discover and Capital One Visa. He requested paperless statements, and every month he would download the statement, pay the bill, and then file it all away under the year and month. It was all orderly and tidy, and because it was digital and kept on a portable hard drive, there was no reason to toss statements after a certain time period.
She began by clicking on the Capital One subfolder and opening the April statement. Right away she noticed a couple of regular charges from Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, where she used to shop for groceries and still did. She noticed a charge at Mulvaney’s B&L, a Sacramento restaurant that served New American fare in a converted firehouse. A personal favorite. She skipped over that charge since that was her birthday month and he took her there every year. There were charges for haircuts and a doctor’s visit. And a few charges that looked wonky mostly because they used their legal corporate name instead of the actual business name. A quick internet s
earch sorted things out as she went along.
After a while, her stomach grumbling, she had finally finished with the Capital One card and had found absolutely nothing.
She’d been so hopeful, bordering on certain, that if Matthew had been involved with someone she would find some odd charge from that time. She still had Discover charges to go through, but first she needed some caffeine and something to eat.
She went to the kitchen, where she got the coffee going, then back to the bedroom, where she slipped on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. A quick glance in the mirror gave her a scare. The bruises around her eyes were no longer purple; they were yellow and green and two shades of red. Her hair, shaved around the ear, looked like she’d been trying for a cool new hairstyle and missed the mark. She tied back her hair with a rubber band and left it at that; the mirror was not her friend today.
After eating a piece of buttered toast and gulping down her first cup of coffee, she felt like a new person. By the time she returned to her desk, she was wound up and ready to get back to work. The April charges on the Discover card were few, but the month of May was another story.
There were charges at restaurants she’d never heard of before. When she looked them up on the web, she was 100 percent certain she’d never been there. A lot of these mysterious charges all happened to be within a seven-day time period. She analyzed each one, using the internet to verify the establishment: Ginochio’s Kitchen, Lucas Wharf Restaurant & Bar, Gourmet Au Bay. The list went on. All within a five-mile radius of Bodega Bay. The biggest charge was for the inn where they had stayed. Or at least he had stayed.
Thinking back to that time, she used a calendar from that year to make notes of where she had been and what she had been doing. She recalled Matthew going on a business trip.
Think, Dani. Think.
She sipped her coffee, then circled Tinsley’s birthday.
Los Angeles.
Her pulse rate accelerated. LA was where his business trip had been that year. She remembered because he’d made such a fuss about it at the time. He didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to miss Tinsley’s fifth birthday. Or so he said.