“Tom’s coming over for homemade soup and bread shortly,” Eloise seemed to be trying to turn the conversation to a normal topic. “When Lin comes, why don’t the two of you come over and join us. I’ve made plenty and it’s a great night for soup.”
“Thanks, Eloise. We’ll plan to do that. I was late getting in myself and I feel sure Lin won’t feel like cooking when she arrives.”
Neal ended the call. He tried to shove his concerns aside; after all, Lin was a responsible person, quite capable of taking care of herself. There must be some logical explanation for her tardiness. Her phone must surely be out or she would’ve called. Traffic was probably bad due to this weather. She would certainly drive slowly and carefully in the rain. He continued to outline reasons why he shouldn’t be worried as he went upstairs to shower. Getting the grime of the day off could only help things.
He did feel better when he finished showering. Wrapping a towel around himself, he went to the stairs calling out for Lin. There was no answer. Still towel-clad he hurried downstairs to check the parking area. Lin’s car still wasn’t there. He did notice that Tom Miller had apparently arrived next door.
Neal went back upstairs and dressed quickly in jeans and a warm sweater. He found a slicker and some rubber boots in a downstairs closet and put them on, grateful that Kate seemed to be well prepared for guests caught in inclement weather. He grabbed a second slicker that looked smaller. Maybe Lin had experienced car trouble. She could be stranded on the highway and she probably hadn’t taken any rain gear with her. He stuffed the slicker and another pair of rubber boots into a tote. He checked on Sparky, turned off the gas logs and let him into the house. He decided to leave a note for Lin, just in case, to let her know he was first going over to Eloise’s and then he was going to drive over to Manteo to look for her. “If you get home, call Eloise and then call me on my cell,” he added.
“Still no word?” Tom Miller greeted him at the door. “Eloise told me Lin hasn’t come home yet.”
“No, and I’m really getting worried now. I think I’ll go look for her, in case she’s had car trouble and is stranded. Her cell phone must be out. I’ve tried several times, and it just goes to voice mail.”
“I’ll go with you,” Tom said. “Eloise can keep an eye out here and call us if she comes home. Meanwhile, I’ve got a suggestion,” he seemed hesitant, “Have you called the police to see if there might’ve been an accident? I hate to mention the possibility but…” Neal was dialing 911 before he could finish his sentence. The operator he reached listened intently, but then told him they’d had no calls from a Lin Hanna and no accident reports, as yet. “Surprising given this weather, but so far nothing,” she reported. She took Neal’s number and promised to call him should she receive an emergency call from Lin or an accident report involving her car. Neal gave her a description and the license number. He was growing more concerned by the minute.
Tom had already gotten his own coat and boots back on and was ready to go. Neal started to insist that he stay put, out of the weather, but then he realized that he would be grateful for the company of the older gentleman. Besides Tom knew more about the roads in the area. It won’t do Lin any good if I get lost, Neal thought.
Eloise gave them a tall thermos full of hot coffee to take with them and promised to keep the soup hot until they returned—with Lin. The two men were quiet as they headed out, following the main route down the banks and into Manteo. The rain was harder now, and the wind had picked up a bit. Visibility was not great; Neal drove slowly so that they wouldn’t miss anything on the roadside. As they crossed the bridge and entered the town, Neal felt a growing sense of anxiety. They’d seen no sign of Lin along this route. The town was almost deserted. Apparently even the restaurants had closed early, probably lacking customers due to the weather.
“I’m calling the Sheriff’s office,” Tom announced, tapping the numbers on his cell phone. When he connected he described the situation, outlining the steps they’d already taken to try to locate Lin and asking for help. Apparently he was getting the same information they’d already received from the 911 operator.
“Let me talk to them,” Neal knew that a person wasn’t considered missing for twenty-four hours, but he’d be damned if he was going to wait that long to get some help finding Lin. He tried to explain that she’d received some threats earlier, had been followed even but got nowhere.
“We’ve had no reports about any of this,” the deputy on duty repeated. “If we hear anything we’ll call you, and if she’s not home by midday tomorrow you can come in and file a report.”
Neal took a deep breath. There was no point in arguing with this person. “Is Sheriff Midgett there?” he’d decided to switch tactics.
“Yes, sir. Our entire crew is working overtime this weekend because of the storm but I’m sure he’s busy, sir.”
“The Sheriff and I have met earlier. The missing person is Lin Hanna, the lady who found the body of Dorrie Johnson, that girl who died a couple of weeks ago. I need to talk to him now.” Neal was practically shouting but it seemed to have some effect. Pete Midgett came on the line shortly.
Grateful to have the Sheriff’s ear, Neal outlined the immediate situation. “I’m sure something has happened to Lin,” he insisted. “Hopefully, just car trouble and a dead cell phone but my friend and I have been looking for her, and we can’t find her. We need some help.” He waited expectantly for the Sheriff’s reaction.
“OK, then, why don’t you come by my office and we can go over all this. You can catch me up on what’s been happening since the Johnson girl died. If we’ve had no reports today then I’m not sure what we can find, but I’ll alert my patrols to watch for the car. Let me get the identifying information again.”
Neal swallowed hard, trying to stay calm, and repeated the information about Lin’s car. “We’ll see you shortly, Sheriff, and thanks for helping.”
It only took a few minutes to reach the Sheriff’s office. The wind had picked up and the rain was coming down harder. Neal and Tom were dripping by the time they entered the reception area. The young officer behind the counter hastened to point out a rack along the far wall where they could leave their slickers and boots; apparently she was not eager to have them leave puddles on the carpeted floor. She directed them to a conference room and offered to get them a cup of coffee.
“Not for me,” Neal declined her offer. “I’ve been drinking coffee steadily for the past hour, probably had enough caffeine, but thanks.” He was feeling increasingly worried about Lin, but he couldn’t blame his anxiety on caffeine alone.
The Sheriff arrived shortly. He seemed somewhat weary; it had been a long day and the weekend promised no rest for him or for his staff, at least not until the storm let up sometime on Sunday. He started to sit in one of the wooden chairs at the end of the table and then thought better of it. “Let’s move this meeting to my office. We can all be more comfortable there,” he suggested.
Pete Midgett’s office was spacious but not particularly fancy. The furnishings were simple but comfortable and included a large leather desk chair more suited to the Sheriff’s bulk than the wooden chairs in the conference room they’d left. Neal and Tom settled into the upholstered armchairs that faced the desk. Midgett removed a stack of files and picked up a pen and pad on which to take notes.
“OK, why don’t you start by telling me what you know about Ms. Hanna’s activities today. What were her plans? Where was she going? When were you expecting her home?”
Neal outlined what he knew about Lin’s plans making sure to include the fact that she’d told Eloise she’d be back in the afternoon and they could have tea. “So far as I know that’s all she’d planned—run some errands this morning, pick up her ring from the Simon gallery, then go home. She didn’t call Eloise or me to change anything, and now I can’t reach her cell phone. It goes straight to voice mail.”
Midgett pushed a button on his desk set, “ How ‘bout giving Mark Simon a call. Find ou
t if Lin Hanna came in to get her ring today and what time that was for me.”
“At least that way, we’ll know if she did make it into town and when she might’ve left,” he explained, “Now maybe you can catch me up on what’s happened regarding the death of Dorrie Johnson since we talked a few weeks ago. I guess you know Ken Parker over in Kill Devil Hills has been looking into that as part of his investigation of the death of Connie Frazier.” He shifted in his chair, reaching for one of the files. “ Depending on how this case with Billy Thornton works out, we might be reopening the investigation into Liz Frazier’s death also. I guess I might’ve been a bit quick, jumping on Dorrie as the guilty party there, but that’s the way things looked ten years ago.”
Neal had heard all this from Sgt. Parker, but he simply nodded his agreement with the Sheriff’s assessment. “I can bring you up to date on what Lin knew about Dorrie’s activities. I think she shared everything with me.” He proceeded to relate what Lin had learned in her inquiries and what they had shared with Ken Parker. He explained that there had been an attempted break-in at Kate’s home on two occasions, as well as a threatening phone call. He concluded by explaining how Lin thought Mike Clark had followed her, and how they were followed on their weekend trip. “ I believe Ken Parker thinks that maybe Mike was hired by Billy Thornton. Maybe he’s right because this activity seems to have stopped. Ken might’ve talked to Mike, but he told us there really wasn’t enough evidence to bring any charges. Mike never actually approached us or anything.”
Sheriff Midgett was quiet. He seemed to be mulling over this information, trying to fit the pieces together. “ You say this Mike Clark fellow works at the Simon Gallery?”
“That’s right, but he lives on the beach and is a regular at Tim’s Bar and Grill. That’s where he’d have had contact with Billy. At least that’s what Sgt. Parker seemed to think.”
Midgett had reached for his phone again contacting the officer at the desk, “Did you reach Mark Simon?”
“Not yet,” was the response. “I left a message and asked him to call back right away.”
“Well, when he does, ask him if Mike Clark worked today and what time he got off.“
“That might not be much help,” Midgett said, “but it can’t hurt to ask. Frankly, we really don’t have much to go on here.”
Neal felt a growing sense of frustration. “I realize that, but I do appreciate your efforts and your understanding. I’m sure everyone in my position thinks this but I’m sure that Lin is in some kind of trouble. I hope it’s just her car broken down somewhere and her cell phone battery dead. I know she would try to call if she could. She’s not the type of person who’d go off somewhere and not tell me.”
“I can vouch for that also,” Tom Miller spoke up. “I haven’t known Lin long, but she’s been a good neighbor for my friend Eloise James. She’s very responsible. Eloise told me how she’s been trying to help this dead girl’s parents find closure.”
“Has she seemed unhappy about anything recently,” Midgett probed.“You know, did you two have a disagreement or anything?” His pointed question was directed to Neal.
“Not at all,” Neal tried not to sound angry, but it was hard, “We’ve never been happier. We’re planning to get married sometime next year. That ring she was picking up was her engagement ring.”
Pete Midgett looked as if he were about to speak, maybe to suggest Lin might not be as happy as Neal thought, but he apparently thought better of it. “Well, I think we’ve done all we can here to this point. I’ll continue the search for her car and keep trying to reach Mark Simon. One more thing I can do. I’ll call Ken Parker and alert him also. Maybe she got back to the beach before she had a problem.”
Neal and Tom thanked the Sheriff for his efforts and had just gotten up to leave when the phone on the desk rang. It was the officer on duty. Midgett picked up the phone and listened intently. “Thanks,” he said as he hung up.
“Well, we have some information, but it’s not much to go on. Mark Simon called back. He said that Ms. Hanna did come into the shop and picked up her ring. He thinks that was about three this afternoon. He also reported that Mike Clark worked all day, didn’t get off until five or maybe even a few minutes after. They were busy with Christmas shoppers all day.”
“Well, at least we know Lin should’ve left town right after that. She could’ve easily been back home before four,” Neal said anxiously, “It’s almost eight now. She’s been missing about four hours. She has to be somewhere, why can’t we find her car?”
“If her car is still in Dare Country we’ll find it,” Sheriff Midgett tried to be reassuring. “I know you’re worried but you fellows should go back home, and let us keep looking. I promise you’ll be notified as soon as we locate her vehicle. Hopefully, she’ll be with it.”
Reluctantly, Neal nodded and he and Tom prepared to leave, donning their gear against the driving rainstorm outside. Once back in the car, Tom had a suggestion, “Let’s go the back way home and take the old bridge from the other end of town. I don’t know if Lin knew about that route, but it’s the only other way to travel back to the Banks, by land anyway. It won’t hurt to look there. There’re a lot of back roads here on Roanoke Island and even more on the mainland, but I doubt Lin is familiar with most of those, and she’d have no real reason to travel them, I would think. Besides the Sheriff’s men would know them best, and I feel sure they’ll be covering them with their patrols.”
The two men headed back to the Banks, driving slowly as they had before, making sure they didn’t miss anything on the roadside. They saw no sign of Lin. About eight-thirty they pulled into the parking area under Kate’s house. Tom insisted that Neal come with him to Eloise’s. “You need to eat something, and you don’t need to wait here alone. Sparky will be fine for another couple of hours, and the Sheriff has your cell number.”
Eloise had kept the soup warm as promised, and it was delicious, but Neal only picked at his. He kept going over all the possibilities in his mind. Where could she be? Increasingly, he felt that something bad had to have happened, something more than car trouble.
In spite of Eloise’s efforts to maintain a positive attitude, a strained silence pervaded the otherwise cheerful kitchen. No one was very hungry, and there was really nothing that could be said to help the situation. Finally, Neal rose to leave. “It’s almost ten and Sparky will need to go out, raining or not. Thank you both, Eloise the soup was delicious and Tom I really appreciate your going out with me in this awful weather.”
Eloise was close to tears, but she refused to give in to her emotions, trying to keep up a brave front. “I’m going to fix some of this soup for you to take home. You hardly touched yours, and you’ll be hungry later.” She moved to the stove and began to dish the soup into a plastic container. “Tom, I think you should stay in my guest room. It’s too bad out there for you to drive home.”
Tom started to protest but seemed to realize that Eloise probably didn’t want to be alone; he nodded in agreement and turned to Neal. “Please call if you get any news, no matter how late it is. We can go out again when it gets light. Even with the rain it will be easier to search in the daytime,” he was trying hard to be upbeat.
Neal thanked Eloise for the soup and donned his rain gear for the trek back over to Kate’s.
Sparky greeted him at the door, and Neal followed him out to the back yard. The dog didn’t like the rain any more than the people did, choosing to make quick work of this outing. Even though the dog was drenched and Neal couldn’t really get him completely dry, he didn’t leave him downstairs on the porch. Instead, he let him come upstairs to the bedroom, spreading a dry towel on the rug beside the bed. “I could use some company tonight,” he told the dog who seemed to understand.
Neal couldn’t bring himself to get into bed. He was bone tired but felt restless. I should be out there looking for her, he told himself. She has to be somewhere. He felt totally helpless. He kicked off his shoes and stretched out on
top of the king bed in his clothes. Checking his cell phone for what seemed like the millionth time, he realized that his battery was low; he plugged the phone in and placed it on the nightstand near his head. Quite sure he would be unable to sleep, at least for now, he propped himself up on some pillows and flicked on the TV. Turning to one of the late night talk shows, he tried to focus, pushing his fears about Lin to the edge of his consciousness.
What seemed like only a few seconds later, he woke with a start. His phone was ringing. He grabbed for the instrument almost knocking it to the floor.
“Neal Smith,” he stammered.
“Mr. Smith…er, I mean Dr. Smith, this is Pete Midgett calling. I have some news for you. We’ve found Ms. Hanna’s car, but I’m sorry to say she wasn’t with it. The car was locked and empty—no purse or packages.”
“Where was it?” Neal could hear his own voice shaking as he spoke.
“Parked in downtown, actually right near the waterfront. We should’ve located it earlier, but we’re spread pretty thin with this storm, and my folks were concentrating on the roads leading out of town, I guess.”
Neal looked at the clock. It was almost four a.m. He must’ve fallen asleep pretty quickly. He felt almost ashamed thinking he’d been sleeping while Lin was still missing out there somewhere. “I’m coming in to town,” he told the Sheriff.
“I’m gonna ask you to hold off on that, for a couple of hours anyway,” the Sheriff drawled. “We’ll tow the car to the county garage, have to get it unlocked and then we’ll have our techs go over it for any evidence that might be there.” Midgett hesitated before he continued, “ My guess is that ring she picked up at the gallery might’ve been pretty valuable…”
Neal’s heart sank as he realized what the Sheriff was saying. Lin had just picked up a valuable piece of jewelry; she could’ve been a victim of robbery, “Yes,” he managed to say, “Yes, it was.” He couldn’t bring himself to say more, afraid of breaking down.
Sandrift: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 26