“Ugh.” Zander’s distaste was palpable. “You’re basically telling me to stop being a baby and suck it up.”
“Oh, look at that,” Pam teased. “You do listen. I was starting to wonder.”
“I don’t find you all that charming any longer,” Zander complained. “You’ve lost everything that made you a delight.”
“You’ll get over it.” Pam wasn’t the type to put up with Zander’s shenanigans so she left him to pout in the kitchen and moved into the living room. “As for you, Jared, you’re being a defeatist. I understand this particular case must be difficult — no one wants to think of a child being taken in this manner — but there has to be something you’re missing. Nothing is unsolvable.”
“We’re doing the best we can,” Jared said. “Right now, though, we don’t know where to look. Going through the sex offenders is something that’s necessary, but I don’t think it’s going to lead us to the right place.”
“So ... what do you think is going to lead you to the right place?”
“If I knew that, I would be putting Zoe in her mother’s arms right now.”
“I think it’s someone who wanted a child,” Harper volunteered, drawing multiple sets of eyes to her. “I’m being serious. The more I think about it, the more I think we’re dealing with a lost soul who was trying to make herself feel better by taking a child to love.”
“You’re assuming it’s a woman,” Jared pointed out. “Statistically, if what you’re theorizing is true, then the numbers would hold that out. We simply have no proof of that, though.”
“Is there a way to narrow down possible suspects?” Pam asked, getting into the spirit of the conversation. “I mean ... are there any mothers in the area who recently lost children? It probably doesn’t even have to be by death. Maybe someone lost custody of a child.”
“Or maybe someone splits custody of a child and the other parent has that specific child this holiday season and that caused the non-custodial parent to snap,” Shawn suggested.
Jared jerked his head in Shawn’s direction, intrigued. “Hmm. That right there is an angle that I didn’t think about. Does anyone know a mother — or father, I guess, but it would probably most likely be a mother — who fits into any of those scenarios?”
“Um ... there’s Denise Dixon,” Harper offered after a beat. “She split with her husband last year. She had her daughter Kelsey last Christmas and her ex-husband has her this year. I know because I heard her complaining about it in the coffee shop about a week ago.”
“That’s good.” In his haste to lean forward and reclaim his computer, Jared accidentally knocked Harper from her perch on his lap. “Sorry, Heart, but I need to make a list.”
“No problem.” She waved away the apology. “This is important. Who else can we think of?”
“Chris Butler comes into my gym all the time,” Shawn volunteered. “He’s been complaining that his ex-wife is taking their son to Hawaii this year so he won’t even be able to see the kid. I know you think it’s probably a woman — and I would guess that the child in question would probably be a girl — but you never know.”
“That’s good.” Jared bobbed his head and typed information into his computer. “Who else?”
“There’s Kasey Blankenship,” Zander volunteered. “Her daughter died of cancer two years ago. It was two days before Christmas. Remember that, Harp?”
Harper’s smile vanished as she nodded. “It was really sad. They thought they could get the little girl through her final Christmas, but it wasn’t to be. The funeral was the day after Christmas, and it was basically the worst funeral I’d ever been to.”
“What about Kasey now?” Jared asked. “Do you think she’s moving on, or is she dwelling on the past?”
“Last time I checked, she was spending a lot of time at the bar,” Zander replied. “I saw her there a few times when I was first meeting Shawn for drinks. She made me sad. That was months ago, though. I know the bartender was giving her a break on the drinks and arranged for an Uber to drive her home every night. He was essentially enabling her.”
“That’s probably not helpful,” Jared noted. “That’s a good lead, though. Anyone else?”
They spent the next hour coming up with names, which allowed Jared to send a list of addresses to the state police so they could search for signs of Zoe. Once the names were sent, it was a waiting game. They didn’t have enough evidence for formal searches and until they found something, they were dead in the water.
“Who wants to help me make roast beef for dinner?” Zander asked at some point.
“I think we should go out,” Jared countered. “It’s getting late, and Jason’s restaurant is right down the road. I think it would be simpler.”
“I don’t want to go to Jason’s restaurant. He’s a thunder-stealer.”
Pam snickered. “You have a problem with a lot of people, don’t you?”
“It’s all them, not me.”
“I think we should talk about that.”
Harper pursed her lips as she watched the scene and turned her attention to Jared. “What’s the deal with your mother?” she whispered. “Why does she keep psychoanalyzing us?”
“She’s a former social worker. Didn’t I tell you that?”
“No, but it explains a lot.”
“She was good at her job.”
“She’s driving Zander insane.”
Jared beamed. “That’s why I love her.”
Sixteen
Pam was having a good time despite the heavy discussion occurring in the other room. Jared and Harper had their heads bent together, clearly intrigued at the prospect of following a thread that could possibly lead to Zoe being okay, and they seemed excited as they jotted down notes.
“They’re cute, huh?” she mused to Zander and Shawn, who were helping her in the kitchen.
Shawn followed her gaze and smiled. “They’re very cute,” he agreed.
“I find them annoying,” Zander countered.
Pam didn’t take the comment to heart. “I think you’re all talk.”
Zander shook his head. “No, they’re definitely annoying.”
She snickered. “You crack me up.” She wiped her hands on a towel and pinned him with a hard gaze so he had no chance to look elsewhere. “I also think you’re exaggerating how you really feel because that’s what you do.”
Zander refused to back down. “No, I really find them annoying.”
Pam let loose an exaggerated sigh. “You love Harper.”
“Of course I love her. We’ve been best friends since we were kids. We’ve always been there for each other.”
“You love Jared, too.”
Zander worked his jaw. “I find Jared incredibly annoying,” he said after a beat. “I know he’s your son and you don’t want to hear that, but he should honestly be smacked around he’s so annoying.”
Instead of being offended, Pam chuckled. “Oh, you’re hilarious. You talk big, but you love them both.”
“I believe you’re mistaken,” Zander said primly. “I love Harper and tolerate Jared.”
“No, you love them both and put on a show because you have a certain reputation to uphold,” she corrected. “I happen to know that you helped my son pick out a special gift for Harper this Christmas and he’s very excited to put it to use.”
Zander stilled, surprised. “W-what?”
“Oh, I see I’ve taken you off guard for the first time. That’s kind of cute.” Pam beamed as Shawn slid his boyfriend a sidelong look.
“Did you actually manage to finish picking out the gift before you got caught up in Zoe’s disappearance?” Shawn asked. “I just realized I forgot to ask.”
Zander sent a furtive look into the living room to make sure Harper and Jared were still caught up in each other and not listening. “Just ... shh.” He pressed his fingers to his lips as he glared. “Are you trying to kill me with this? I mean ... seriously.” His eyes flashed with annoyance. “It’s a secret, and y
ou’re going to ruin it for Harper if you’re not careful. If you do that, I don’t care how much I like you, I’m going to be really angry.”
Pam’s smile only widened. “I have no intention of ruining it. Why would I want to ruin it?”
Zander held his hands palms out and shrugged. “I don’t know. Some mothers — I’m not saying you, but some mothers — don’t like it when their sons get married.”
Shawn found himself unbelievably amused by Zander’s reaction. “He got the ring, didn’t he? Is it pretty? Do you know how he’s going to propose?”
The look Zander shot him was withering. “Shut your hole. I will ... .” He trailed off and mimed strangling his boyfriend. He was so caught up in potential outrage that he didn’t notice Harper and Jared were on their feet in the other room until he heard the door open. “Where are you going?” he called out, straightening.
Harper glanced over her shoulder. “We’re going to Kasey Blankenship’s house,” she replied. “Jared finds her interesting enough to check out, and I’m going with him.”
“Since when are you a police officer?”
“She’s my civilian consultant,” Jared corrected. “I’m allowed to utilize as many civilian consultants as I need.”
“And what’s her special ability in this particular case?”
“Kasey Blankenship lost a daughter,” Jared replied simply. “Perhaps she’s still around. Besides that, Jessica and Kasey went to high school together. It’s a tenuous tie because I’m not sure if they were close after graduation, but it’s enough that I want to question her.”
“To what end?” Pam asked, legitimately curious. “Do you think she was working with Jessica?”
“Maybe.” Jared saw no reason to lie. “I mean ... think about it. Maybe Jessica wanted to get rid of Zoe as a way to eliminate one of the ties between Ally and Luke. Perhaps she didn’t want to kill her, though. She knew Kasey wanted a daughter and was potentially sad enough to join in the plot so they hatched the plan as a duo.”
“Then why kill Jessica?” Shawn asked. “Why not stick to the original plan?”
“Perhaps Jessica changed her mind and wanted to take Zoe back to her mother,” Harper suggested. “Maybe she didn’t realize how much attention the abduction would garner. Maybe she felt bad for what she did and wanted to make it right.”
“And maybe Kasey didn’t want her to make it right,” Jared added as he grabbed a hat from the hook and pulled it over Harper’s head, making sure her ears were covered. “Maybe Kasey wanted to keep Zoe no matter what.”
“It sounds like you’re reaching to me,” Zander argued.
“We’re still going to head over there. Mom, will you be okay staying here with Zander and Shawn?”
Pam nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely. I’m looking forward to it.”
Momentarily suspicious, Jared narrowed his eyes. “What are you guys going to do while we’re gone?”
“We’re going to make dinner so you have something wonderful and tasty to return home to,” Pam replied smoothly. “I would think you’d be happy about that.”
“I guess it depends what you’re cooking.”
“I was leaning toward pot roast.”
Jared brightened considerably. “I love pot roast.”
“I know.” Pam’s smile was fond. “We’ll make dinner. You guys take your time and be careful.”
“And keep us updated,” Shawn called out.
“We’ll definitely do that.”
Pam waited until Jared and Harper were safely out of the house before turning to Zander. “Now you have no reason to be fussy and obnoxious,” she noted. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what the ring looks like, huh? In fact, if you know where it’s hidden, that would be even better.”
Zander’s expression darkened. “I thought we were making pot roast.”
“I can multitask. I want to see the ring.”
“And I want to know how you managed to keep this a secret from me,” Shawn added. “You can never keep secrets. Yes, I know I forgot to ask when things blew up, but this is something you should’ve told me about. I simply assumed you didn’t have time to buy the ring after all.”
Zander balked. “Excuse me. I’ll have you know that I’m an excellent secret keeper.”
“You’re the absolute worst. I can’t believe Jared trusted you instead of me.”
“He trusted Zander because he wanted to make sure Harper got the ring of her dreams,” Pam supplied. “I know my son. Ring shopping wouldn’t be high on his talent list. Zander, however, knows Harper better than anyone.”
“Did he get her a nice ring?” Shawn asked. “Wait!” He held up his hand. “This is more important. When and where is he going to propose?”
“It’s going to be a Christmas proposal,” Zander replied. “He hasn’t told me all the details.”
“Oh, please.” Shawn rolled his eyes. “I know you. There’s no way you would’ve let him leave without ferreting out the details.”
“We were barely out of the store when Ally started screaming about Zoe being missing.”
“Oh.” Realization dawned on Shawn’s face. “I guess that’s a good reason for losing your train of thought.”
“And he’s been really busy since. There’s been no opportunity to get him alone to ask questions about his plans. Harper has been with him pretty much every second that he’s in this house.”
“Well, we’ll figure out the proposal going forward,” Shawn said. “Show us the ring.”
Pam nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely show us the ring.”
Zander heaved out an exaggerated sigh. “People say I’m the one who can’t mind my own business, but I think you guys are worse.”
“I’m a mother,” Pam noted. “I’m allowed to be a busybody. In fact, it’s part of the rules.”
Zander smirked. “Good point. I’ll see if I can find the ring. You guys watch the windows to make sure Harper and Jared don’t swing back while I’m going through their things. That would be annoying to explain.”
“I’m on it.” Shawn strode toward the window. “I can’t believe you were going to keep this from me,” he lamented. “I like proposals, too.”
“I’ll never make that mistake again. I promise.”
JARED PARKED IN FRONT of the nondescript ranch house and killed the engine of his truck. He was using his personal vehicle because he didn’t want to waste time returning to the office to claim a cruiser.
“How well do you know Kasey?” he asked Harper as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Not well. We were all in high school together, but they hung out with a different crowd. Ally and Jessica were popular. Zander and I were not. We were fine being in our own little group, though.”
“Fair enough.” He kept Harper close as he took the lead position to knock on the door.
Kasey answered right away — almost as if she was expecting someone — and she seemed surprised when she recognized the duo on her front porch. “Um ... hello.”
“Hello.” Jared pasted a friendly smile on his face. “I’m Detective Monroe with the Whisper Cove Police Department.” He moved to reach in his pocket to retrieve his badge, but she waved him off.
“I know who you are,” Kasey said. “You were big news in the spring when you showed up on the scene. Everyone wanted to get a look at you. Harper managed to snag you before anyone else could make a move, though.”
Harper offered a half-smile, although she wasn’t sure if she liked being talked about in such a fashion. “I don’t know that I snagged him up,” she hedged, causing Kasey to chuckle.
“It ultimately doesn’t matter,” she said. “You guys are clearly happy, and I’m happy for you. I’m not quite sure why you’re here, though.”
“We have a few questions that might seem odd,” Jared admitted, shifting from one foot to the other. The air outside was biting. “They revolve around Jessica Hayden and the disappearance of Zoe Mathers.”
Kasey’s eyes widened.
“Oh, well ... come in.” She ushered them inside, waiting until they were over the threshold and finished removing their boots to lead them through the house. “Come into the living room,” she suggested. “I have a fire brewing.”
“It’s really cold out,” Harper noted, her mittens in her hand as she wandered into the cute living room and pulled up short.
There was a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table, a platter of cheese and crackers not far away. The lighting was low, atmosphere light, and there was soft music playing from the speaker on a nearby shelf.
“You have a date,” Harper blurted out before thinking.
Kasey nodded, her cheeks flushing with color. “Dave Thompkins. Um ... we’ve been seeing each other a few weeks.”
“I didn’t know that.” Harper glanced around, her stomach twisting as her eyes fell on a photograph on the mantel. It featured a young girl, her black hair flying as she smiled at the camera. She looked alive, happy, and about to get into mischief.
“Is that your daughter?” Jared asked, looking at the photograph over Harper’s shoulder.
Kasey nodded, her expression turning sad. “Piper. Her name was Piper.”
“Harper told me what happened.” Jared chose his words carefully. “Leukemia, right?”
“Yes.” Kasey’s voice was soft as she stared at the photo. “She was a good girl. The best, really. She made my life better.”
Harper’s eyes burned thanks to the tortured look on Kasey’s face. “She’s been gone almost two years now, right? It was right around Christmas.”
“Yeah.” Kasey licked her lips and took a moment to pull herself together. “I kept telling myself she had to make it through Christmas because ... well, I had no idea why. Christmas was an arbitrary date set in my mind. It didn’t matter if she made it to Christmas. My world was still going to be shattered when I lost her no matter what.”
Jared did his best not to let the sympathy overcome him as he sat on the couch. “We don’t want to take up a lot of your time. I understand you have a date.”
“Dave is the first person I’ve spent time with since it happened,” Kasey explained. “Mike and I never got married, and he visited Piper on alternating weekends after we broke up. When she died, I didn’t think I ever wanted to date again. Dave changed that.
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