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Killer Beach Reads

Page 41

by Gemma Halliday Publishing


  "Maybe," Greg said doubtfully. Then he let out a strangled sob.

  "What?" Emily asked, hurrying back around to the driver's side where Greg was kneeling on the baking pavement. As she watched, he reached under the front left tire and pulled out a small, shiny object. When he stood, Emily bit back a gasp. It was Gabby's cell phone.

  "Maybe she dropped it on her way in to the hospital? It could have fallen out of her purse." Emily was desperately trying to come up with a logical scenario. When Greg swayed on his feet, Emily grabbed his arm and guided him over to the curb. Under the shade of a large tree, they both looked at the tiny phone in Greg's hand. He thumbed in Gabby's passcode, and a picture of Greg and Gabby smiling and holding up two pairs of little pink booties popped up on the screen. The battery indicator in the top right of the screen showed that sixty-seven percent battery still remained, so it wasn't the phone dying that had led to Gabby's sudden ending of her call. Greg checked the call log, and there was a thirty second call listed to Emily's number, as well as several missed calls from Greg, under recent calls. Greg turned the phone over in his hand, and Emily noticed a smudge on his palm.

  "What's that on your hand?" she asked him, scooting closer to see.

  Greg was staring at the back of the silver phone, a horrified look on his face. He looked closely at the smudge on his palm and then turned haunted eyes on Emily. "It's blood," he said faintly.

  Emily dropped her head between her knees, concentrating on taking in and expelling plenty of oxygen until the bright dots dancing in front of her eyes receded. She straightened and looked at Greg, who was still sitting and staring at the red smudge on the shiny silver backing of Gabby's phone. Looking closer, she saw a scuffed section on the upper corner. "Isn't that phone fairly new?" she asked Greg.

  "Yeah. She's only had it about a month," Greg said.

  "It looks like it's been dropped. And Greg," Emily said, looking him in the eye, "that's a tiny amount of blood. I wouldn't worry."

  "Too late," he muttered, pushing himself off the curb and heading to his own navy blue Nissan parked several rows over.

  "Where are you headed?" Emily asked, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

  "To the police station," he told her. "Get in."

  * * *

  "Well, that was certainly a waste of time, wasn't it?" Greg asked with disgust, slamming his car door. Emily reached over and cranked up the air conditioner, just as frustrated as Greg was.

  "They have to follow rules. And Gabby has only been missing for a little over an hour." Emily patted Greg uselessly on the shoulder, feeling helpless.

  "It feels like an eternity," he said, scrubbing his hands over his face.

  "We'll find her," Emily said. "We don't know that anything is really wrong yet. She may just be helping Louise. I assume you've tried to call Louise?"

  "Gee, why didn't I think of that?' Greg asked sarcastically then just as quickly said, "Sorry. I'm on edge here, but I didn't mean to snap. I know this isn't your fault. And to answer your question, no, I actually don't have Louise's number on me."

  "Do you know her last name?" Emily asked, pulling out her own phone to do some quick searching. "Or where she lives?"

  Greg stared out the windshield for a moment and Emily could see him struggling to recall some vital information. "Her last name is Hendrix, I believe. She said something once about living with her sister. She didn't seem too happy about it."

  Emily tapped at the tiny screen. "Was she ever happy about anything? Gabby didn't seem too fond of her, and she normally likes everyone."

  "Louise is a hard woman. She doesn't appear to have any sense of humor. But, I think Gabby was more sick to death of hearing Louise coach us how to breathe. She's just anxious to meet our girls."

  Emily's heart broke a little at the forlorn and worried expression on Greg's face when he mentioned their girls. "Well, even if Gabby wasn't fond of the woman, she would still do anything in her power to help her if needed. I think we should head to Louise's house, if we can just figure out where that is…Wait, I found a number for a Louise A. Hendrix. It looks like a landline." Emily placed the call.

  A weary voice answered on the other end, and when Emily asked for Louise, the tired-sounding woman informed her that Louise was not home. "But she does live there, right?" Emily asked.

  "Yes, she's my sister. But as I said, she's not here right now."

  Emily briefly explained that she and Greg were looking for Gabby and had reason to believe that she was with Louise.

  "Did you say 'Gabby'?" the woman asked, her voice taking on a sharp edge.

  "Yes," Emily confirmed. "She's pregnant with twins and we're anxious to find her to make sure nothing's wrong. Louise is her Lamaze instructor."

  "I think you better come by the house," the woman said, and Emily's heart began to pound at the worried note in Louise's sister's voice.

  Alice Hendrix-Smithson gave them directions and Greg pealed out of the parking lot, heading toward her home. "Why do you think she wants us to come to the house?" Greg asked anxiously, his hands clenching the steering wheel in a death grip.

  "Oh, I don't know," Emily said, gritting her teeth and snapping on her seatbelt as Greg took a corner practically on two wheels. "Maybe she has some idea where Louise and Gabby might have gone." She didn't want to worry Greg by telling her how concerned Alice had sounded.

  "Or where Louise might have taken her," Greg said, his voice hitching with emotion.

  "You don't really think Louise would hurt her, do you?" Emily asked, staring hard at Greg. Even in profile, she could see how tightly his jaw was clenched.

  "I don't know," he answered, barely sparing her a glance. "But I'm not taking any chances."

  Emily sent up a silent prayer as Greg pulled up to the curb of a neat-looking bungalow on the south edge of town. "This is it," Emily confirmed, double-checking the address against their directions. "Let's go."

  Alice, a trim, tiny woman, met them at the door. Emily pegged her as probably in her late forties. She held a dish towel in her hands, twisting it nervously. Even next to Emily's height-challenged frame, this woman was short. Emily had the unfamiliar sensation of towering over someone as she and Greg followed Alice into her sunny living room. She sat stiffly on a chintz-covered loveseat and motioned to two wingback chairs near the windows.

  As Emily and Greg sat down, Alice asked, "Can I get you anything? Tea? Water?"

  "No, thank you," Greg said curtly. "I'm just anxious to find my wife."

  Hoping to smooth over Greg's impatience, Emily added, "Thank you for speaking with us."

  "Of course," Alice said. "My sister, Louise, has been living with us—"

  "Forever," another voice spoke from the hallway. Emily glanced up and saw a tall, lanky teen with longish hair come loping into the room.

  "Gage," Alice said in a warning tone.

  "What? It's true," the teen said sulkily. "I had to give up my room for Aunt Louise," he said, looking over at Emily and Greg.

  With a put-upon sigh, Alice asked him, "Where's your brother?"

  "He's still at the library. He had his nose stuck in some book." The teen snorted in obvious disgust, and then said, "Catch ya later," and dashed out the door. They could hear his feet thundering up the stairs and then a door slammed.

  "Sorry," Alice said with a shrug. "Teenagers."

  "So you have two children?" Greg asked her.

  "Yes, two sons. Actually, they're twins, Gage and Graham. But they couldn't be more different."

  "My wife and I are expecting twins, too. I'm very anxious to find her," Greg said, his tone taking on a desperate edge.

  "And you have reason to believe that she's with my sister?" Alice asked, leaning forward.

  "We do," Emily said, nodding. "A nurse saw your sister and Gabby heading out to the employee parking lot. Gabby's car is still in the visitor lot and as there is no sign of either Louise or Gabby, we're assuming they left in your sister's car. What does she driv
e?"

  "A silver Lexus," Alice said with a sniff. "That car is her baby." She stared down at the floor before adding, "Though perhaps I'm being a little harsh."

  "How so?" Emily prodded.

  Once again, Alice twisted the dish towel she still held in her hands. As if noticing it for the first time, she set it down beside her. "Well, you see, my sister and I used to be very close. We grew up sharing a room and all our confidences. We were the best of friends. I was so lonely when Louise went off to college. She married after her sophomore year, and after that, Louise changed."

  "Louise is married?" Greg asked, sounding surprised. "She's never mentioned a husband. Not that she's one to divulge personal information," he added as an afterthought.

  "No, she isn't. She's a very private person. Or, at least, she is now. But to answer your question, no, Louise is no longer married. She's been divorced for several years."

  "And she's lived with you ever since?" Emily asked.

  "Oh, no. That has been a more temporary arrangement." Seeing the confused looks on her guests' faces, Alice tried to explain. "Louise's number one dream was always to have children. When she and Edward got married, they immediately started trying to get pregnant, but they were unsuccessful. In the meantime, I had married the love of my life, Sam. Not knowing about my sister's struggles to get pregnant at the time, I joyfully announced that we were expecting twins at our annual family reunion. Louise was devastated, and I could tell. I pulled her aside and finally managed to pry the truth out of her. She and Edward were unable to have children. They tried tons of different fertility pills and tests and options, but nothing ever worked. The strain on their marriage was too great, and they ended up getting a divorce about fifteen years ago."

  "I'm very sorry to hear that," Emily said softly. "Did the fact that you had children and she didn't affect your relationship?"

  "We swore to each other it wouldn't, but there was always a strain there. Louise and the twins have never been close. When I lost my poor Sam to a heart attack a few years ago, I had hoped that Louise would become more involved in our lives. Raising the twins alone has been a struggle." Alice picked up the dishrag and pressed it to her eyes, and Emily felt guilty for intruding on this woman's personal life this way. But one look at Greg, and Emily could see that he had no such qualms. He was leaning forward, his hands clasped tightly, clearly impatient to get to the real reason for their visit.

  Alice sniffled then continued. "I'm sorry, it's just that sometimes I still can't believe my Sam is gone. But back to Louise. We saw her at holidays and such, but she became more and more withdrawn. A year or so ago, I was thrilled when she told me she had started dating a man from Washam Falls. His name was Henry, and she seemed over the moon. He had a grown son, so I had hopes that his status as a father would not be an issue for Louise. But I was wrong. Henry and his son, Tim, had a falling out and Louise got furious with Henry, demanding that he make things right with his son because he had no idea how lucky he was to have a son in the first place. Louise can be a little intense at times, and I'm afraid she pushed him a little too hard. They broke up, and about that same time, her lease was up on her apartment and she seemed at such loose ends. That's when I suggested she move in with us. That was about two months ago. I was thrilled to have my sister back, but she's been so unhappy and…"

  "And…?" Greg urged her on.

  "Cranky, I guess would be the best way to put it. She and the twins have not gotten along well, despite my best efforts. Louise has worked in the administration offices at the hospital for years, but I was honestly shocked when I found out she had become certified to teach Lamaze classes. That seemed like such a strange fit for her, considering." Emily nodded encouragingly, while Greg continued to frown. "But she's seemed more like her old self since she started teaching this class. I'm not sure what it is, but it seems to agree with her."

  "I hate to rush this along," Greg said, clearly not hating to at all, "but I'm curious what all this has to do with my wife?"

  Alice took a deep breath and went back to twisting the dish towel. "You said your wife's name is Gabby?" When Greg nodded, Alice said softly, "I've heard Louise speak of her. In fact, she was talking about her just last night."

  "What did she say?" Emily asked, feeling like they were finally getting somewhere.

  "She said she had great plans for Gabby today." Alice spoke so softly that Emily had to strain to hear her.

  "What do you think she meant by that?" Greg asked, getting up to pace.

  "I'm not sure," Alice admitted. "I didn't give much thought to it at the time, but then you all called and said they were missing, and…" Here Alice trailed off, but Emily could easily read the concern on her face. Alice clearly felt that her sister might have something to do with Gabby's disappearance.

  "But where would they go?" Greg asked. He stopped in front of Alice and stared down at her, tension and concern radiating off his body in waves. "And, more importantly, do you think your sister s capable of hurting my wife?"

  "No, no," Alice said, waving his question away. But she avoided looking Greg in the eye. "It's just…"

  "Just what?" Greg pressed her.

  "Well, Louise hasn't been herself since her fight with Harry. But honestly," she looked imploringly at Emily, "I can't believe that she would mean your friend any harm."

  "So where are they?" Greg demanded.

  "I have no idea. When she left here this afternoon, she said she had some things to take care of. I assumed she was running some errands before her Lamaze class this evening."

  "The class she never showed up for," Emily said. "Did she tell you her class was canceled this evening?"

  "No, she didn't. Normally, Louise will let me know if she'll be home for supper. She can be thoughtful that way," Alice added desperately.

  "But she didn't say she would be home tonight?" Greg asked, and Alice shook her head no.

  Emily stood and placed a hand on Greg's arm, which was rigid under her touch. He was a man on the edge. They needed to get back out there and find Gabby. But where to look? Turning to Alice she said, "Thank you. You've been very helpful, and I know this wasn't easy for you."

  "I wanted to help if I could," Alice said quietly. "I pray you find your wife soon." The unspoken part of her words appeared to be "and I hope my sister had nothing to do with her disappearance in the first place."

  Emily gave the frail woman a hug as she held the front door open for them. "Please call us if you hear anything. You have my number," Emily said.

  Alice nodded, and Greg and Emily returned to the car, where Greg banged his head against the steering wheel in frustration. "Where can she be, Emily?" he asked, turning anguished eyes on her.

  Emily tried to think over the panic welling in her own chest. "Maybe Louise took her home? Or to my house? I think we should check both of those places."

  With an almost imperceptible nod, Greg gunned the engine and made a U-turn to head out of town. Emily ignored the whine of the engine and avoided looking at the speedometer as Greg sped down the graveled country lane leading to his and Gabby's big farmhouse. Emily had always thought it would be the perfect home to raise children in. Gabby had fallen in love with the house at first sight, and she had spent hours setting up and decorating the girls' nursery just so.

  Maybe even now, oblivious to her missing cell phone and her husband and best friend's panic, she was hanging more tiny clothes in the large closet. But as Greg slid to a stop in the front circle drive, gravel spraying, Emily could already tell that the house was empty. All the blinds were drawn tight against the glare of the sun, and no car could be seen anywhere on the property. If Gabby was at home, the blinds would be pulled up to let in all the light. Still, Greg ran to the front door, unlocking it quickly and racing through the house, shouting Gabby's name.

  Emily detoured around the side of the house to see if Gabby was possibly relaxing on the back deck. As she rounded the far side of the house, she heard a car start up. Startled, as th
ey were well off the main road here, Emily turned back, afraid that Greg might have left her behind in his panic. But rather than Greg's navy blue car coming down the drive, she saw the tail end of a sleek black Corvette as it pulled out from a lane at the back of Gabby and Greg's property and sped back toward town.

  Emily uselessly called out "Wait!" and ran after the car, but it was long gone before she had regained the front porch. She met Greg coming back out the door and told him about the vehicle she had seen. Neither one of them knew anyone who drove a black Corvette, but they both found it suspicious that it seemed to have been parked on Greg and Gabby's property. More concerned now than ever, Emily and Greg headed back into town to check to see if Gabby was at Emily's duplex.

  "Any sign that she'd been home?" Emily asked Greg, clinging to her seatbelt strap for dear life as Greg took the curves at a much higher speed than even Emily, an admittedly bad driver and a speed demon at that, would have dared.

  "No," Greg said, weariness creeping into his voice. "All the blinds were shut tight. You know Gabby only does that as a concession to the heat. She hates to have the house all closed up like that, says it makes the house feel like a cave."

  Emily nodded. She had figured as much. "Do you think we should call the Morettis?" Emily asked cautiously, afraid of upsetting Greg even more. He looked like he had aged ten years since she had first met him at the hospital. The Morettis were Gabby's parents. When her siblings had opened up an investment firm in St. Louis, the Morettis had moved up there to be close to the majority of their grandkids. Maria was planning on coming down to stay at least a month with Greg and Gabby when the twins were born. They were amazing, fun-loving people and Emily had grown up thinking of them as much her own parents as Gabby's. They worried over all their children, but Gabby was their baby and the only one not close enough for them to check on every day. Thankfully, the Moretti family was as crazy about Greg as he was about them, and Emily knew Gabby's parents felt that she had made the right choice in choosing to stay in Ellington with Greg. How would they handle this news? Was it fair to worry them when they were too far away to do anything?

 

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