by Kathi Daley
Jenna didn’t answer.
“Jen? Are you still there? Did I lose you?”
“I’m here. And I have seen Gina. She was at the restaurant on Wednesday.” Jenna meant the Antiquery, the restaurant she owned.
“Was she there with someone? Did you speak to her?”
Jenna paused again before answering. “I was in the kitchen and didn’t speak to her or even communicate with her, other than to wave from behind the pickup window.”
“Was she alone?”
“No,” Jenna answered. “She wasn’t.”
I frowned. “Okay, what’s going on? Why are you acting so weird about this? Was she with Bristow? I bet you’re thinking I’ll be upset to hear she was with him, but I already know she was working for him.”
“Gina was working for Bristow?” Jenna sounded genuinely surprised. “Why?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“I guess that explains why they were together at the time of the accident. When Dennis told me Bristow was dead and Gina was missing and it appeared they’d been in the same car, I was more than just a little confused.”
“How does Dennis know all that anyway?” I asked.
“He’s the captain of the Serenity Fire Department. He has connections.”
I leaned back in my seat. “I guess that makes sense. So if Gina wasn’t with Bristow when you saw them in the Antiquery on Wednesday, who was she with?”
“I’m not sure I should tell you this, but she was with Hunter.”
I narrowed my gaze. “My Hunter?”
“Yeah. I didn’t hear what they were talking about, but it looked as if they were having a pretty intense conversation. I even saw Hunter take her hand in his and give it a squeeze.”
I don’t know why I should be so surprised, but I was. Hunter was my ex. I’d broken up with him for the second time this past spring. Hunter and I were still friends and I had Kyle now, so I wasn’t sure why the thought of Hunter and Gina together bothered me, but it did. I glanced at Kyle. He was looking at me with a frown on his face.
I plastered on a fake smile and returned to my conversation with Jenna. “That’s great. Really. I’m happy for them. I heard Gina had a boyfriend, which surprised me. I guess now I know why she didn’t mention it when we spoke on the phone. She probably wanted to tell me in person.”
“I guess,” Jenna said, a tone of doubt in her voice.
“I wonder if he knows what’s going on.”
“I’m sure he does,” Jenna said. “Bristow’s body must have been taken to the hospital for the autopsy.”
Hunter was the head of the hospital.
“That doesn’t mean he knows about Gina. I should call him.”
“I guess that might be a good idea. Call me later if you want to talk. You know I’m always here for you.”
“I know, and that means a lot to me.” I signed off and hung up.
I turned and looked at Kyle, who was still driving, so only had part of his focus on me.
“So, what’s going on?” he asked.
“Jenna said Gina and Hunter had lunch at the Antiquery on Wednesday. I should call him. I’m not sure he knows what’s going on.”
“Yeah, why don’t you? We’ll be at the inn in just a few minutes. I’ll find a spot to park while you make your call.”
I took a deep breath and dialed Hunter’s number. I hadn’t seen or even spoken to him since my dad had been released from the hospital. I loved Hunter and he was one of my best friends, but our on-again, off-again relationship had put a bit of a strain on our friendship. Still, we had a history, and I didn’t want things to be weird between us.
“Tj?” Hunter asked when he answered his cell. “Is your dad okay?”
“He’s great. I’m calling to ask about Gina.”
“Gina? What about Gina?”
“I guess you heard Striker Bristow is dead.”
“I heard.”
“But I don’t know if you’re aware his body was found in Gina’s car.”
My statement was met with silence.
“Hunter?” I asked.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I’m sure. He was the passenger and the driver hasn’t been found. We are operating under the assumption that was Gina, and whoever shot Bristow kidnapped her. Kyle and I have been working on finding out what happened to her, but so far we’ve hit one dead end after another.”
“Oh God. Poor Gina. Can I help?”
“Maybe,” I answered. “I spoke to Jenna, and she said you had lunch with Gina at the Antiquery on Wednesday.”
“We did. Gina called and asked me to meet her. She had a problem and thought I might be able to help her.”
“What kind of a problem?” I asked.
Hunter hesitated.
“Please. It could be important.”
“Evidently, she has a half-brother she hadn’t seen since she was a toddler. He contacted her a week or two ago and asked if he could come to Paradise Lake to see her. She agreed, but when he got here she wasn’t sure she made the right decision.”
“Why?”
Kyle had parked the truck in front of the inn and turned the engine off. Now he was sitting back, waiting.
“She suspected the man staying at her house might not be her brother,” Hunter informed me. “He showed up with a prescription cream in her brother’s name, but when she asked for ID, he told her he’d lost his wallet and didn’t have any. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, so she let him stay with her, but there were some things he said that didn’t line up. She didn’t want to confront him in case he really was her brother. She was afraid if he really was Spencer, she’d create bad blood between them. But she wanted to know the truth.”
“So she went to you?” I asked.
“She wanted to know if I’d be able to do some genetic testing. I told her there were firms that did that sort to thing, but she wanted an answer right away. She hoped I could give her an immediate answer if she brought in both her and her brother’s hairbrushes or toothbrushes.”
“Can you get an answer right away?” I asked.
“No. We don’t have the kind of equipment that would be required to do genetic testing in any amount of time. We send all our samples out.”
I took a moment to process that. “So how did you leave things?” I asked.
“Gina was really upset. She said she was concerned that the man in her house was after something, although she didn’t specify what that might be. She didn’t want to send away samples and then have it take weeks for a reply, so I took the hair she’d brought with her and sent it to the lab we use with a rush on it.”
“Did you hear back?”
“Not yet. Even a rush takes time. Do you have reason to believe she was right?” Hunter asked. “Do you think the man living in her house is responsible for the fact that she’s missing?”
“I don’t know. I met him, and my first impression was that something wasn’t right. My gut tells me the man contacted Gina for a reason other than the desire to meet his long-lost sister. Will you call me when the results of the genetic test come back?”
“Yeah, I can do that. And if you find Gina or get an update on the situation, will you call me?”
“Of course,” I promised. “I gotta go, but let’s talk later.”
“Okay…but Tj, if you need anything, anything at all, call me.”
It did my heart good to know I could still depend on Hunter. “I will. Kyle and I are doing some interviews this afternoon. Hopefully we’ll know more by the end of the day.”
I hung up and turned to Kyle. “Gina asked Hunter to do a genetic test comparing her DNA with Spencer’s. She suspected he might not be her brother.”
“If you think something’s off and Gina thought something was off, I’d say something’s o
ff.”
“I’m going to call Roy to tell him what I just found out from Hunter,” I said. “Then we’ll go in to see if Connie Bristow is around. A conversation with Bristow’s ex could be revealing.”
Chapter 9
The Serenity Motor Inn was about a mile out of town, perched quite spectacularly on the banks of the Paradise River. In the spring, white-water rafters gathered here, because the inn was an ideal launching point for daylong float trips through the dense forest, and in the summer, it appealed to vacationers who wanted to be near the water but away from the crowds who swarmed the beaches around the lake. The inn was owned by Colin Welsh, who’d bought it over a dozen years back and was an active member of the Paradise Lake Lodging Association. His children had attended Serenity High School, so I knew him fairly well.
“Thank you for answering my email,” I said to him when we entered the lobby. I gestured to Kyle. “You know Kyle.”
Colin stuck out his hand and Kyle offered his in return. “How can I help you?”
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but Striker Bristow has been murdered,” I began.
He nodded. “The new deputy was by this morning to speak to Mrs. Bristow.”
“Kyle and I have a few questions of our own and were hoping she’d be willing to speak to us as well,” I replied.
“I sort of figured that was what you were up to. I don’t know if she’ll be inclined to speak to you, but we serve tea between four and four thirty and she’s in the dining room. You can’t miss her. She is the only one with purple hair.”
“Thanks, Colin,” I said as I took Kyle’s hand and led him toward the dining area. Luckily for us, Mrs. Bristow was sitting at a table by herself.
“Mrs. Bristow,” I said. She looked up but didn’t reply, so I continued. “My name is Tj and this is Kyle. First off, we’d like to offer our condolences for the death of your husband.”
“Ex-husband,” the woman corrected. “And no need for condolences. I couldn’t be happier.”
“I see.” I glanced at Kyle. He lifted a brow but didn’t speak.
“I know that sounds cold, but Striker was a real bastard,” Mrs. Bristow continued. “He took all sorts of joy in withholding the support he owed me so I’d have to come begging every month like a dog groveling for scraps. Now that the idiot is dead, I’m a very wealthy woman who will never have to grovel another day in my life. Was there something you wanted?”
“Actually, yes,” I answered. “Is it okay if we sit down?”
“It’s a public dining room, so I guess it isn’t up to me.”
I looked at Kyle and shrugged. We both took a seat.
“We apologize for bothering you at teatime, but a friend of ours, Gina Roberts, is missing. We believe she was with your ex-husband when he was shot. We’re talking to everyone who may have known what was going on in Mr. Bristow’s life to try to figure out what became of her.”
“Was your friend Striker’s lover?” Mrs. Bristow asked.
“No. She worked for him as a consultant,” I replied.
“Hmph.”
I could see Mrs. Bristow didn’t believe Gina wasn’t sleeping with her ex and there was no reason to try to convince her otherwise, so I moved on. “Would you mind telling me when you last saw your ex?”
“Yesterday. I came to town to collect my money, but Striker had been dragging his feet all week. Finally, I’d had enough, so I tracked him down and made it clear I wasn’t leaving without the entire amount he owed me.”
“About what time was that?”
Mrs. Bristow picked up a delicate tea cake and took a small bite. “I went to his office just before tea. I caught him just as he was preparing to go out. I demanded my money, and much to my surprise, he wrote me a check and even apologized for being late.”
“And that was unusual?”
“Damn right. As I said, he used to take all kinds of joy in making me grovel.”
“Why do you think he gave in so easily yesterday after putting you off all week?” I asked.
“I imagine he was anxious to be off to wherever it was he was going.”
“Was he alone?” I asked.
“He was.” The woman glanced at Kyle. “I don’t suppose you’d be a dear and see if you can find some brandy for my tea?”
I nodded, and Kyle headed to the bar.
“Ever since Mr. Bristow came to Serenity I’ve wondered why he chose our town for his project. His résumé suggests he’s done much larger projects in much larger cities that I would assume made him a lot more money.”
Mrs. Bristow ran her hand over her purple hair and tucked a strand behind her ear. She took a moment to study me before beginning to speak in a strong voice that left little doubt she had serious feelings about what she was saying. “Striker liked money as well as anyone, I suppose, but it wasn’t the driving force in his life. Striker lived for two things: He liked a challenge and he liked to win. When he first came to Paradise Lake he was told by several people, including the mayor, that his project would never fly. People said Serenity was a small town intent on maintaining a small-town feel. They told him he was wasting his time and had best move on. By the end of his first visit here, he was hooked. In his mind, a challenge had been presented and accepted. He would have spent every dime he had if need be to ensure victory. Striker never backed down from a challenge and he didn’t like to lose. Not ever.”
“So he wanted to build here because the town didn’t want him?” I asked.
“Exactly. If your town council had shown interest in his project, he might have realized it wouldn’t be a moneymaker and moved on. But once the challenge was issued, he was committed to the fight, and when Striker engaged, he was committed to fighting to the death.”
I sat back in the chair and considered the woman across from me. “Do you think that’s what happened? Do you think he challenged someone to a fight and lost?”
She shrugged. “Perhaps. Although Striker’s choice of weapon wouldn’t have been a gun. It would have been much more personal. If he considered you his enemy, he would have figured out what you loved and taken it from you.”
“Wow.” I couldn’t understand why Gina had helped this man. He sounded like a monster. Gina was a smart woman. She must have seen that. “Do you have any idea where he was going yesterday?”
“No. I didn’t ask, mostly because I didn’t care.” Mrs. Bristow looked up as Kyle returned with her brandy. “Why, thank you, dear. Tea without brandy really is just colored water.”
Kyle handed the glass to her and retook his chair next to me.
“Is there anything at all you can think of that might help us locate our friend?” I asked. “Anything at all?”
Mrs. Bristow poured the brandy into her tea. “When Striker left his office yesterday he had his own car. From what I understand, his body was found in your friend’s. It seems to me if you found Striker’s car it might tell you quite a lot about where he went after we spoke.”
“Does the car have an emergency response system?” Kyle asked.
“Of course, dear. Nothing but the best for the idiot I married.”
Kyle looked at me. “As long as the system hasn’t been disabled, we should be able to find out where the car is now.” He looked at Mrs. Bristow. “Thank you.”
“Happy to help. I do hope your friend is all right.”
After we left the inn, Kyle headed back to his place. He had a connection at the DMV who could help us activate the emergency response system in Striker’s car. For the first time since Kate had told us Gina was missing, I felt we were on the tracks of a real clue.
Kyle headed to his computer room as soon as we arrived, and I took the dogs out for a quick run. It was after five and we hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Maybe once I got back to the house I’d look for something to make for dinner. I assumed it would take Kyle a long time
to get the information he needed. I was wrong.
“Bristow’s car is at the marina,” Kyle said when I entered through the kitchen.
“The marina? Which marina?”
“The one on the east shore. Let’s feed the dogs, then go check it out. We’ll grab some dinner while we’re out.”
The East Shore Marina was about a twenty-minute drive from Kyle’s place. By the time we’d fed the dogs and made the trip, it was almost six. The car Kyle had identified as belonging to Bristow was parked in a legal parking spot. It was locked and looked as if it hadn’t been tampered with.
“If his car is here he must either have met someone who arrived on a boat or rented a boat,” I suggested.
“Let’s go up to the office and ask. If he rented a boat, they should have a record of the transaction.”
It was a Friday in summer and visitors who’d been out on the lake all day were coming in for the evening, so the launchpad and the office were busy. I managed to find a young employee who’d worked the previous day, but he’d been so busy he hadn’t noticed who’d driven the vehicle or when it had arrived. He’d notice it was still in the lot when he’d arrived for work that morning and was planning to have it towed because there was a twenty-four-hour parking limit.
I called Roy. I figured he had the power to make sure the car wasn’t simply towed away. He said Kate was with him, so we should make ourselves scarce. He was going to tell her he’d received an anonymous tip about the car and promised to stop by Kyle’s house when he had a chance to fill us in.
We decided we’d done all we could for the moment, so we drove back to town for a burger and fries. After that we hoped we’d hear from Roy and take things from there. I couldn’t have anticipated that what appeared to be our biggest break would be something we stumbled across while we ate dinner at Murphy’s.
The pub was crowded, but we managed to find a table near the back. We each ordered a beer and a burger and then sat back to wait for our food to arrive. By this point I was starving and hoped it would come quickly, though with this crowd I sort of doubted it. Another teacher at the high school, Alyson Leery, stopped by our table to ask about Gina. It seemed Kate had told the group at the bonfire just enough to engage their curiosity, but not enough to explain anything.