She told him to fuck off.
It was coarse, vulgar even and no doubt her mother would have raked her over the coals for it but it had worked like gangbusters. Zero messages returned in the past twenty-six hours. That was a record since he’d been sending her upwards of thirty in a given day.
“Aha, you do have someone on the side,” Zach said peering over her shoulder.
“It was a one-off date. Well, two dates but I don’t exactly count the second as…” She shook her head unable to believe she was telling him about it. “Look, let’s just go.”
She ushered him out and closed the door behind her.
“I’m sorry I can’t help you,” the clerk said behind the counter at the U.S. Post Office as he slipped the fifty-dollar bill back to Zach. “That information is private.”
“Well then you have a nice day.” Zach turned on the balls of his feet with pursed lips before cursing under his breath. Kelly was leaning against a post a short distance away with her arms crossed and a smile on her face. She knew he wouldn’t make headway but he wouldn’t listen. Zach passed her and jerked his head towards the door. Outside he screwed his hand into a ball. “That snarky little twerp behind the counter acted like his shit didn’t stink.”
She stretched out her aching back and breathed in the clear mountain air. “He’s doing his job.”
“And I’m doing mine. Come on, let’s go get ourselves a drink.”
“You give up too easily.”
He turned and looked at her.
“Yeah, and how do you expect to figure it out?”
“Follow me.”
A few minutes later they walked into the local police station and Kelly approached the counter. Zach hung back in the waiting area with a face like a cat’s ass. It hadn’t been the first time Kelly had gone this route in order to get information. It was underhanded and liable to land her in hot water but at times work as a reporter called for that.
Behind the glass was a burly guy, clean-shaven, five foot nine, in his mid-forties with flecks of silver at the sides of his temples.
“Can I help?”
She blew out her cheeks and acted like she’d just run a marathon. “I hope so otherwise I’ve traveled an awful long way for nothing. I’m here from San Francisco to find a close friend. A family member of hers passed away and the only phone number I have no longer works, and the last known address for her is a PO box here in town. The funeral is coming up soon and I know she’d want to be there. I was hoping to speak with someone down at the city, or perhaps you can help? Her name is Dana Grant.”
It was a long shot but in the past it had led to all manner of leads.
Sometimes when it came to a person’s welfare or family, strangers were more than willing to go the extra mile. Throw in a sob story and she could get people to eat right out of her hands.
The cop stared back and then raised a finger.
Dana’s name had triggered something in the cop’s expression.
The cop got up and disappeared around a corner. Kelly looked back at Zach who’d spread his arms wide in exaggerated perplexity. As if to say, well?
The cop returned with another guy who appeared to be his superior. He approached the counter. “I’m Chief Wilkerson. May I ask who you are?”
“Kelly Armstrong. I worked alongside Dana. We go way back. After she left California we fell out of touch but her family wanted her to know that her sister has passed. We came up here to let her know.”
He looked around her to where Zach was.
“I’m sorry to hear that. But you might be out of luck.”
“Excuse me?” Kelly asked.
“Unfortunately…”
Before he could say anything, Kelly wanted to ride the wave of familiarity with Dana’s name. “Is there something wrong, chief? Is Dana okay? Because we’ve flown here specifically to see her and bring her back to California.”
“You’ll have some difficulty doing that.”
She sighed. “She’s moved, hasn’t she?” She turned and yelled to Zach. “I told you it was a waste of time coming up here. Jillian is going to be devastated.” She looked back at the chief. “Jillian is her mother. She was beside herself when we left, that’s why we offered to come up as she was in no state. Dana is her only surviving child.”
Kelly laid it on thick.
“Oh, I see. That’s a long way.”
“You’re telling me. And between you and me.” She jerked her head towards Zach. “The company hasn’t been that great either.”
The chief nodded. “Well as I said, it’s going to be difficult. Dana is missing.”
“What?”
“Her boyfriend filed a report after their home burned down.”
“Boyfriend?”
“She never mentioned having one?” Wilkerson asked.
“Not that I recall.”
Her stomach was doing flips. Was this the man they were looking for?
“You wouldn’t have that address, would you? Maybe he can shed some light on the situation.”
“Not much to see really and I doubt Jack will be there. He’s probably holed up in one of the hotels around town.”
“Jack…?” she fished for a second name, praying under her
