Page 52 of Marie's Hidden Refuge

“Any particular reason?”

“She did her student teaching at an inner-city high school in Gatlinburg. Bill Flanders is from a suburb of Gatlinburg, Jackson Hill.” His gut clenched, hating that he hadn’t searched Patricia’s work history sooner. “The connection we need could go back a decade.”

Mike whistled. “Good work. No way all these overlaps are a coincidence.”

“My thoughts exactly, but it’s not enough for a warrant. I also want you to call Steven Piper and find out if he checked his work sites. He said he’d reach out to his supervisors to make sure no one’s staying at any of his unused properties. My gut tells me the guy was a straight shooter, but I need that verified.”

“The kid could break into a construction site without his uncle knowing.”

“Absolutely, and if he’s there, we need to find him immediately. Marie just found out her eighteen-year-old sister is missing, and she thinks Bill took her.” The click-clack of keys stopped, and Owen pivoted to lock eyes with Marie.

Tears hovered over her lashes, and she pressed together her pretty pink lips.

Mike sucked in a breath. “She’s sure he has her? There are no other possibilities?”

Owen believed Marie’s gut, but he weighed his words, aware of her listening. He was trained to look at all options and not jump to the quickest conclusion. “I’m going to call her hometown police station next. The urgency of this case just increased tenfold.”

“We’re on it. I’ll be in touch.”

Owen turned his back to Marie and took a few steps in the opposite direction, keeping his voice low. “One more thing. When this is all over, I want to talk to you about starting something in town to help family members of addicts.”

“You mean like AA for family?”

Owen shook his head, even though his dad couldn’t see him. “Not really. That’s a great program, everyone needs a safe space to share their experiences with people who can empathize. But more of a community outreach thing.”

He needed to prove to Marie that he believed in her, even if her feelings didn’t match his. She might have fallen into his arms and kissed him earlier to run from her problems, but he wanted to show her that she was more than just a distraction for him. For the first time since his mother’s death, he wanted to open himself up to the possibility of a real relationship.

He wanted to open himself up to Marie.

“Okay. We’ll talk later.”

Owen disconnected, searched for the phone number he needed, then made his next call.

“Jackson Hill Police Station. How can I help you?” The words came from a gravelly, low voice and didn’t hold a lot of friendliness.

Owen glanced at the clock on the ancient VCR Pappy insisted on keeping below the tube television. 9:45. “This is Sheriff’s Deputy Wells from Water’s Edge. I spoke with Detective Blough a few days ago about Bill Flanders. I need to be connected with whoever spoke with Wanda Robinson this evening about her missing daughter, Renee.”

“One second please.”

Owen faced Marie, who’d placed the laptop beside her and watched him with wide eyes and barely controlled emotions. “Are they connecting you?”

He nodded.

“Tell them to forget all the ridiculous stuff my mom’s put them through. She’s not the most credible person, so I understand why they’d brush off her concern. But this is different. I feel it in my bones.” Her voice cracked, and she dropped her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook on silent sobs.

He ached to reach for her, kiss away her tears and comfort her, but the annoying elevator music stopped and someone clicked on the line. “Officer Pearlman. What can I do for you?”

“This is Deputy Wells. Are you the officer who spoke with Wanda Robinson?”

“Yes, sir. The girl’s been missing since this afternoon, approximately seven hours. That’s not enough time to declare her a missing person. Not to mention Renee Robinson is eighteen years old. It’s not uncommon for kids that age to run around with friends without letting their parents know where they are.”

Owen rubbed the back of his neck. This was what he’d been afraid of—that Renee had been missing for who knew how long and not a darn thing had been done to find her. “Are you aware of the situation we’re dealing with in Water’s Edge right now with one of your citizens?”

“I can’t say that I am.”

Owen bit back a sigh. “Bill Flanders is on the run and wanted for murdering a young woman a few nights ago. He’s also suspected of dealing drugs in the area. We’ve been unable to locate him, and it isn’t far-fetched to believe he’d return to his hometown. It’s also suspicious that the sister of Marie Robinson, the woman who Bill Flanders has an abusive history with and who’s been under my protection, goes missing.”

“Crap.”

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