Page 20 of Fire Harbor

“Not really. In between those women who went missing, somebody tried to abduct six more and failed,” Lake supplied. “We should probably start by tracking down Sally Kent and talk to the rest about their experiences.”

“Along with Sofia ten years ago,” Linus added. “I could get her email address or phone number from Jimmy.”

“Definitely. But I want to know why no one has talked about this over the years. Shouldn’t this be the stuff of front-page headlines? Last night, the reporter didn’t even mention the other missing women at all. I find that odd…and sad.”

“Same here.”

“You should also talk to your mom and see what she has to say about all these missing women.”

After gobbling up breakfast, Farley wandered over for some attention and pushed his nose into Linus’s hand. He responded by scratching the dog’s ears and cuddling his head. “I need to check on Mom anyway. I also plan to stop by and talk to Chief Cody about Gabby.”

Lake made a face. “I know I suggested that. But are you sure that’s a good idea? I’m not sure I’d poke the bear. Brent Cody seems resistant to amateurs sticking their noses into his investigations. On the drive over here, I remembered something Brogan Cole told me. Chief Cody doesn’t even like it when Lucien tries to help. That’s one of the major reasons Cody hired the new guy from Seattle, just so people would stop interfering.”

“Good point,” Linus reasoned. “I’d heard that rumor at the hospital. Doctors and nurses are notorious for gossiping. I guess I haven’t given it much credence until now. What would you do?”

“I wouldn’t go to Brent with a lot of speculation about Scott saving women on the bridge. It sounds far-fetched when you bring up a ghost saving people. Even though that’s what I think is happening, I don’t think Chief Cody would appreciate it. And I wouldn’t let on that I intended to look into Gabby’s disappearance or murder if that skull does indeed belong to her.”

Linus looked uncomfortable. “I sort of already left a message with Eastlyn for him to call me.”

Lake winced. “Then I’d consider coming up with another reason for the call. Maybe you just wanted to follow up, find out if they—meaning the forensics team—found any more bones yesterday at the site.”

“I’ll go with that one,” Linus decided. “After all, I’m the one who found the skull and part of the ribcage. It’s a reasonable question.”

“There you go.” Lake glanced at her watch and stood up. “I need to get moving. I’m never late opening the library.”

“Okay.” Linus got to his feet. “Why don’t we go out tonight—for dinner? Anywhere you like.”

“Hmmm. Sure. Margie at the Diner has a Friday night fish and chips special that’s only five-ninety-nine.”

“I think I can do better than fish and chips. Unless that’s what you want.”

“I’d order Margie’s veggie plate with cornbread. You can’t beat the price at $3.50. Will I see you at lunch?”

“Absolutely, if I don’t get called in to work before then.” He snuck a look at the watch she wore on her left wrist with a blue band. “Is that Cinderella on the face?”

She laughed. “It is. It has a US Time stamp on the back. My dad gave it to me when I was little for my seventh birthday. He found it at a thrift shop. Marigolds are sort of drawn to old things.”

“It keeps the correct time?”

“It keeps perfect time,” Lake said with pride. “Sometimes it needs a new battery. For that, I go to the watch shop in San Sebastian. Text me if you find anything interesting about the disappearances. Oh, and I should probably mention that it looks like it could rain.”

“Okay. That might cancel our picnic, though.”

“We’ll improvise. I have a rainy-day backup place.”

“Of course you do.”

After Lake said goodbye to Farley, Linus noticed how quiet the house seemed. He couldn’t help but feel as though a chunk of himself had simply walked out the door with her. It seemed amazing to him the way she’d jumped right into the idea of going after a mystery, sort of like a puzzle to solve.

When the doorbell rang, Linus thought it might be Lake again. But opening the door, he saw his mother standing on the porch. “You’re out early.”

“Martha Beaumont tells me you finally made a move on the librarian,” Annette announced as she barreled into the entryway.

At sixty-six, Annette Canfield wore her silver hair cropped short. She’d stopped coloring it after her husband died. Widowed for five years now, she’d vowed to anyone who would listen that once her one and only true love had passed on, there was little chance that she’d ever remarry again. Standing just over five feet, Annette had a spitfire attitude and a quick wit. A former retailer with a savvy, sunny saleswoman’s disposition, she had racked up a long, thirty-year career in the women’s department at Macy’s in Hayward.

Despite that sunny disposition, she could be a tad overbearing and demanding at times, especially since her recent heart issues had worried both mother and son. As her only child, her bond with Linus ran deep. Always had. While he’d been overseas, she’d worried herself silly until he’d told her, after four years, he was coming home to stay.

For the next dozen years, as a paramedic, she’d seen him morph from that easy-going kid she’d raised to a quiet, often thoughtful male who avoided making impulsive decisions. His two nerve-shredding tours in the war had changed him. These days, Linus Canfield was a careful man who didn’t do things on the spur of the moment, including putting the moves on Lake Marigold.

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