Page 72 of Hide Me Darling

"I need to report a missing person," I say, my tone serious.

Sheriff Brooks gestures for me to follow him to his office. "Let's talk in here," he says.

Once we're inside, he leaves the door open behind us, and I know Eli is listening in as he returns to his desk. "Who's missing?" he asks, getting straight to the point.

"A tourist I met a couple of days ago. Her name is Beth," I explain. "We were supposed to meet this morning, but she never showed up, and I haven't heard from her since."

The Sheriff listens attentively, jotting down notes. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Yesterday, when we made plans to meet for coffee," I reply. "She seemed fine, excited even."

He nods. "Did she mention any plans? Anyone she was going to meet?"

"No, she didn't," I say, shaking my head. “She was taking one of the art classes but nothing else. She said she’s met a lot of people since arriving here and she did hint at some issues back in the city she was trying to escape from. She was renting a place through Maddie.”

Sheriff Brooks leans back in his chair, contemplating. "We'll look into it. But you know, sometimes tourists get caught up in the excitement and lose track of time. She might just show up later."

I appreciate his attempt to reassure me, but I already know differently. "I hope you're right."

"We will need to wait another day but I'll have Eli put out an alert as soon as he can and keep an eye out for her," he says, standing up. "In the meantime, if you hear anything, let us know."

"Of course," I say, getting up to leave. "Thank you, Sheriff."

At least I will be able to have Uncle Max see if they do create the missing person report. If they do, then it will eliminate them from my suspects at least, and it will have more people looking into it.

Sheriff Brooks walks me out of the station, his expression softening slightly as he tries to reassure me. "I'm sure she's just fine," he says. "Tourists here can be unpredictable. We'll find her."

"Thanks, Sheriff," I reply, trying to sound hopeful.

As we reach the front of the station, Eli calls out a goodbye from his desk. "Take care, Taylor."

"You too, Eli," I respond, waving back at him.

Sheriff Brooks gives me a final nod at the door. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to come by."

"Will do," I say before stepping out into the bright midday sun. The bustle of the beachfront and the throngs of tourists suddenly feel overwhelming. The noise and activity are too much today.

Deciding to head back to the house, I make my way through the crowded street, my mind racing. When I finally reach the house, I let out a sigh of relief as I step inside. I feel so frustrated with everything today, my mind and body on edge.

I head to the kitchen, brewing myself a strong cup of coffee. As I sip it, I think about my next steps as I head toward the office. I decide to give Seanna a call, maybe hearing her voice will help and then I can be assured that at least she is okay.

I plop down in my chair, the warmth of the coffee soothing my frayed nerves. I dial Seanna's number and wait for her to pick up, tapping my fingers on the desk in a rhythmic pattern. The phone rings a few times before I hear the click on the line.

“If I hide…” I whisper into the phone.

“Then I’ll seek…” comes her instant reply.

Her sigh down the line is an echo to mine, maybe we both needed to hear from each other today.

“You okay?” I ask, concerned.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she responds, giving what can only be a self deprecating laugh. But she doesn’t answer the question, and neither do I. We really are a matching pair after all.

We sit in silence for a moment, the weight of our mutual concern hanging in the air. Finally, Seanna speaks.

“Please make sure you're being careful, look after yourself first. What you're doing there comes second remember.”

Her words have my concern rising. She has always been the one to throw herself headlong into an investigation. She isn’t one to tell me to be careful, she’s the one who tells me to seek adventure. Just as I go to press, try to make her tell me what is going on, she clears her throat.

---