Page 31 of Torment

“Mason Ashwood,” I replied.

“Could I see your driver’s license or some other form of official ID?”

I set the container on the floor and pulled out my wallet. “Here,” I said, handing her my license and my business card, which had my status as CEO of Ashwood Financial Services printed in fine gold text. People usually spoke to me with slightly more respect when they realized exactly who I was and the kind of influence I held in this town, and subsequently how much hell I could raise in their life if they pissed me off.

Detective Beck glanced at the card and license before handing them back to me. “Mr. Ashwood, are you aware that Jo Sinclair was reported missing nearly three weeks ago?”

I arranged my face into an expression of pure shock. “Missing? I thought she was just away on vacation somewhere. At least that’s what I assumed when I got the note.”

“No. She didn’t show up at work on the 29th of October, which her boss found strange as she’d been doing very well before that. Her friends haven’t been able to get hold of her either, and her car was found last week by some bird watchers near Laplace. It was submerged in a swamp, but they spotted it anyway and contacted the authorities. Given these circumstances, we’re taking Ms. Sinclair’s disappearance as something far more serious than a vacation that she just happened to forget to mention to anyone.”

“Jesus. That’s just…” I trailed off and rubbed my temples. “I had no idea. I honestly thought she was away somewhere.”

Beck nodded slowly. Her calculating gaze was still fixed right on me. “How exactly do you know Ms. Sinclair?”

“I actually know her as Jolie Chastain,” I said, squaring my shoulders. “I presume you know that’s her real name? Or her old name, to be more precise.”

“Yes, I’m aware.” Beck looked confused now. “So you’ve known her for a while, then.”

“Yes.”

“Are you romantically involved?”

“No. Just friends.”

She pressed her lips into a flat line. “I have to say, I find it a little strange that a wealthy CEO in his mid-thirties would be ‘just friends’ with a beautiful girl in her mid-twenties who doesn’t seem to have much in common with him in terms of lifestyle at all. Are you sure there’s no romantic involvement?”

I smiled pleasantly. This was fine. The woman was just doing her job. “Detective, you remember the New Eden case, don’t you?”

“I know it quite well, and I’m aware Ms. Sinclair was involved in it, but I didn’t live here when it happened or have firsthand experience with it, if that’s what you’re asking,” she replied.

“Ah. That explains why you don’t know about me, then,” I said, nodding sagely. “This is information that only the authorities are privy to, but you should be able to check up on it easily enough, given your position.” I paused to let that sink in before going on. “I was actually part of the whole New Eden operation.”

She raised one eyebrow. “In what way? I’ve never heard of this before.”

“I was the one who infiltrated the cult and gathered all the evidence against them. Jolie helped me at the time, and I’ve kept in contact with her over the years. Tried to help her adjust to life outside the commune and so on. Like I said, we’re friends.”

“I see. Would you give me a minute?” the detective asked, her expression still suspicious.

I nodded. She stepped a few paces down the hall and pulled out a cell phone. I heard her speaking in hushed tones for a few minutes, and then she hung up and walked back over to me, a flustered expression on her face.

“Mr. Ashwood, I’m very sorry,” she said. “I honestly had no idea you were the whistleblower in the New Eden case. My colleague just confirmed what you told me.”

I smiled again. “It’s quite all right. Like I said, it’s not exactly public information. Hardly anyone knows.”

I could tell Beck was trying her hardest not to look at my scars now, and I realized her colleague must have told her what happened to me.

I touched one finger to the large puckered mark on my left temple. “This is what they left me with,” I said, trailing my finger all the way down the scar. “The Path of the Covenant, that is. I’m sure you just heard all about it.”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t, actually. But I’m sorry to hear it, Mr. Ashwood. They were monsters,” she said softly. “Again, I’m very sorry for pulling you up in here like this. I didn’t mean to—”

I smiled and held up a palm. “It’s fine. I understand. You have a missing girl, and you saw a strange man emerging from her apartment with her pet. You have to ask questions, obviously.”

She nodded. “So you really weren’t aware that she’s gone missing?”

“No. For a brief moment last week, I thought it was slightly odd that she hadn’t called or texted me to ask how her fish was going, but she isn’t exactly a fan of technology, so it’s not unusual for her to avoid her phone for days on end. Besides, like I said, she thought her neighbor was taking care of Buddy, not me, and I realized I’d completely forgotten to let her know I had him instead. So I didn’t find it strange enough to look into.”

“And none of her friends asked you about her when they realized she’d disappeared?”

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