Page 9 of The House Beyond the Dunes

“No. I never heard of him or her.”

“Her.” He’s watching me more closely. “What about Nikki Kane?”

“No. Who are these women?”

“Nikki’s been missing since early July of this year. Stevie vanished shortly after Nikki.”

Suddenly, I feel off balance, uncomfortable. “What do these women have to do with Kyle and me?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” That jaw pulses again. “Did Kyle try to hurt you at the beach house?”

“What? No, no. He never once raised his hand or said anything that was a red flag.” I feel a need to defend Kyle. “I can’t help you, Detective Becker. I don’t know either woman. Do you have a picture?”

“No. Both women used fake IDs and have been difficult to identify beyond the names they were using.”

“Girls on the street often make up names, especially if they don’t want family, cops, or pimps to find them.”

His fingers grip the door’s edge. One hard shove, and he could thrust inside. “Are you sure you haven’t heard the names Stevie Palmer or Nikki Kane?”

The adrenaline fueling me dips closer to empty. “I can’t help you. If I knew, I’d tell you.”

“You work with kids like Nikki and Stevie, right?”

“‘Work with’ isn’t exactly right. I have a Wednesday-night care group. The girls gather for advice, support, and/or companionship. I’mgetting my PhD in psychology and counseling. The group is part of my training.”

“PhD?” He sounds impressed, but not surprised. He’s been asking around about me.

“Almost. I graduate in May.”

“And then what?”

“I don’t know. Start looking for a job in social work.”

“Kyle Iverson was a psychologist, too, right?”

“Yes. He had a successful private practice.”

“Dr.Iverson did well from what I know about him.”

“You’ve been busy,” I say. “You learn all this in the last eight hours?”

His gaze doesn’t waver. “I’m good at my job, Lane.”

“Do you work this hard on all accidents, Detective Becker?”

“Doing my due diligence.” He looks as if he’ll leave, but then he says, “Stevie was looking for Nikki Kane. They’d worked together at Joey’s Bar on the Outer Banks. Stevie’s a bit of a mother hen. Always looking out for lost souls. A little like you. Anyway, I can’t find either woman.”

“Why do you think there’s a connection to Kyle?”

“He was seen flirting with Nikki in Joey’s Bar in early July.”

“Did you talk to him about it?”

“I did. He denied seeing her beyond the bar flirtation. But he’s been on my radar since then.” He searches my eyes as if he’ll glean more.

Kyle never said a word about being questioned by the police. “We never once discussed other women.”

His grip eases on the door. He reaches into his pocket and removes a card. “Take it. If you think of something, call me. 24-7.”

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