Page 12 of Elsie's Strong Shelter

Sadie set the duffle on the couch. She pulled out two pairs of rubber gloves and a large bag labeledEvidencethen tossed a pair of gloves to Tommy.

A chill raced down Elsie’s spine.

As if sensing her unease, Dean took a step closer. “You’re okay,” he whispered in her ear.

She relaxed against him, needing his support now more than ever.

“We’ll start in Mila’s room,” Sadie said. “Do you mind showing us the way?”

Dread weighed her down with every step as she led the tragic parade down the hall. She pushed open Mila’s door. Keeping her feet rooted to the carpeted floor, she leaned across the threshold and flipped on the light.

“Thanks.” Tommy gave her a tight-lipped smile, firming the lines in his clean-shaven baby face.

Sadie walked past her and went straight to the nightstand on the side of the neatly made bed. She opened the top drawer with her glove-covered hand and shuffled through whatever she found inside.

Elsie wrapped one arm around her waist, propping her other elbow on her forearm so she could bite her thumbnail. “I don’t like this,” she whispered to Dean who stood beside her. “I understand it’s necessary, but it feels like an invasion of Mila’s privacy.”

“We don’t have to watch,” Dean said. “You can trust Sadie and Tommy.”

“I’d want Mila to watch if someone was digging though my stuff,” she said.

Done with the contents of the nightstand, Sadie searched under the bed. Apparently satisfied nothing of interest was there, she then folded down the comforter, smoothing her palm across the sage green sheets.

Elsie flinched. “What is she doing?”

“They need to make sure nothing was hidden under the blankets. They’ll probably search under the mattress as well.They need to look at any place Mila could have hidden personal items. Things she might not want Jimmy or even you to find.”

As if Sadie had heard Dean’s explanation and wanted to prove him right, she grabbed the edge of the mattress and hoisted it into the air. “Tommy. Can you give me a hand with this?”

“Okay. That’s enough for me. I can’t stand here and watch any longer.” Elsie brushed past Dean toward her own room and sank onto the edge of the bed. She dropped her head into her hands. She wanted to cry, to scream, to pull at her hair in frustration. But what would be the point? It wouldn’t help find Mila. It’d just keep her in the same damn place, with the chance of making her look a little crazy in the process.

“Is it okay if I come in? Or would you rather have a few minutes alone?” Dean asked.

“Come sit,” she said, her face still buried in her palms. The mattress dipped beside her, and the feel of his strong body steadied her. Made her feel a little safer in this chaotic world she’d stumbled into.

Boo whined and leapt onto the bed beside her.

Flanked by the two protective and supportive beings, she steadied herself as best she could and dropped her hands to her lap. “I hate just sitting around and waiting. I want to help find Mila and bring her home.”

“Then let’s figure out how to make that happen.”

“Really?”

He lifted a shoulder and slid his lips to the side. “That’s why you called me right? Because I’m a private investigator who knows how to handle this type of investigation.”

She forced a smile. Yes, Dean had all kinds of experience with locating people and closing cases, but that hadn’t been the main reason she’d reached out to him.

If she was being honest, even with only herself, in her darkest hour Dean was the person she wanted by her side. She could have called Jenna, who would have roped Calvin into helping, but that’s not who she’d needed.

She’d needed Dean.

“You’re right. What can we do that the police aren’t already doing?”

“Let them talk to Mila’s boss and handle warrants for speaking with the clients she saw last night. HIPPA creates a lot of red tape that’s impossible for a civilian to get through. I think we should track down Mrs. Pauly.”

As much as she appreciated that he’d believed not only Jimmy, but her defense of the little boy’s memory, seeking out an elderly woman that used to be on Mila’s client list didn’t seem like a plausible lead. “Do you think this woman hurt Mila?”

“No, but she may be the last person who saw her. If she stopped by after her last shift to check in, Mrs. Pauly might know where she went after.”

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