Page 4 of Girl, Unseen

Ella began scribbling in her mental notebook. Coworkers, then. Probably close friends, judging by the genuine distress on Olivia's face. ‘And when was the last time you saw Dr. Thornton?’

‘Friday, so four days ago. We had a faculty meeting that ran late. Marcus was there, as upbeat as ever.’

Four days. This wasn’t a stranded-on-a-country-road situation. Chances were that wherever Marcus had gone, he didn’t plan on coming back. ‘Did you speak to him?’

‘Yes, but nothing too intense. Just casual chatter.’

Luca asked, ‘Did Marcus mention any plans for the weekend?’

‘No. Not that I remember.’

‘What was Marcus like? Personality, character, anything like that.’

Olivia’s hands knotted together. ‘He's as reliable as they come. Never missed a class, never late to a faculty meeting. If he said he'd be somewhere, you could set your watch by it.’

Ella noted it. Dependable type. Responsible. Low flight risk. ‘How old?’ she asked.

‘Forty-five.’

‘What about his home life?’

‘Doesn’t have one, as far as I know. Divorced for ten years, no kids, lives for his work. The kind of guy who arrives early and leaves late.’

Ella committed the details to memory. A man married to his work, no real ties outside the university. The type who could disappear without making waves. She didn't like where this was headed.

‘So, Dr. Thornton was a dedicated professor. Did he have any hobbies outside of work? Anything he was passionate about?’ Ella probed.

Olivia's eyes took on a faraway look. ‘Geologywashis passion, Agent Dark. It wasn't just a job for him. Marcus lived and breathed it. He was always going on about some obscure mineral he'd tracked down. He used to joke that his ex-wife left him because he loved rocks more than her.’

Ella exchanged a glance with Luca. A man with a passion, a man who chased secrets in the earth. The picture was getting clearer, but the frame was still empty.

‘When you say tracked down some obscure mineral, you mean with his own hands?’

‘Yes. He was always trekking to God knows where. Last year he went to Iceland just to see the Reynisdrangar.’

Ella didn’t know what that was, but it sounded majestic. ‘Did Marcus ever mention anything specific he was working on? A research project, maybe, or a particular site he was interested in?’

‘Not recently, no. I mean, he was always working on something, but he never really shared. That was Marcus.’

Olivia's answers had painted a clearer picture of the man, but they were still missing the most crucial detail: where the hell was he?

‘Have you contacted the police?’ Ella asked.

‘Yesterday afternoon. I’d been texting him all day, then I went to check on him in the evening. No sign of him at home, so I reported him missing.’

‘Have they come back to you yet?’

‘They called back this afternoon but didn’t have anything to report. They said they were going to trace his phone when they had clearance, but,’ Olivia fished her cell out of her pocket and showed Ella a screen of texts. ‘I don’t think it will be any use. My messages to him yesterday didn’t even deliver.’

Ella took the cell and speed-read the exchange.

Are you sick today?

Need any classes covering? Susan’s asking.

Hellooooo, earth to Marcus??

I’m coming to your place.

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