Page 17 of Shark Cove

“In cases like these, we usually look at parental kidnapping first,” Harry said, after scanning the note and handing it to Lei. “Is there any possibility that Camille is with her father?”

“No. I’ve been in touch with him. Leonard works in shipping and lives at sea. He is terribly busy, and he and Camille have fallen out of touch. She hasn’t seen him in ages, nor has she expressed any interest in doing so.”

“Still, we’d like his contact information,” Harry said.

“No problem.” Regina smiled tightly and used her phone to forward them Leonard William’s information.

“This might come as something of a surprise to you, Ms. William, but our next step is to search your house for any clues that your daughter may have left,” Lei said. “We’d like your permission to go through her room, to begin with.”

“I don’t see the point. I told you all I know, and our maid cleaned recently. There’s nothing much to see,” Regina said.

“I’ll go upstairs if you don’t mind.” Lei removed a pair of plastic gloves from her waist pack, shaking them out and snapping them on. She picked up her crime kit, which she had carried in and set beside the couch. “I assume your daughter’s room is there.”

“How dare you!” Regina burst out. “I came to the MPD asking for help, not to be suspected!”

Harry rolled her eyes. “Come on, Regina. Surely this isn’t a surprise. It’s protocol anytime there is a missing child. We look through the house for anything the parents might have overlooked.”

“As if I would miss anything!”

Just then, a sculptural, clear plastic phone on the sideboard rang. Regina ran over and grabbed up the receiver.

Lei was already heading up the stairs as she overheard that the caller was Harry’s daughter Malia. She reached the top of the stairs and cocked her head, overhearing Harry redirect her daughter that the case was not to be discussed, and end the call with a brusque goodbye.

Good. The last thing they needed was a sixteen-year-old wannabe sleuth poking her nose in where it didn’t belong.

Lei headed for the first door, which led to an immaculate bedroom dressed in girlish peach satin, so tidy that it looked as if no one had ever lived there.

Joining Lei in the doorway of Camille’s room, Harry sighed. “Malia is going nuts. She’s so worried about her friend.”

“I can imagine. I don’t envy you right now.”

“The only thing that’s more challenging than a teenage daughter is having two of them—and Kylie is eleven going on sixteen.”

Lei headed for the laptop and a bejeweled phone plugged in on the desk. “Let’s take Camille’s devices back to our tech department and see what’s on them.” She dropped the items into a large evidence bag, including the charge cords so that the devices wouldn’t go dead before their team had a chance to unlock them. “Does it strike you as odd that Camille supposedly ran away, but left these here?”

“Sure does. Malia would rather cut off a finger than leave her phone behind.” A line appeared between Harry’s brows. “Maybe somethingdidhappen to Camille.”

“We know she came home and wrote that note. Maybe she knew she could be tracked if she took her phone. She could have a burner,” Lei said.

The frown on Harry’s brow smoothed out. “That makes sense.”

The two women searched through the desk and bureau, but there wasn’t anything of interest until Harry pushed aside rows of color-coordinated designer clothing peppered with empty hangers to reveal a stash of hoodies, jeans, and Converse sneakers way in the back of the closet.

“Now I’m starting to get worried.” Harry pointed to the clothing. “Every time I ever saw Camille, she was wearing these types of clothes, not the ones up front.”

Regina’s voice came from the front of the bedroom, making both women turn around. “What are you talking about? Camille left for school every day wearing one of her special outfits.” Regina marched over to show them a laminated chart hanging from a hook on the door of the closet. “Each weekday she could choose from different sets of clothing out of her seasonal choices. See? She checked which outfit she had worn so there weren’t too many repeats. She had an image to maintain.”

Harry exchanged a glance with Lei—Regina William was a control freak on steroids!Even baby Rosie showed too much independence to allow Lei to pick out her clothing, let alone use a chart to keep track of it.

“I know this is hard, Regina, but it might go easier if you let us do our job,” Harry said. “Maybe you could assemble a list of friends for us to follow up with.”

The blank look on Regina’s face told Lei she had no idea who, besides Malia, her daughter might be friends with. Embarrassment tightened Regina’s mouth. “I’m calling my attorney.”

“I would expect no less,” Harry spoke to her back as the woman departed in a huff. Harry turned back to Lei. “Let’s go look in Regina’s room. Malia expressed some concerns about it.”

Lei’s brows lifted in surprise. “What do you mean?”

Harry shook her head. “My girl is a lot of good things, but she’s way too interested in other people’s business. Malia snooped through Regina’s cabinets and was freaked out about some stuff she found. I’m hoping Regina hasn’t removed the items she told me about.”

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