Page 91 of Tangled Trust

Worst of all, I’ve been trying to reach Sebastian on the number we’ve been using, but the phone has been off since yesterday morning. I’m no detective, but I'm thinking this isn’t good. I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for him. Not that I want to. If the blood on the floor is any indication of the man’s temper, I think it’s best I stay away.

Perhaps that’s why Ella left him. Fuck! What a mess. I can imagine how pissed Sebastian must have been when he realized that Ella wasn’t the one who has been texting him. I’ve dug a pretty deep hole for myself here.

I don’t know what to do now. I can’t tell Carter. Not that he deserves my help after the way he shunned me. My attempts to call Ella on her phone come to nothing, as it goes straight to voicemail.

"What’s wrong, Mommy?" Jagger asks when I pick him up from school.

"Nothing, my love. Why?"

"You look sick. Are you feeling okay?"

"I’m fine, darling. How was school?"

Jagger goes into a diatribe about his day, but I hardly hear a word he’s saying as I white knuckle the steering wheel while my mind races to come up with a solution that will get me out of the shitstorm I’m in.

"Mommy, can I have a guinea pig? Sammy has one. He says it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen. His mommy bought it for him for his birthday. Kylie says she had one, but her cat killed it. We don’t have a cat."

"Uhm…sure, honey. I suppose that will be okay."

"Oh, wow! For real?"

I’m willing to give Jagger a bloody elephant right now if only he’d shut up and let me think in peace.

"Can we go to the pet shop now, Mommy? Pleeeease!"

"Sure, baby."

I hope no one finds out about my texts to Sebastian. I could be charged as an accessory to murder if anything happens to Ella.

Fucking men! Why do they have to spoil everything? All Sebastian had to do was drag Ella’s ass back to England. That’s all. Now I’m in a world of trouble, all because he couldn’t pull his shit together.

* * *

Carter Moore is coming apart at the seams. He clearly believes that Ms. Parker is in danger. He’s practically foaming at the mouth while he tells me about his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. I have to agree that it sounds to me like there’s been foul play here.

"Mr. Cooper, I need you to calm down and allow me to go through the process of this investigation."

"You’d better hurry, Detective. Ella’s been missing now for more than a day, and I can assure you that I won’t be happy if something happens to her while you are asking me all these ridiculous questions," he barks.

The sad truth is that when it comes to disappearances, we always start with the missing person’s partner. Passion and love are powerful forces, and people do crazy things when they’re betrayed or feel as if they’re about to lose the one they love.

Mr. Cooper isn’t a typical suspect, though. I contemplate the usual motivations a man has to get rid of his girlfriend. Money? Unlikely, as Moore has plenty of his own. Revenge? She’s pregnant with his kid. Why would he want her gone? No. Ella Parker’s disappearance is unlikely that of Carter Moore’s doing.

No, I’m going to have to look elsewhere.

"Mr. Cooper, you say you’re divorced."

"Yeah. So?"

"How does your ex feel about your relationship with Ella?"

"Amanda? Uhm, she was upset at first, but she’s come around since. Why do you ask?"

"Jealousy is a strong motivator."

"No. She wouldn’t do this."

"Okay. I’ll call you as soon as we find anything, Mr. Moore. You should go home and wait there. Ella may try to contact you."

---