Page 21 of Pointy Ears and Purple Glitter
Tynan nodded, relieved by the change of subject. “That’s right, though it’s not as exciting as it sounds. Mostly tracking down people who don’t want to be found or finding information people need.”
“Like missing persons?” Ian asked through a mouthful of gyro. “That must be interesting.”
“Sometimes. I’m working on a case now, actually. A missing woman named Hayley Cooper.”
Ian’s eyes widened. “Is she connected to the men who were… The ones who...” He gestured vaguely to his face, mimicking a beating.
“No, although I thought I was following a lead when I ended up on this side of town,” Tynan said grimly. “I’m still not clear on why I was lured here in the first place.”
“I believe that was a Grok situation,” Malik said, and while his tone was calm, Tynan could feel the thread of anger through their bond. “He gets bored and likes messing with people. He won’t do it again, not with you, at least.”
“People can be weird around here, although it’s all perfectly safe during the day,” Ian said happily. “So what happened to her? This Hayley?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Her mother hired me. Hayley’s twenty-one, been missing for about six weeks now.” Tynan picked at his salad. “I haven’t had much luck so far.”
Malik, who had been quietly eating, raised his eyebrows. “That’s right. I said I’d help you do some searching on the computer. We should check social media, like Sparky suggested yesterday.”
“Oh, I’m great with social media,” Ian offered eagerly. “I’m on everything - Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, you name it.”
“Finally, I get to see what this social media hype is all about.” Sparky abandoned his fruitcake and hopped over as Malik reached over the back of his chair and grabbed the laptop from the desk.
“Here you go, Ian. You can help us look.”
“Do you have a picture of her?” Ian asked, fingers poised over the keyboard.
Tynan pulled out his phone and showed Ian the photo Mrs. Cooper had provided - a pretty young woman with chestnut hair and a bright smile.
“Right, let’s start with Instagram,” Ian said, typing rapidly. “What’s her username?”
“I don’t know,” Tynan admitted. “I didn’t think to ask. Mrs. Cooper said not to bother with her social media profiles.”
“That’s another check in the weird column. Just about every young person has a social media profile these days. No worries, though. We can search by name.” Ian entered “Hayley Cooper” and scrolled through several profiles before pointing. “Is this her?”
The profile picture matched the photo on Tynan’s phone. The account, @hayley_coop, showed a young woman who loved posting selfies at cafes and pictures of artfully arranged food.
“That’s her,” Tynan confirmed, leaning closer to the screen. “Can you see when she last posted?”
Ian clicked through to her feed. “Last post was...six weeks ago. That matches up with when she went missing, yeah?”
Tynan nodded, feeling a surge of anticipation. “What did she post?”
“It’s a selfie at some fancy restaurant.” Ian enlarged the image. “Caption says, ‘Exciting new chapter beginning! Can’t wait for the adventures ahead with my mystery man. #blessed #newbeginnings #secretsquirrel.’”
“Mystery man?” Tynan repeated. “Scroll back a bit. Is there any mention of him before that?”
Ian worked through the previous posts, stopping on one from a month earlier. “Here’s something. ‘Met the most interesting guy today. He’s so different from anyone I’ve dated before. Says he wants to show me a whole new world. #intrigued #newromance.’”
“Any pictures of him?” Malik asked, leaning over Ian’s shoulder.
“No, nothing. She’s keeping him under wraps.” Ian continued scrolling. “But look at these comments. Her friends are asking who he is, and she’s being all cryptic. Says he’s ‘not from around here’ and ‘works in an unusual field.’”
Tynan frowned. “That could mean anything.”
“Wait, here’s something,” Ian said, pointing to a comment Hayley had made in response to a friend. “‘He’s got the most amazing collection of antiques you’ve ever seen. Says some of them are magical, lol. Think he’s trying to impress me, but I’m into it.’”
“Magical antiques?” Tynan exchanged a meaningful look with Malik. That could potentially indicate someone from the paranormal community.
“And here’s another post where she mentions him,” Ian continued. “She’s at a coffee shop, and she writes, ‘G says I need to prepare for a journey like no other. Sounds dramatic but kinda exciting, too.’”
