Page 23 of Tough as Steele

“I’ll get forensics to cast it and log this nail into evidence.”

“We should check the garage for cars, then run Mimi’s name for vehicles registered to her. That way we’ll know if a car is missing.”

“Already done,” he said. “Her Lexus LX is missing, and I put out an alert on it.”

Londyn should’ve known he would’ve thought of that. “If the note is legit and she didn’t drive off on her own, taking her car would be a good way to further conceal her disappearance. Park elsewhere. Arrive on foot or get dropped off. Leave in her vehicle, which the kidnapper would know the staff wouldn’t question.”

“That’s a possibility.”

“I still want to take a quick look.” She freed her heels from the ground and started for the garage, walking on her tiptoes to avoid sinking into the wet grass. The back doorknob turned under her hand. Her hand on her service weapon, she pushed open the door and flicked on the light. The four-car garage held a silver Mercedes in the second slot. The stall beside it was filled with gardening equipment. The last two were open.

Londyn took pictures of the plates. “She has four live-in staff, right?”

“Yes.” Nate’s voice came from right behind her.

“They all park out back, and it would be impossible to take Mimi out to their vehicle without someone seeing them, right?”

“Yes,” he said again, sounding less than impressed with her question. “There’s a walkway that runs alongside the yard. It’s fenced but has wider slats so you can see people walking by.”

“My point is, if one of them physically tried to take her, they would’ve been spotted by someone. Zeke and Damon were here at five, the caterers soon after. So if Wendy is telling the truth about seeing Mimi after she ate at six, then if a staff member is behind this, someone could’ve seen her being escorted from the property and lied to us about it.”

“If the kidnapper is someone on staff, why wait for the party?”

Good question. “Maybe to have a lot of people coming and going to distract from when a car left the garage.”

“Makes sense.”

“Or maybe Mimi put the note there herself and took off on her own.”

He frowned. “But why?”

“To draw attention.”

“That’s the last thing the Mimi I know would do,” Nate said. “Plus, she doesn’t drive anymore, and her driver is off tonight. I have the alert out and there’s nothing else to see here. I set up Mimi’s office as a command center, and we can regroup there.” He spun and led the way through the spitting rain to the front yard, his footsteps long and assured.

She had to hurry to keep up. If anyone was watching, they would laugh at the comical way she had to walk. She didn’t care what she looked like. All she cared about was not face-planting with Nate as a witness.

At the sidewalk he turned to look at her, as if impatient for her to catch up to him.

“Too bad Mimi built her dream house on such a secluded lot,” she said, slowing to a stop to look around, surprised that Nate hadn’t set a perimeter. “No crime scene tape.”

“I considered setting up a perimeter but then figured it might spook the kidnapper so I set wireless cameras around the exterior. Means we can keep the guards inside and all the doors closed. My guy is monitoring the feed. Fat lot of good it did to keep you out.”

She chuckled but said nothing.

“No nearby neighbors to see or hear anything,” she said, moving them on.

He peered at her. “I’ve tried to get Mimi to put in a security system with exterior cameras. If she’d listened, we’d have footage to review now.”

“But she’s lived eighty years without one and doesn’t need it,” Londyn said, quoting the older woman.

His mouth turned up at the corner in a wry smile. “I see you tried to convince her too.”

“To no avail,” Londyn said. “And I used my best persuasive argument, something I’ve perfected over the years. It usually succeeds. Not with Mimi.”

“I could see you being very persuasive.” His tone didn’t sound like he thought that was a good thing.

“Didn’t work with you either,” she said.

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