Page 10 of The Girl in the River

The cloud that had moved in earlier darkened, threatening a storm as grim as the mood of the wedding venue.

“Mr. and Mrs. Wade, how did you feel about Mia?” Ellie asked.

Mr. Wade spoke first. “Mia was a bit shy but a lovely young woman,” he said. “Mark was certainly taken with her.”

“He was practically obsessed with her and that child,” Mrs. Wade said. “He had a chance to coach at a college but turned it down to stay in Crooked Creek because of them.”

Ellie recognized disapproval in her tone. “You weren’t happy about the marriage?”

The woman’s eyes flickered with a chill that surprised Ellie. “I wanted my son to live up to his potential. To pursue his career to the fullest. But he wouldn’t listen.”

“And you thought Mia was holding him back?” Ellie asked.

Her loud exhale reverberated between them. “Well, it washischoice, I guess.”

“Didn’t you like Mia?” Ellie pressed.

“She was fine, I suppose. But there was something off about her… She said she had no family. I felt sorry for her and offered to give them a big wedding on the river but she refused.”

Mr. Wade rolled his eyes. “She said she wanted a more intimate affair with close friends. I thought it was admirable that she didn’t want to accept our money or run up an exorbitant bill for a ceremony.”

“Did she seem nervous to you last night?” Ellie asked.

“No,” Mr. Wade said. “She and Pixie and Mark laughed and danced together.”

“Mrs. Wade?” Ellie asked.

She fidgeted. “Not any more so than usual.”

“What do you mean?” Ellie asked.

Her eyes flitted sideways, then back to Ellie, but Mr. Wade covered her hand with his. “Nothing,” she said. “It was just… nothing really.”

“Please,” Ellie said. “Even if it seems trivial, it might be important.”

“I said it’s nothing. Now why are you asking? Do you think she abandoned my son at the altar?” the woman asked.

“I honestly don’t know,” Ellie said. “We have to explore all possibilities.”

“Well, I hope you find her and this was just a big misunderstanding,” Mr. Wade said.

Mrs. Wade nodded and squeezed her husband’s hand. “Now, can we please sit with Mark? He looks absolutely miserable.”

“Of course. But if you think of anything, no matter how small, please let me know.”

Ellie stood and the couple rushed over to Mark, who sat hunched over with his head in his hands, body trembling.

Ellie and Shondra spent the next half an hour questioning the guests, who described Mia as a sweet, even tempered, quiet woman devoted to her daughter – exactly Ellie’s impression of her.

The owners of the gardening center clung to one another. “I hope you find her and Tori,” Mrs. Hinton said in a low voice.

“Did she mention having cold feet about the wedding?” Ellie asked.

“Heavens no,” Mrs. Hinton said. “In fact, I spoke to her early this morning, and she was ecstatic over the flower arrangements.”

“So she and Mark were happy?”

“Like two peas in a pod,” Mr. Hinton said. “He stopped by the gardening center all the time to see her.”

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