Page 101 of Spooked

It felt as if they’d gotten somewhere today, but despite that, they were still a long way from locating Meera. They found the piri-piri chicken place, and Jerry ordered enough food to feed a small army, although Indi said she couldn’t stomach a thing. If she didn’t eat tonight, Brax would get up early and make her breakfast. She needed to keep her strength.

He turned to gaze at her, sitting close in the back seat of the SUV as Chase drove. Having someone to care about again was strange, but a good strange.

“What?” she whispered. “Do I have something on my face?”

“You’re beautiful, that’s all.”

“I’m lucky.”

* * *

They reconvened in the farmhouse kitchen with buckets of chicken and fries and rice and salad. Jerry had managed to find donuts as well. There might have been plenty of food, but they were out of leads and low on hope.

Priest had called just after they arrived back at the house—he and Dawson had located Alfie, who was of no use whatsoever. Remorseful, yes, ready to drive back and join the search for Meera, yes, but helpful in any way? No. Then Beatriz had walked in and heard him confess that he’d made a terrible mistake by leaving Meera, and she’d begun beating him over the head with a chouriço, which was apparently a kind of spicy sausage not too dissimilar from Spanish chorizo. Priest and Dawson had ended up separating them, then playing referee while Alfie hurriedly packed a suitcase. Nobody knew where he planned to stay. Nobody cared.

Ari dipped a fry in spicy sauce. “It all comes back to one place, doesn’t it? The hostel. Only one person saw Meera with the blond French guy.”

“You think the manager was involved in Meera’s disappearance?” Brax asked.

“I think he’s being cagey about something. In my experience, guilty people act one of two ways—either they fall over themselves to be helpful, or they obstruct. He did the latter. I mean, he wouldn’t even let us look at her belongings.”

“If he hurt her…” Indi started.

“That’s only one possible scenario. Another is that the blond guy was a guest at the hostel, and Silvio doesn’t want the bad publicity.”

“So what can we do?”

“We can talk to him again. And if he still isn’t forthcoming with information, we’ll talk to the other residents. Someone will know who this man is.”

“If he exists at all,” Brax said.

“That’s another scenario. Or Silvio could have given us a false description to throw us off the scent.”

“Maybe the culprit is a friend of his?” Chase suggested. “Another local?”

“That’s a fifth option.”

Indi was already on her feet. “We have to go and speak with him. Make him tell us the truth this time.”

“Easy, tiger.” Jerry picked out a donut. “If you turf him out of bed in the middle of the night, he won’t speak to you at all. Go tomorrow after breakfast, once you’ve had some sleep. You’ll get a better reception then.”

“Sleep? How can I sleep?”

“You want a tranquilliser?”

Jerry took sleeping pills now? She’d suffered from insomnia in Blackstone House, but she’d always refused pharmaceutical help.

“No.”

“Suit yourself.” Jerry hopped off the stool, donut in hand. “Some of us need to rest. See you in the morning.”

CHAPTER36

THE ASSISTANT

Sleep?

Sleep was impossible, for me anyway. Brax had drifted off almost immediately, his arms wrapped around me, but I just couldn’t stay still. Did I have restless legs syndrome? My feet felt as if there were ants scuttling under my skin.

---