Stranded by Dani Pettrey Page B

onthings. She wasn’t who he thought she was, and as soon as she found Abby, she was out of there. Which meant she needed to be very careful not to lead Clint on, as Gage suggested she was doing. Nothing beyond a casual friendship was going to happen with Clint, but at the same time, she needed to find out what he knew. Abby’s life could depend on it.
    Everyone was a potential suspect or witness—even if they didn’t realize it. Any one of them could have seen or overheard something they didn’t think anything of at the time but could prove vital to her investigation. She had to keep digging until she found it.

14
    Gage stretched out before the fire, trying not to think about how long Darcy and Clint had been gone. There was no harm in a walk, but uneasiness filled him and no doubt would until her return.
    Whitney shifted beside him. “I’m going to grab some more coffee. Would you like a refill?”
    â€œSure, that’d be great.”
    Whitney had a great sense of humor, was intelligent and very athletic. She reminded him a great deal of Kayden.
    She returned, handed Gage his cup, and was about to sit down when Ted approached. “Hey, Whitney, I hear the sunset is gorgeous.”
    Interesting . Gage had expected Cal or another of the other single passengers to hit on Whitney, not one of the crew.
    Whitney glanced up at the darkening sky. “I think we’ve already missed it.”
    â€œEven better to see the stars from the rise. Wanna join me?”
    â€œThanks, but I’m good right here.” She settled back down on the log beside Gage.
    â€œYou sure?” Ted smiled. “I promise, I don’t bite.”
    â€œI’m good. Thanks.”
    Ted glanced between her and Gage and then nodded with a look of understanding. “Maybe some other time.”
    Gage waited until Ted walked away before glancing at Whitney. “Not into walks or not into Ted?” He took a sip of his coffee.
    She shook her head. “Not into disappearing.”
    Gage spluttered on the liquid. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
    â€œNot into disappearing.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought, but I don’t understand. Are you suggesting Ted . . . ?”
    â€œI’m not suggesting anything. I’m simply being safe. I’m a single female alone on an excursion. It would be foolish of me to leave the group with anyone, no matter how cute he may be.”
    â€œYou make it sound like people are disappearing from cruises all the time.”
    â€œNearly twenty last year alone.”
    â€œFrom the Bering ?”
    She shook her head. “No, worldwide, but the Bering ’s not free of its problems.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œLast August some honeymooners, Drake and Christine Bowen, disappeared while on an excursion.”
    Bowen? “Wasn’t that the man who murdered his wife and then ran?”
    â€œThat’s what the media claimed.”
    â€œClaimed?” The media certainly wasn’t bias-free, but it had sounded as if the husband was downright guilty.
    â€œI had a friend on that cruise—Melody. We used to work together at our old law firm. Anyway, Melody said she spent some time with one of the men who’d been on that excursion, and he said the whole thing was strange.”
    â€œStrange . . . how?”
    â€œThey’d made camp, and everyone had gone to bed. In the morning, Bowen gets up and can’t find his wife. The team starts searching, but they can’t find her anywhere.”
    Gage remembered the news coverage—it not being far from their backyard. “I think at first they thought she’d wandered off, but then someone discovered blood in the Bowens’ tent.”
    â€œRight, but this guy told Mel that Bowen freaked and claimed it was planted there.”
    â€œPlanted there? Oh, come on.” Gage sat his cup aside.
    â€œThat’s what everyone