Sweet Friend of Mine (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 8) by J A Whiting

the air for a moment. “Or,” Ellie hesitated. “Was Ryan killed in the fight?” A shudder ran through her body.
    Although Angie had held out hope that Ryan was alive and unhurt, her optimism was beginning to wane. “Alive or not, we need to find him.” Determination caused Angie to stand taller with her shoulders thrown back. “Let’s review what we know. Ryan hung out with Henry that night. They parted ways and on the way home, Ryan’s car went off the road and into a ditch. Chief Martin said that records indicate that Ryan made texts to Henry, but it is unknown if Henry saw them. Ryan also made a call to a prepaid phone and the person who answered the call was in Silver Cove. The call lasted about a minute.”
    Courtney added some information. “Ryan also called his parents to come and get him. He was mistaken about where he was and the parents couldn’t find him.”
    Jenna said, “Mr. Allen got annoyed from driving around and around without being able to locate his son. The Allens were talking to Ryan as he walked to meet them.”
    Mr. Finch finished the chopping. “The young man cursed and the call ended. Perhaps he cursed because he was frustrated with his parents. He may have hung up on them.”
    “Or,” Courtney offered. “Ryan saw someone or met someone on the road that he wasn’t thrilled to see. He cursed about it and ended the call with his parents.”
    “There were two voices, both male.” Mr. Finch recalled what he’d sensed when he held the ring. “An argument ensued. The ring came off of the other person and Circe found it when we were called to the scene.”
    Jenna thought things over. “So either Ryan had someone in the car with him or he met someone as he walked along the road.”
    “The person must have been someone he knew because that person was wearing the vine ring,” Courtney said. “So that narrows down the suspects.”
    Angie’s eyes brightened. “We need to have the chief ask Mrs. Allen where the ring was purchased. Then we can visit the jeweler and ask if the ring was custom made or not, and how many the jeweler might have made and sold.” Reaching for her phone, she sent the text to Chief Martin.
    Jenna smiled. “Maybe we can even get the jeweler to tell us who bought the ring.”
    “Definitely worth a try.” Mr. Finch wiped his hands on the towel Ellie had brought to him. She carried away the tomatoes and placed them in a serving bowl.
    Courtney took the falafels out of the oven and tipped the baking sheet so they would slip onto a serving platter. Syrian bread and wheat wraps were arranged in a wicker basket and there were five decorative bowls containing the yogurt-cucumber dip, shredded lettuce, chopped onions, diced tomatoes, and feta cheese. The four sisters carried the food into the family room and set the items on the buffet table near the windows. Ellie had already placed a stack of blue and white plates, silverware, and napkins at one end of the side table next to the large bowl of rice. Glasses and a pitcher of ice water with slices of lemons and limes had been set on placemats on the buffet.
    The family picked up plates and constructed their falafel wraps with toppings of their choice.
    “Smells delicious.” Courtney made two wraps bursting with the tasty items.
    When everyone had traveled along the buffet and had settled on the sofas and chairs with snack tables set up close by the seats, discussion continued about the case.
    Angie bit into her wrap and a bit of the yogurt dip dripped onto her plate. “If we can find her, I’d like to talk to Ryan’s former girlfriend, Charlotte Breeze. Who knows if she could shed any light on things?”
    “Anything’s worth a try at this point.” Jenna dabbed her lips with her napkin. “This is yum.”
    “What about speaking more with Mr. Darren?” Finch gave a piece of falafel to each cat. Euclid preferred that his piece not have any yogurt sauce on it. “He has known Ryan for a long time. He might know