out much hope of your finding her alive.”
“We’re doing all we can.” Emily rose. “You’ll be the first to know when we’ve found them.”
“I appreciate that.”
Emily left the husband’s office and stopped again to speak with his assistant.
“Miss?”
“Kara,” she said. “Kara St. James.”
“You look rather familiar to me. This might sound like a strange question, but do you work out at the Serenity Health Club?” Emily knew she might be grasping at straws, but she hoped she might make some kind of connection between Jake and certain people in this office.
“Yes, I do.” A smug look of pride washed over her face as she ran a hand over her flat abdomen. “Do you?”
“Uh, yes, I’ve just begun going there.” Emily knew it was a little white lie, but she hoped it would get her somewhere. “Isn’t Mandy just the sweetest receptionist?”
“Yes, she’s a doll,” Kara replied.
“You know, Kara, a friend of mine recommended one of the trainers there. Do you know Jake Mitchell?” Emily wondered if the assistant could be in cahoots with Jake, knowing how wealthy her boss is, maybe using that to her advantage.
“Yes, I’m familiar with him. I hear he’s quite good at what he does.”
“Thanks for the info. You’ve been very helpful.” Emily began to walk away, then stopped and spun back around. “Oh, I almost forgot, I think someone may have dinged Mr. Murphy’s car in the parking lot.”
“Oh, no,” Kara gasped.
“It’s the green Jaguar, right?”
“No, it’s the silver Audi.”
“Sorry, my mistake.” Emily whirled around and headed for the elevator. Too easy.
When she reached the parking lot, she slipped on a latex glove and dug a tracker out of her purse, scanning the cars in the lot for a silver Audi. She spotted it parked in one of the reserved spaces near the front door. She walked past it, covertly dipping down and sticking the tracking device to the underside of the frame.
Let’s see where you go from here.
Emily climbed back in her Volvo sedan and phoned Colin.
“I’ve decided to step off this case,” she said. “You were right, I’m too close. It’s emotionally draining and I’m losing my objectivity.”
“There’s no shame in it, Babe. Why don’t you take a nap or a hot bath and I’ll bring over some take-out for dinner?”
“Maybe. I’ll give you a call later.”
Emily sat in her car and kept a close eye on the silver Audi. While she waited, she checked the tax records in the Multiple Listing Service on her Smartphone and found Patrick owned several properties, besides his principle residence. Maybe he was keeping Elise at one of these properties. It was a possibility. After planting the news that they were close to finding her, if he had her stashed somewhere, he would surely want to move her. Emily would follow him when he left and find out.
It took about fifteen minutes for Patrick Murphy to emerge from the building. He strode to his car, his gaze darting up and down the rows of cars, occasionally flashing behind him. Emily had her GPS monitor wedged on her console and watched as he pulled out of the parking lot.
He did have an alibi for the time Elise went missing, however, he could have hired it done while he was out of town. After finding out his wife had a lover perhaps?
She followed him through town, at a safe distance, keeping one eye on the monitor. Her curiosity piqued when he headed out of the city limits and up into the mountains. For safety, she figured she’d better phone Colin and let him know what she was really doing before she got too far out of town.
“Hey, Colin,” Emily said. “Have you heard anything back about Jake Mitchell?”
“No, not the airport, bus station, or border patrol.”
“Where could that man be hiding?” she wondered out loud.
“We’ve cast the net pretty wide. We’ll find him.”
“We have to, because like you said, he’s the key to finding Elise.” There she went, stating the
“We’re doing all we can.” Emily rose. “You’ll be the first to know when we’ve found them.”
“I appreciate that.”
Emily left the husband’s office and stopped again to speak with his assistant.
“Miss?”
“Kara,” she said. “Kara St. James.”
“You look rather familiar to me. This might sound like a strange question, but do you work out at the Serenity Health Club?” Emily knew she might be grasping at straws, but she hoped she might make some kind of connection between Jake and certain people in this office.
“Yes, I do.” A smug look of pride washed over her face as she ran a hand over her flat abdomen. “Do you?”
“Uh, yes, I’ve just begun going there.” Emily knew it was a little white lie, but she hoped it would get her somewhere. “Isn’t Mandy just the sweetest receptionist?”
“Yes, she’s a doll,” Kara replied.
“You know, Kara, a friend of mine recommended one of the trainers there. Do you know Jake Mitchell?” Emily wondered if the assistant could be in cahoots with Jake, knowing how wealthy her boss is, maybe using that to her advantage.
“Yes, I’m familiar with him. I hear he’s quite good at what he does.”
“Thanks for the info. You’ve been very helpful.” Emily began to walk away, then stopped and spun back around. “Oh, I almost forgot, I think someone may have dinged Mr. Murphy’s car in the parking lot.”
“Oh, no,” Kara gasped.
“It’s the green Jaguar, right?”
“No, it’s the silver Audi.”
“Sorry, my mistake.” Emily whirled around and headed for the elevator. Too easy.
When she reached the parking lot, she slipped on a latex glove and dug a tracker out of her purse, scanning the cars in the lot for a silver Audi. She spotted it parked in one of the reserved spaces near the front door. She walked past it, covertly dipping down and sticking the tracking device to the underside of the frame.
Let’s see where you go from here.
Emily climbed back in her Volvo sedan and phoned Colin.
“I’ve decided to step off this case,” she said. “You were right, I’m too close. It’s emotionally draining and I’m losing my objectivity.”
“There’s no shame in it, Babe. Why don’t you take a nap or a hot bath and I’ll bring over some take-out for dinner?”
“Maybe. I’ll give you a call later.”
Emily sat in her car and kept a close eye on the silver Audi. While she waited, she checked the tax records in the Multiple Listing Service on her Smartphone and found Patrick owned several properties, besides his principle residence. Maybe he was keeping Elise at one of these properties. It was a possibility. After planting the news that they were close to finding her, if he had her stashed somewhere, he would surely want to move her. Emily would follow him when he left and find out.
It took about fifteen minutes for Patrick Murphy to emerge from the building. He strode to his car, his gaze darting up and down the rows of cars, occasionally flashing behind him. Emily had her GPS monitor wedged on her console and watched as he pulled out of the parking lot.
He did have an alibi for the time Elise went missing, however, he could have hired it done while he was out of town. After finding out his wife had a lover perhaps?
She followed him through town, at a safe distance, keeping one eye on the monitor. Her curiosity piqued when he headed out of the city limits and up into the mountains. For safety, she figured she’d better phone Colin and let him know what she was really doing before she got too far out of town.
“Hey, Colin,” Emily said. “Have you heard anything back about Jake Mitchell?”
“No, not the airport, bus station, or border patrol.”
“Where could that man be hiding?” she wondered out loud.
“We’ve cast the net pretty wide. We’ll find him.”
“We have to, because like you said, he’s the key to finding Elise.” There she went, stating the
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