20
MIA
Mia glanced at her watch for the third time in as many minutes.
Eve had been gone a long time.
Too long.
She looked around the dining room, her eyes scanning for any sign of her aunt returning.
Nothing.
“She’s been gone for over twenty minutes,” Lila said quietly beside her, voicing what Mia was thinking.
“Maybe she had to go upstairs to take the call?” Nolan suggested, but his eyes were alert, watchful.
“I’ll go look for her,” Mia said, standing.
“I’ll come with you,” Nolan said immediately. He glanced at Milly. “Stick by Lila.”
Milly nodded, her hand moving subtly to her side where Mia suspected she had a weapon concealed.
Mia and Nolan walked through the lobby to the front desk. The woman behind it looked up with a pleasant smile.
“Excuse me,” Mia said. “Did you see Dr. Reynolds?”
“Oh yes,” the woman said. “She went out the front door about twenty minutes ago.”
Mia’s stomach dropped.
They hurried outside to the parking lot.
Mia frowned as she scanned the rows of cars. “The rental car is gone.”
“What?” Nolan’s voice was sharp. “Call her.”
A bad feeling crept up Mia’s spine, cold and insistent. Eve wouldn’t just leave without a word. Not without telling them where she was going.
Mia dialed Eve’s number with shaking fingers.
It went straight to voicemail.
She tried again.
Voicemail again.
“She’s not answering,” Mia breathed, worry clawing at her chest. “Something’s wrong. Eve never just disappears.”
“Come on,” Nolan said, his voice grim. He put his hand on her back and guided her toward the Inn entrance.
Milly and Lila were coming down the stairs as they entered.
“She’s not in the rooms,” Lila told them, her face pale.
“Her car is gone,” Nolan said in a low voice, his eyes checking around the lobby.
“We need to see security footage,” Milly said. She turned to the front desk. “Who runs security here?”
