“What does this Colin guy do?” Matthew asked.
“Day trader. Works from home. Lots of time on his hands.”
The implication didn’t need to be spelled out. Andi felt it settle over the table like a held breath.
“What about Gina’s work?” Andi asked. “You said she’s a lawyer, right? Did she have any cases that could make someone angry?”
She knew firsthand how quickly professional disputes could turn personal. She’d had clients threaten complaints, smear campaigns, even lawsuits when they didn’t like an outcome. People rarely blamed the system—they blamed the person standing in front of them.
Pam shook her head. “Gina never mentioned anything. I’m not sure.”
Andi grunted softly, more habit than reaction, her mind already slotting the information into categories: motive, opportunity, escalation. If nothing else, it widened the field—and she didn’t love that.
Duke turned toward her, studying her face the way he always did when her thoughts drifted somewhere deeper. “What are you thinking?”
She hesitated for a beat—just long enough to feel the weight of everything she hadn’t said yet.
“I’m just wondering if this guy might have been pretending to be random, but maybe he was secretly trying to get her ruffled and distract her from something else—like maybe a case at the law firm.”
“I’m sure things can get heated when they’re talking about lawsuits and things of that nature,” Mariella said.
Matthew nodded. “Especially if there are millions of dollars at stake.”
“But it would be extreme to actually kidnap her,” Andi added. “Am I right?”
Pam’s eyes flicked between them all. Hope and desperation warred visibly in her expression—her breath coming a little quicker, her hands clasped too tightly in her lap.
“So?” she asked. “Will you help? The police think she left by choice. But she didn’t. She wouldn’t.”
The team exchanged glances—silent discussions in raised eyebrows and small nods.
Andi felt confident she knew everyone’s answer.
She turned back to Pam. “We’ll do what we can. We can’t promise miracles in the time we have left in San Francisco, but we’ll investigate.”
Pam’s relief washed over her in a trembling exhale, her shoulders dropping as if she’d been holding herself rigid for days.
Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“There is one thing.” Mariella shifted as her gaze focused on Pam. “Would you be okay with us covering this on our podcast? It could help generate leads.”
Pam hesitated only a second. “If it helps find Gina, say whatever you need to. I . . . I just don’t know if I want to be mentioned. I know that probably sounds funny, but . . . I also had a stalker several years ago, and since then I haven’t wanted any kind of media attention. That’s another reason I came to you instead of the local news stations.”
“That might make this a little trickier, but I understand,” Andi said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to talk to enough other people that we won’t have to use our interviews with you. But we won’t post anything using your name or quotes without your permission. I promise.”
Visible relief washed over her. “Okay. Thanks. So whatcanI do to help?”
“We’ll need access,” Duke said. “To Gina’s apartment. We’ll need the names of any friends or coworkers who may have noticed something.”
“Of course,” Pam said. “I have her key. And I’ll send you names of people she trusts.”
“What about Colin?” Duke shifted in his seat. “Do you think he’d talk to us?”
Pam grimaced. “He loves attention. He’ll talk. But be careful. He’s . . . intense. And he blames me for the breakup. Says I poisoned Gina against him.”
“Did you?” Mariella asked, her eyes bright as she waited for an answer.
“I expressed concerns,” Pam admitted. “He checked her phone without her permission. Showed up places. Accused her of cheating. He was jealous. Controlling.”
