Celine glanced at Lane with raised brows—making it obvious she didn’t want to be the one to relay the most recent events.
Lane cleared his throat and gained Sander’s attention before jumping into what they’d stumbled upon. “Kevin’s car is in the garage, and he didn’t answer when Celine called.”
“I agree things sound suspicious,” Sanders said. “But not sure why you’re so concerned. The blood in the room could be from a cut. The trashed kitchen and bedroom might just be Kevin having a bad day or two. The sheriff’s department can’t do much unless it’s obvious foul play is involved. I mean, I’ll look into it, obviously, and try to reach him. But is there a reason to suspect this is more than Kevin going on a bender and making a mess?”
“Kevin has a gambling problem,” Celine said with a heavy sigh. “At least he did. He racked up a large debt last year. I don’t know if he paid it off or not. I just packed my bags and left. Lane wanted to talk to him about it in connection with the recent attacks on me. It’s the only thing we could think of that’s a little suspicious, even somewhat related to me.”
Cringing, Sander’s scratched the back of his neck. “I was unaware of the gambling issue. Do you have any more details? Who he owed money? Where he gambled?”
“Not really, but it looks like he spent some time at Wild Horse Casino. I was oblivious to all of it until he came home in a rage one night.”
The slight tremor in her voice raised Lane’s blood pressure. “What do you mean by rage? You said he wasn’t a violent man. Did he hurt you?”
“He didn’t touch me, but he was upset. Scared. He ran around the house searching for things of value to pawn off. When he couldn’t find anything, he started throwing things at walls. Glasses, picture frames, vases. I tried to calm him down, but it was like he couldn’t hear me—couldn’t see me. When he finally cracked and told me what was going on, I was shocked. I left and stayed with my mom and gave him one chance to make things right. The next day, he’d drained our accounts. We never discussed it after that.”
Sanders let out a low whistle. “I wish you would have told me this other night.”
Lane might agree with Sanders, wishing she’d exposed the truth about Kevin’s bad habits earlier, but he didn’t agree with placing any kind of blame on Celine’s shoulders in this situation. She was the victim. Not responsible for someone else’s actions.
Besides, her ability to always see the best in people was one of his favorite qualities. One that hadn’t wavered since they were kids.
“You know now,” Lane said. “And Kevin is nowhere to be found.”
“Do you have any idea where he would go?” Sanders asked. “People he’d call?”
“His parents still live in town, and he has some buddies. A cousin he’s close to in the next county. I can get you phone numbers if that helps.”
“That’d be great. Excuse me for a second. I’m going to call this in and see about getting some help to go through the house. We don’t know how long Kevin’s been missing, but the department takes all missing persons cases seriously, regardless of the timeline and especially when they could be connected to another investigation.”
“Are you making this an official crime scene?” Lane asked.
Sanders shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s no crime, that we know of, but the sheriff will want the place searched. You can stick around if you want, but it’d be best if you don’t disturb anything. Keep things the way you found them.”
Knowing there was nothing else they wanted to look for in the house, Lane rested a hand on the top of Celine’s shoulder. “There’s no reason for us to stay. Call if you find anything.”
“Will do,” Sanders said, securing his phone to call in the situation.
Lane steered Celine out of the house and back into the blinding heat. He hadn’t gotten to the bottom of things like he’d hoped, but at least he’d learned a few new details.
“What next?” Celine stayed close to his side as she descended the porch steps.
“Let’s pay Kevin’s boss a visit. See how deep into this shit he got before things hit the fan.”
15
Stepping into the offices of Stuber and Schmit was like stepping back in time for Celine. Kevin’s career had taken center stage in not only his life, but hers as well. She’d played the supportive wife for years, wearing all the right clothes and carrying herself in a way that would always shine the brightest light on him.
Little did she know that behind closed doors he’d been playing a role of his own.
Or hell, maybe the person he presented to the world was only the person he wanted to be and not the man he truly was.
Now it was time to force his mask all the way off, his reputation be damned. When Lane first suggested speaking to Kevin’s boss, unease knitted her stomach. But screw that. Her life—and possibly Parker’s—was at risk. She’d smear the mud on Kevin’s good name herself if it meant ending the attacks on her.
Becky Savage sat at the tidy reception desk. Her brown hair was pulled into a low bun, and she wore just enough makeup to highlight her youthful beauty. She cast a quick and appreciative glance Lane’s way before aiming a smile at her. “Hi, Celine. Haven’t seen you around here in a while. How are you?”
A wave of jealousy washed over Celine. She wasn’t stupid. Lane was a handsome man who’d attract the attention of a dead woman. She’d grown used to the way the opposite sex fawned over him when they were younger, but that was different. She’d been secure in their relationship, knowing he’d never stray because of a pretty face or batted lashes.
Now he didn’t belong to her. He could flirt with whoever he wanted—welcome advances from anyone. And it was no skin off her back.
