I sighed and started removing my gear. “I’ll be right there.”
It didn’t take long for me to reach them, but it was more than enough time for me to become well and truly irritated by the time I did. “Can I help you with something?” I asked, trying and failing to hide my annoyance.
“Are you Grant Summers?” one of the detectives asked.
“Yes,” I confirmed.
“I’m Detective O’Brien, and this is my partner Detective Higgins. We’re working on a missing persons case, and your name was given to us—”
I held up my hand. “Let me stop you right there and save us all some time. I haven’t seen or spoken to Dani in three or four years. I have no idea where she could be. In short, I have nothing to do with any of my blood relatives, so I’m not sure why my mother gave you my name.”
One of the detectives arched his eyebrow. “What makes you think your mother gave us your name?”
I snorted. “Because she called me two days ago asking me to help her find Dani, and I refused. Now, you’re here asking questions.”
“Is there anything you can tell us that might be helpful?”
“Dani’s done stuff like this before when she didn’t get her way. She’d disappear for a while. Then, she’d return, and my mother would be so relieved that she’d give her whatever she wanted. I cut ties with them a long time ago, but I highly doubt that cycle has changed,” I explained.
“Well, if you think of anything else or happen to hear from her, please give us a call,” the older detective said and handed me a business card.
“Will do,” I said and waited until they left to toss his card in the trash.
“What was that about?” Bronze asked.
“My niece is ‘missing,’ and they were asking about her.”
“You don’t think she is?”
“No, and even if she was, I wouldn’t know anything. I haven’t spoken to her in years,” I explained.
He nodded once. “Let me know if this becomes a problem.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think it will. They were just following protocol,” I said and got back to work.
1
BLAKELY
“I’ll wait until you get back,” Landon said as I headed out the door.
“You don’t need to,” I told him for the umpteenth time. “I’ll be fine.”
“We’ve already had this conversation. Since you won’t let me go with you, I’m staying and that’s that. Go see what this guy wants. I need to know if I can go home and get ready for my date or if I should prepare to be on the news.”
I shook my head at his dramatics and went out to meet a potential customer at an available unit. Landon felt the need to stay because this particular customer specifically requested to have the manager meet him at the unit instead of coming to the office. Even though it was an unusual request, I didn’t think it was a problem, but something had made Landon’s hackles rise.
Since the unit was near the back of the property, I took the golf cart we kept around for that very reason. I arrived before the customer so I could open the door and turn on the light. There wasn’t much I could do to stage a storage unit, but based on my own research, a customer was more likely to sign a rental agreement if the light was on when they arrived.
“Hey,” someone said from behind me.
I gasped and turned around, surprised to see my estranged half brother standing there holding a baby. “Ben?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” he cleared his throat and took a few steps closer. Then, he tilted his head toward the baby in his arms. “Um, this is my son, Kalen. And we need your help.”
“My help?” I blurted. I couldn’t imagine what kind of help he could possibly need from me. We didn’t have a relationship. We were practically strangers.
“Yes,” he nodded.
