The big, thick-shouldered bartender took the picture, held it up and studied it, then shook his head.
“I am sorry. He does not look familiar.” But he turned and called to a waitress. “Perhaps Marty will remember him.”
Marty walked over, carrying a drink tray on the flat of her hand. She had creamy cocoa skin, was small and very pretty. When her dark eyes landed on Chase, she smiled.
“How may I help you?” she asked.
The words sounded no more than friendly, but Harper recognized the interest in Marty’s face as purely feminine.
“We’re looking for the man in this photo.” Chase showed her the picture. “He was here last week, staying on a boat calledBUZZ Word. This lady is his sister. We’re trying to find him.”
At the news Harper was Michael’s sister and not necessarily Chase’s girlfriend, Marty’s face lit up. “Oh, yes, I remember him. Very handsome. He drank diet sodas. I recall because he liked the little umbrella I put in his glass. He said it made the drink look more festive. He came in several times and always ordered the same thing.”
Harper’s pulse began to pound.
“Do you remember if he was with someone?” Chase asked.
“The first time he was here, he came in by himself. But the next time he came in, he was with a woman. Small, long dark hair. Very beautiful. She came with him the next day, too.”
“Did he leave with the woman?” Harper asked.
“I think so but I am not sure. I looked up and their table was empty. I haven’t seen them since.”
“Thank you, Marty.” Chase tossed a bill onto Marty’s tray and helped Harper down from the barstool.
“Are you staying at the hotel?” the waitress asked with a smile directed at Chase.
“For the time being. My name’s Chase Garrett. If you think of anything more that might help us find him, you can reach me by calling the front desk.”
“Yes, all right. Have a nice day, Chase.”
Harper felt his hand at her back as he escorted her out of the bar. She wondered if the pretty little waitress interested him as much as he interested her, but whatever he was thinking didn’t show.
“Let’s go upstairs. I need to get on my computer. Len said Michael was planning to do some island-hopping. Let’s figure out the most likely places he would go.”
“Yes, good idea.”
“Len also said the boat sailed with two people. Now we know there’s a good chance he was with a woman.”
“We don’t know that for sure.”
“Private investigation is always a matter of guesswork, angel. Lining up the information you’ve collected and making the most logical assumptions. That gives you a working theory. If it doesn’t pan out, you reevaluate, come up with something new. You keep doing it until you get the answers you need.”
“I see,” Harper said, still reeling from the endearment. Calling her angel probably meant nothing, just something he said to women all the time, or maybe just to blondes.
She took a calming breath. “So right now, with the information we have so far, it looks like Michael met a woman and may have taken her somewhere with him on the boat.”
“That’s right. We need to figure out his most likely destinations. And since he isn’t back yet, he may have made more than one stop.”
Chapter Seven
Chase set up his laptop on the dining table in the suite, which was roomy and had magnificent views of the ocean.
“I’m starving,” Harper said. “I’m going to order us something from room service.”
“Good idea. A sandwich, anything works for me.” He opened the laptop, sat down in one of the dining chairs, brought up Google Maps and typed inAruba. The island popped up. He located the Renaissance Marina, then zoomed out to study the ocean around them.
The living room sliders were open, letting in a soft evening breeze. He could hear the ocean lapping against the shore somewhere below. Finished with her phone call, Harper stood behind him to look over his shoulder, eager to get on with their search.
