In another portion, Lainie made out Stan’s profile briefly near the water’s edge. All the phone video really showed was the back of people and the ocean with the tourist who took the video commenting, “I don’t see anything.” After the phone video clip, the tourist pointed for the cameraman, and she indicated the same area Stan had.
“I think that’s where the missing woman had been swimming.”
And then a uniformed officer was talking about all the resources they brought to bear in the search. They’d had helicopter and Jet Ski searches. A local surfer in the water at the time also tried to help.
“We have not located the missing woman.”
The camera held the reporter’s image with the ocean in the background. She began reciting a litany of other shark attacks at the same beach in the past couple of years.
Lainie closed her computer and put her head down on the desk. She heard the door open and knew her father and Stan were back with the food. Her stomach felt no hunger. All Lainie felt was pain and the overwhelming desire to wake up from this horrible nightmare.
CHAPTER 9
Late Sunday afternoon, Ben’s phone buzzed with a text, interrupting his devotional time. It was from his boss, Mark Gentry. The clock said 4:00 p.m. Granted, he worked when duty called, but he hadn’t expected a call today. Why would Mark be disturbing him now? Maybe with news of Efren?
The adrenaline disappeared as quickly as it had blossomed. Mark would have called if he had good news about Efren; he wouldn’t just text. This was something else.
Ben sipped his Coke, waited a couple of minutes, then hit the text bubble and read the message.
Check out the news coming in from Hawaii.
He stared at the words, tapping his jawline with an index finger. Curiosity roused, he left the kitchen and sat down at his office desk. He didn’t care to search on his phone; he preferred a larger computer screen. Once online, he checked for happenings in Hawaii. He sawshark attackand clicked on that one. Once he read the name Stanley Moffit, he knew he had the right story. When he realized the story was more about Evangeline Moffit, his heart nearly stopped.
He read the story twice, heart rate spiking at a horrible coincidence: The wife of a man whose name appears under the umbrella of their investigation suddenly went missing.
After he read everything available and checked out the posted newsclips, he picked up his phone and called Mark. “What do you think is going on?”
Mark sighed. Ben could visualize his boss striking a pensive expression, stroking his bushy salt-and-pepper mustache, and considering his response carefully. “I don’t know. I’ve been researching this event since yesterday. It’s very odd that this happened now. A coincidence.”
“Neither one of us believes in that word, do we?”
“Accidents do happen.” The tone of Mark’s voice telegraphed his doubt.
Ben waited a few seconds before he responded. “How do you want to handle this?”
“Moffit becomes a priority. I want you to go to Hawaii, check this situation out. They haven’t found a body, and since this involves Stan Moffit, we need to be certain the story he’s telling is true.”
“I won’t argue about a trip to Hawaii. How much do I tell the locals?”
“As little as possible. I’ve done a lot of research since Moffit is already on our radar. An insurance policy is involved. Tell them you’re curious because of the life insurance policy. Make it sound like a fact-finding mission.”
“Is a big policy in play?”
“Moffit took out a four-million-dollar policy on Evangeline Moffit six months ago. I sent you some files.”
Ben whistled.
“My understanding is that they have not found a body or body parts, and today the wind is too strong to resume the search.”
Ben frowned. “I don’t like how any of this sounds.”
“That’s why I want you there, to see firsthand what the locals know.”
“I’m on my way to the island.” Ben set the phone aside and pulled up his e-mail.
Mark’s e-mail from work was in his inbox, and it had three attachments. The first was an article fromHawaii News Nowabout a womanwho disappeared while snorkeling. She and her husband were celebrating their anniversary at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. One document he hadn’t yet seen was the life insurance policy.
“Hmm.” Ben skimmed the policy.
