For the first time since Spencer’s call, Amanda got a true sinking feeling. “Is it common to go the weekend without talking to her?” She was thinking the realty business didn’t sleep.
“Of course.”
“If you end up hearing from her, call me immediately.” Amanda left her number with him.
“Will do.”
Amanda hung up with a sour pit in her stomach. “Trent, I’m going to talk with Malone.”
TWO
It didn’t take much for Amanda to convince Malone to let her and Trent conduct a welfare check for Christine Lane. But the moment she stepped outside, she was wishing for the comfort of her desk inside Central Station with its air-conditioning.
“Some days it feels like Earth is located right next to the sun,” Trent said as he started the department car.
“That it does.” Summer had taken its sweet time arriving this year, but now it had, a bit of a cold front would be a welcome reprieve.
Trent pulled in front of the home belonging to Christine Lane. The ten-minute drive barely allowed enough time for the car to cool down.
Christine lived in a beige vinyl-sided two-story house, about twenty years old, in a cookie-cutter neighborhood. The one redeeming quality of the area was the mature trees that lined the streets. There weren’t any cars in the driveway, but there was a garage.
Amanda stepped out of the car, and the air hit her like an all-encompassing wall of heat. It seemed the car’s A/C hadn’t done that badly, after all. She was wearing a suit jacket over ashort-sleeved shirt, both of which were lightweight, but not breathable enough for this weather.
“Let’s hope Christine’s car is in the garage and she’s home.” It was possible Christine had stepped out during the time Spencer had been here. Amanda led the way up the paved path to the front door, appreciating the flowering perennials in the garden. Little pink petals, others periwinkle.
Trent beat Amanda to the doorbell. A standardding-dongreached the front step, but otherwise nothing but silence.
They rang it a second time and met with the same result.
“I think it’s safe to say no one’s home,” Trent said, and they started walking back to the car.
Was Christine in trouble? Or was Amanda letting Spencer’s concern, paranoia, affect her? They had one other place they could check before needing to make any further decisions.
An older woman, wearing a fuchsia visor, was at the property line watering her flowers. She kept lowering her sunglasses and peeking over at them when she didn’t think they were looking.
Amanda walked toward her, thinking they might benefit from this woman’s inherent curiosity. “Excuse me.”
“Who are you?” She stopped spraying and let the hose fall against her thigh.
“Police detectives, ma’am,” Trent said, holding up his badge while he stepped up next to Amanda.
“Well, aren’t you a courteous fella. Are you looking for Christine?”
“We are,” Trent said. “When did you last see her?”
Amanda was fine to stand back and let Trent do the talking. The older woman clearly had a soft spot for him.
“Hmm, I’d say last Friday morning. I was out here watering before eight AM. It’s too late now, but I feel for my plants having to endure this wretched heat.”
“You should be careful yourself.” Amanda felt compelled to say something to nudge this woman inside. The weather network’s heat advisories, suggesting the elderly or those with respiratory problems were to remain indoors, hadn’t seemed to make an impact.
“Yes, dear. Just going to finish here and pop back inside to the air-conditioning and settle under a ceiling fan.”
“Have you seen Christine’s daughter today?” Amanda switched the subject, not comfortable with lecturing a woman almost twice her age.
“I last saw her on Friday too. She took a couple large bags with her, and she and her friends were dressed like they were going to the cottage for a few days. Or the week? I don’t know.” The woman offered a kind smile, but it faded quickly. She rubbed her brow. It seemed the heat was getting to her.
“If you see or hear from either Christine or her daughter, would you have them call me?” Amanda handed the woman her card.
