Mrs. Lin shrugged. “Who can know? Love. It’s a funny thing. Sometimes the things you think matter don’t matter anymore when you’re in love. Love changes people.”
Luke forced himself not to look at Faith.
“People say it’s best to fall in love with someone who is very much like you. I guess that’s true sometimes. But sometimes love happens, and the joy of it is discovering how to love someone who isn’t like you at all.” Her expression gentled. “That’s how it was for me. I met my husband, and I didn’t care that he was Taiwanese and Japanese. And he didn’t care that I was Korean. We loved each other, and that’s what mattered. It was hard. My family didn’t like him. His family refused to meet me for a decade. But it was worth it.”
She smoothed out the tissue. “I told Mi Cha to give her father some credit. From what she told me, her father adored her mother and was terrified of losing her. I felt like he would be able to handle the news. But she didn’t want him to know until she was sure Thad, or someone on the American side of the family, was a match.”
“That would have taken some time,” Luke said.
“It would, but she thought they had time. Then her mother’s condition worsened. Mi Cha was going to stay in the States for another week, but her mother called and told her to come right away. She packed everything, shipped stuff home, and was flying out the night she met your friend. That’s why I wasn’t worried when she didn’t return. I wasn’t expecting her.”
Faith tapped the iPad. “Do you know where she met this David Lee?”
“In my house.” Mrs. Lin dropped her head. “I’m known for my Korean suppers. Friday nights we do a big business at dinner. Not just my patrons, but people from all over the city. He saw her sitting at the table, and they started talking. Flirting. That was the first week after she arrived.”
“And the man found in your hotel last week?”
Mrs. Lin’s eyes filled with tears again. “When the police told me who he was, I didn’t recognize his name. But when they showed me a picture, I knew he was David Lee’s friend. He never stayed with me. Neither did David. I have no idea how he came to be there. Dead.”
“His name was Jesse Thomas.” Hope scanned her legal pad. “Thirty-two. He was reported missing last week by his boss. Raleigh police searched for him when the report came in but couldn’t find him anywhere. The detective on the case said it was like he’d just disappeared.”
“What did he do?” Faith asked.
“He was an accountant. Single. No kids. No family in town.”
Luke’s phone buzzed. One quick glance told him the call was from Zane. He stood and nodded to the others. “Excuse me a moment, please.”
He answered the call but didn’t speak until he was in the hall. “Hello?”
“Luke, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I’m in Hope Malone’s office talking to a lady who knew Park Mi Cha. She knew about Thad and—”
“That’s awesome, but has Faith gotten a call recently? Maybe one she’s ignored?”
Alarm bells clanged through Luke’s system. “What’s happened?”
“Janice Estes was attacked.”
“Define attacked.”
“Run off the road. Then shot at. She abandoned her car and took off through a wooded area. She was near Carrington and managed to call 911. Their county officers responded.”
“Who caught the case? Anyone we know?”
“Gabe Chavez.” Gabe was a homicide investigator and dive team member in Carrington County. Luke and Zane had gone diving with him several times. “Janice mentioned the attacks on us, so he called the office to get some input.”
“I guess I should have asked this earlier, but is Janice okay? Was she injured?”
“According to Gabe, she’s physically fine, but he said it’s like dealing with a wet cat. Said she’d all but hissed at him when he asked her if she thought this attack was related to her investigation into Thad’s death.”
“Did you tell him she’s like that all the time?”
“I did. He said being shot at has clearly not improved her personality.”
“Well, I’m not sure it’s improved mine either, so I guess we can’t fault her for that.”
“I guess.” Zane didn’t sound convinced. He despised her even more than Luke did.
