“Sounds about right,” Gil said.
“And you can just call her up on a Friday night?” Carver sounded impressed.
“Well, yeah. She’s a friend.” Luke turned back to Tessa. “The thing is, Zane was very clear that he wanted info on both of them. Not just Wendy.” He held her gaze, and a prickle of awareness flitted down her spine.
“I understand.” Could Monteith be her mysterious abductor? Maybe. But where did Wendy fit into this? Tessa’s brain struggled to process everything going on. “Do we have the weapon that Wendy had?”
“Yes. They have it downstairs. Why?” Carver asked.
Tessa was already walking down the hall. “Because I don’t believe for a second that she got that thing past our security sweep.”
Luke and Gil followed her at a jog.
Carver called after them, “You go ahead. I’ll stay here and pretend I’m doing something.”
“If Ledbetter asks, tell him I’ll be back in a minute. But I have to check this out. I have a hunch.” Tessa jogged down the stairs. It took her less than two minutes to find Carmichael. Mainly because the suave host had turned into a reclusive hermit and was standing alone in a corner of the kitchen.
“Mr. Carmichael?” Tessa approached him gently. She could be wrong, but she didn’t believe he’d known any of this was going to happen tonight.
“Special Agent Reed, how may I help?” The Southern gentleman in him rose to the surface, and he found a smile. “I’m afraid right now my mind is a bit scattered, but I will assist in whatever way I can. I was waiting for word about Graham. They haven’t—” His eyes widened. “No.”
“No, sir.” Tessa hurried to his side. “No, sir. We haven’t heard a word. I’m sorry to have frightened you.”
“That’s okay, dear.” He patted her hand. “He’s my oldest friend. And I sent him off with her...”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Tessa knew she had to tread carefully. “You said she told Graham that she wanted to see if there was something she’d drawn in your daughter’s room back when they were kids.”
“Yes. Wendy and Shelby were great friends from elementary through high school. Not as much after that because they went to different colleges, but they’d still get together during the summer and over Christmas break. But then life took them in different directions, and they no longer do much more than exchange pleasantries when they happen to run into each other at a social event. Wendy has been in the DC area for at least fifteen years now, so that doesn’t happen often.”
Good enough friends that what Tessa was thinking was a possibility. Slim, but... “I was wondering, Mr. Carmichael, if by any chance your daughter owned a very tiny gun?”
Carmichael blinked at her, then frowned. “How did you know?”
Tessa hadn’t known for sure. “Sir, would it be possible for you to contact your daughter and find out if she has that gun in her possession?”
“You want me to call her now?”
“Yes, sir. It would be most helpful.”
To his credit, Carmichael didn’t argue. If anyone was in shock in this home tonight, it was him. Poor guy was going through the motions, but it was clear he wasn’t fully engaged. He dialed a number and waited as it rang. He put it on speaker without them asking. “Hey, Daddy. Is everything okay? I thought your big party was tonight.” Her voice was soft and Southern, and when Carmichael didn’t respond immediately, it lowered and there was confusion mixed with concern when she said, “Dad?”
“It was. It is. I’m fine, darling, but I need to ask you something, and I can’t explain right now. Maybe later.”
“Dad?” The voice had sharpened. “What’s going on? Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fine. But I need to know where that tiny gun is. The one I gave you for your sixteenth birthday.”
“What? Oh. Wow. It’s probably still in the safe in my room. It’s funny that you would ask me that now. I haven’t thought about that little thing in years, and you’re the second person to ask me about it this week.”
“Ask her who else.” Tessa mouthed the question to Carmichael.
“Who else asked you?”
“Wendy Monteith. She called yesterday, or maybe the day before, and wanted to catch up. Said she was coming to the party, wanted to know if I would be there, and we got to talking about old times. Have you seen her tonight?”
Carmichael looked to the ceiling and shook his head even though his daughter couldn’t see it. “Yeah, baby. I have.”
“So, do you need the gun or something?”
