“This is Connor again.” Impatience edged his tone this time. “Look, I didn’t want to leave this on your voicemail, but I’m very worried about your grandma. She seems to have gone missing. There are signs she’s been gone a few days, but her car’s still here. It’s really not like her to take off like this. Please call me.”
Her fingers shaking, she hit Reply and held the phone to her ear.
“Maybe she turned up,” Holly whispered. “Maybe that’s why he hasn’t called since this morning.”
Maddy held tight to that hope. But what if her grandma had fallen and broken her hip or something? She’d always been pretty spry for her age, but these things happened. What if she’d been lying on the floor in pain for all these hours while Maddy had been hiding from the world like a sulking toddler?
“Hello?” A low, lazy voice drawled in her ear.
“Mr. Sullivan, this is Maddy Monroe. You called about my grandmother.”
There was a brief pause. “Yes, I did. Thank you for returning my call.”
She detected a hint of sarcasm in his tone. “Has she turned up yet?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Can you tell me what you know? How do you know she hasn’t simply gone on a trip? She takes the ferry to Bald Head Island sometimes.”
“For day-trips. I’ve never known her to spend the night there.”
He seemed familiar with her grandmother’s habits but sounded too young to be a significant other. Red flags were waving. Connor... She couldn’t remember Gram ever mentioning the name.
Her grandma was a wealthy woman. Had this guy ingratiated himself to her for selfish purposes? What if he was even responsible for her disappearance?
“I went over to do some work on her house yesterday and found three newspapers on her porch. That’s not like her. She reads the paper over coffee every morning. And there was no answer at the door, though her car was in the drive.”
“She could just be ill or something.”
“That’s what I thought, so I let myself in. But she was nowhere to be found. I didn’t see a purse, and of course she doesn’t carry a phone, so I found your name in her address book and called you.”
He had a key to her place? In the background she heard the piercing cry of sea gulls and the distant hum of a boat’s engine. She imagined the guy bobbing around in the sunny bay while her grandmother was who-knew-where.
“You seem to know her quite well.” She hadn’t meant to sound so suspicious.
“We look out for each other around here, Miss Monroe.”
“Have you filed a missing persons report?”
“I didn’t feel that was my place. I tried you first, since you’re within driving distance, and when I couldn’t reach you, I got hold of your sister. Emma’s flying in now, so I’m sure she can handle things just fine.”
Guilt pinched hard. Seahaven was only a four-hour drive for Maddy, but it was a far piece from Denver.
“I’ll be on my way just as soon as I can pack a bag.”
“All right. Listen, I have to go now. You have my number if you need anything.”
She said good-bye and turned off the phone, looking at Holly as adrenaline flooded her system. Dread built with each surge of her blood. “I guess I’m going to Seahaven.”
Chapter 2
Connor dipped his brush into the white paint and guided it steadily over the weathered siding of the beach cottage. The ladder wobbled slightly with the motion. He was losing daylight, but Louise’s granddaughters would be here soon anyway. He wanted to be on hand in case the sheriff wanted a word with him.
He’d been trying to keep busy. He sure hoped Louise was all right. He’d taken half a day off work yesterday to ask around, but none of her friends knew anything about a trip. He hadn’t known what else to do but call the family.
He thought of the youngest sister, Maddy. Louise spoke so highly of her, but the woman’s lack of response to his calls and her suspicious tone had put him off.
At least Emma had answered her phone and been quick to say she’d come right away. She’d even thanked him profusely for his efforts. He knew the sisters weren’t close and sensed there was a long story there. Louise had never gone into details, but he knew it grieved her. She seemed lonely, which was one of the reasons he checked on her regularly.
