Her face fell. “Oh, I’m sorry to tell you, but Will passed away a while back...”
“Right, I know that. I guess I should’ve said I’m wanting to reach his family. I have something that belongs to a former tenant of his and would like to return it, but I can’t find the renter’s current information. I was hoping his family might be able to help me.”
“Yeah, I don’t think he had any family. At least, that’s what he told me. His wife passed away a long time ago and they never had any kids. Word has it everything he owned was sold and theproceeds donated to some charity. No beneficiaries.” The phone on the desk rang. “Excuse me just a minute.”
Frustration, from both the bad news and the interruption, pinched at Sam’s nerves. If what she said was true, how would they ever reach that tenant? He had to find some connection, some trail that would lead him to that renter.
Tilly hung up a moment later. “Sorry about that. Where were we?”
“You mentioned a charity—do you happen to know which one benefited from Will’s passing?” Maybe he could find the man’s family through them.
“Sorry, but I have no idea. I wish I could help you out.”
Just as disappointment began to settle in, an idea came to him. His spine lengthened. “Wait, the tenant I’m trying to reach lived upstairs when your salon was downtown. You must’ve met him at some point.”
“Oh, that guy.” A pair of dangly earrings jingled as she shook her head. “I never actually met him, only saw him in passing. I didn’t know his name or anything. I was busy trying to get my business off the ground, and I didn’t see him very often. I had the feeling he kept irregular hours, like maybe he worked second shift or something.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me about him? Did you ever see him with someone else, someone you might’ve known or recognized?”
“I never saw him with anyone else. But like I said, I was pretty busy. Sorry I can’t be of more help. You have something that belongs to him, you said?”
“Right. It’s actually pretty valuable, so I’m sure he’d want it back. Could you tell me what he looked like?”
She hitched a slim shoulder. “Late twenties, maybe? Brown hair, medium build. Sorry, I guess that’s not very helpful.”
He pulled out a business card. “That’s okay. I appreciate your time. Can I leave this with you? If you happen to see him around or come upon his contact information, could you call me?”
“Sure thing.” She pocketed his card. “And if you find yourself in need of a trim...”
“I’ll know where to go.”
The phone rang again.
“Thanks again for your help. I’ll let you get back to work.”
As he left the shop, dismay hit him like a tropical-force wind. He’d exhausted all avenues and was no closer to getting the name of that tenant than he’d been when he started tonight.
Worse yet, their search seemed to have reached a complete dead end—and Sam would have to break the news to Sadie.
***
Shopping always lifted Sadie’s spirits, and shopping with Hayley lifted them even higher. They’d gone off island to the shopping mall and hit all of Sadie’s favorite stores. Hayley might be a tomboy, but she had great taste in fashion.
Sadie found the perfect dresses for the wedding and rehearsal dinner, and better yet, she’d found them both on sales racks. She’d also bought a new bathing suit. She would’ve loved to have splurged on new heels, but she could make do with what she had. She was already pushing the limits of her budget, considering she might have to pay back that advance.
She and Hayley had capped off the night at the mall’s icecream shop, where she’d indulged in a hot fudge brownie sundae and lots of laughter.
It was almost nine by the time she turned into her driveway. Sam’s truck was parked on his side of the house. He’d never updated her on his progress tonight with the neighboring businesses. Maybe he wanted to share the good news in person.
Instead of heading toward her apartment, she grabbed her bags, made a beeline for his door, and rang the bell. Not only did she want that update, but after spending an evening with Hayley, she had plenty of material to tease him about.
He answered a long minute later, wearing khaki shorts and a navy blue Braves T-shirt. His hair was a little damp, the back just starting to curl up. “Hey. Come on in.”
She followed him into the foyer and set down her bags. “You never texted me. What happened? Did you learn anything helpful?”
His gaze dropped to the shopping bags just before he headed into the living room. “I didn’t want to interrupt your shopping spree, which appears to have been a great success.”
She followed him, her sandals clicking on the tile. “It was. I had a great time, but the suspense is killing me. What did you learn?”
