“Um, there are seven of us. Four girls and three guys.” Candy swallowed. “We’re in the Kappa Rho sorority and the guys are from Sigma Eta. We planned the trip during finals week, figuring we’d have some fun in Alaska. I follow a few of the influencers who explored here last year, and it seemed like a fun place.”
Those damn influencers. Ace turned all the way to listen. If they had to start searching for the young woman, he wanted the details. “Did all of you walk to the bar last night?” he asked.
“No. We rented a couple of four-wheelers and rode them through town and to the bar.” She shrugged. “But I walked home because, why not?”
Brock’s gaze stayed fixed on her. “Then what?”
“My head hurt really bad, so I took some migraine medicine and went to sleep.” Her cheeks flushed faintly. “When I woke up this morning, Laura wasn’t there. I figured she went back with Tyler to his tent for the night.”
Ophelia’s tone didn’t change. “Who’s Tyler?”
“A guy in our group who she’s been hooking up with lately.” Candy shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “But they got into a fight last night, and when I checked with him this morning, he said he hadn’t seen her.”
Brock crossed his arms.
“He said he left the bar around midnight,” Candy continued. “That Laura was still here partying with some tourists. Older guys. They were all wearing flannels.”
Amka listened from behind the bar.
“Is it possible she left with one of them?” Brock asked.
Candy shook her head hard. “No. I don’t think so. She likes Tyler, and Laura wouldn’t just go off with strangers.” She paused as she obviously thought it through. “She would’ve only left with Tyler. I’m sure of it.”
Brock’s tone flattened. “All right.”
Candy’s eyes darted across the tavern. Then she froze, pointing toward the fireplace. “Hey. Those guys talked to her a little early in the night and asked her to play pool with them. She might have after I left, I guess.”
Three men sat around a table scattered with maps. One of them looked up, then the others. They were older than Candy’s group, maybe in their thirties or forties, dressed in flannels despite the warm morning.
Brock stood. “Candy, you have a picture of your friend?”
“Yeah.” She pulled her phone from the back pocket of her shorts, fingers fumbling as she scrolled. “Here. That’s Laura.”
Brock studied the image briefly and then took the phone, moving toward the men, Ophelia a silent shadow at his side. The tavern quieted again, tension tightening across the room.
Ace watched from his stool, easily hearing the conversation since the tavern remained mostly vacant at this hour.
“Morning,” Brock said. “Did any of you see this woman last night?”
The men looked at the phone.
“Yeah,” the first one said. He wore a blue flannel and jeans. “We played pool and darts with her.” He extended a hand. “I’m Mick Thompson. These are my brothers, Greg and Tommy.” He pointed to Greg, who wore a green flannel, and to Tommy, who wore red. They all had lighter brown hair, various shades of brown eyes, and rather full looking beards.
“Where are you from?” Brock asked.
“Southern California,” Mick said easily.
Brock widened his stance. “What brings you here?”
“We’re waiting for our guide to go fishing after the storm passes,” Greg said. “He said we’re heading toward Bear Creek later this afternoon.”
Brock glanced at the phone. “Tell me about last night and Laura.”
“We bought her a couple drinks,” Tommy added. “Then we played pool and darts with her. She seemed out of sorts because of a fight with some dude named Tyler, who kept glaring at us from across the bar. Looked like a rich kid pussy, if you know what I mean. Laura is a cute gal who’s pretty funny.”
“Then we headed back,” Mick said. “She was still here when we left.”
Brock’s eyes narrowed. “Where are you staying?”
