Page 102 of Finding Amanda

"Unexpected, unusual, anything that seems out of place. You know—weird."

"Whatever."

"Make sure you have your pepper spray with you."

"I do."

"Do you want to take the gun?"

She stepped back. “I’m scared of that thing."

"I'd feel better if?—"

"I don't really care how you feel."

Right. He nodded, grabbed the suitcases, and turned to the truck. He called over his shoulder, "Have a nice trip." He tossed the suitcases in the small back seat before climbing in, but hehad to force himself to head back to the road. Had he left her defenseless or, worse yet, sent her into danger?

After turning out of the driveway, he grabbed his cell and dialed Chris.

"I don't have much time," Chris said.

"Something doesn't feel right."

"Okay. We're on our way to an interview. Can this wait?"

"Two minutes. Talk me through this. We know McIlroy knows Sheppard."

"Right."

"And Sheppard bailed him out of jail, so they were more than just teacher and student."

"Right."

"So he's the connection. And yet . . ." He tried to put his finger on what was bothering him. There was nothing solid to grab onto, more like a cold fog. "What if he isn't the connection?"

"What are you thinking?"

"It doesn't make sense. I mean, Amanda doesn't say Sheppard's name or even describe him in the memoir. How did McIlroy know the psychiatrist in the book was his professor from college?"

"I don't know. Maybe Sheppard told him?—"

"Told his student he'd had an affair with a patient? Why would he do that?"

Chris paused. Mark sat at a stop light, tapping on his steering wheel, and waited. Finally, Chris said, "Gosh, I don't know. It does sound far-fetched, but he's the only connection we've found."

"And you checked everybody you could think of?"

"Yeah. Everyone at the conference, the employees at her publishing house, and Roxie's employees. There was just one person I couldn't get any information on."

"Who?"

"You asked me to check out Alan Morris. His name wasn't on the list of conference attendees."

"It wasn't?" Mark thought back, tried to picture the printout he'd given to Chris. "That's weird."

"Yeah, I thought so, too, but then we found McIlroy?—"

"So if Morris wasn't on the list, maybe there're other names that were left off of it."

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