Page 62 of Refuge for Ailsa

“Did you find her? Where was she?” Tavish’s heart was beating out of his chest.

“No. Something else.” Harley sucked in a deep breath and pushed it back out. “That idiot who just walked out has nothing to worry about. There’ll be no payoff. RogerBentley is dead.”

A sinking feeling settled over Tavish, and he thought his heart would quit beating. “When? How?”

“Hung himself in his cell. So that’s the end of that. No insurance payoff necessary.”

Tavish closed his eyes to stop the room from swirling around him. “But that was our only lead.”

“I know. We’re back to zero. Tav, I don’t know what to do. We have no clues, no tips, nothing. It’s like she’s vanished into thin air.”

“Yeah. Thin air.” The air in the room seemed thin too. He’d never believed in all that romance crap, love at first sight, soul mates, or having one true love. All of that had always seemed ridiculous.

But with Ailsa, it hadn’t. Because with Ailsa, it all came true. And he knew he’d never, never have that again.

CHAPTER9

Nothing.They had a big fat boatload of nothing. Back at the houseboat, there was still a large group of people trying to help, but help with what? They had absolutely nothing to work with.

Maeve and Magnus gave him a hug before they headed home that evening. Ailsa’s mother looked like he felt?completely defeated. Donovan and Maureen were still there, doing whatever they could, but that was mostly to keep the store running. They’d sent Toby and Vince home with a promise of full pay for the week. The two boys were useless in their grief.

When everyone had finally left except Conor and Morris, he decided to have a talk with his friends. They needed to go back, get back to their lives. “Can I talk to you guys for a minute?”

Conor gave him a stern look. “I already know what you’re going to say, and it won’t work. We’re staying. We’ll see it through. There’s got to be something we’ve missed out there. It’s just a matter of finding it.”

“But your jobs and your ladies, they?”

“They understand,” Morris assured him. “They’re behind this one hundred percent.”

Tavish was dumbfounded. They barely knew him, and yet they were right there, doing whatever they could. His next thought was to a simple truth that almost knocked the wind from his lungs.

His own parents hadn’t called. Had Maureen told them? He sent his sister a quick text.

Have you told Mom and Dad?

She answered him immediately.

Yes. Early this morning before I came there. Haven’t they called you?

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

What do you think?

She didn’t respond. She knew, and he knew she knew. She probably wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t heard from them. He tapped a number in his phone’s contacts and waited. It was answered with, “Tavish, is that you? Tell me ye found her.”

He was fighting hard to keep his composure. “No, Maeve. I’m sorry. We haven’t.”

“Please don’t give up, Tav. My lass is strong. Wherever she is, she’s fightin’ to get back to us right now. I know it. I feel it in me bones.”

“I wish I were as sure as you are, but I’m feeling kind of…” He couldn’t even say the word. Hopeless. That was what he felt, and it cut him to the quick.

“Don’t ye give up, TavishStewart. If anybody can find her, it’d be ye. I know it. Magnus just said you’d bring our lass back to us. I know ye will. It may take a bit, but ye will. I have confidence in ye.”

Tavish sighed. “Could I borrow some of that confidence? I need it right now.”

“I’m sending all I can, love. Yer a dear laddie, and we love ye even though we haven’t known ye long.”

“Thank you. I love you guys too.”

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