Page 39 of Whispers of the Lake

Reed pressed his lips, glancing at his notepad.Why not write that down?

“I see.” He grabbed the mouse to his desktop and sighed. “I’ll file the missing person’s report. But I’ve gotta tell ya, this Eve Castillo sounds like she doesn’t want to be found.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t really know Eve.” My attitude was on full display, and I wanted him to know it. He was taking this situation much too lightly.

“No,” Sheriff Reed said, cutting a glance at me. “I don’t. And I doubt anyone else around here does either.”

What is that supposed to mean?I almost asked him. That wouldn’t have made things easier though, so I smashed my lips together and remained quiet. The office fell silent, minus him typing away on his keyboard.

“I’ll need a photo of her,” he said after a while.

I unlocked my phone and scrolled until I found a good, clear image of Eve from a few months ago. She always stole my phone to take selfies, flooding the camera roll with her face.

So you’ll always see me pop up in your memories, she’d say. It was cute before, seeing her pop up. Now, it irritated me. Despite it, I couldn’t find the gumption to delete them all.

“I can email a single portrait to you.”

Sheriff Reed plucked a business card from a tray and slid it to me. “Email address is on there.”

Once the photo was sent, Sheriff Reed took five or so more minutes before releasing the mouse and standing. “The report is in and I have your number. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

“Thanks,” I murmured.

He escorted me out of his office and through the building, but not without offering me a coffee.

I declined.

When I stepped outside, the mist was thick. The fog was back. Thunder rumbled in the sky, a bolt of lightning flashing in the distance. The storm was continuing.

“Drive safely now,” Sheriff Reed called after me.

I forced a smile at him before hurrying to my car just as droplets of rain began to descend. Before leaving the parking lot, I spotted Sheriff Reed still standing by the door. He wasn’t looking at me, but he did have his phone glued to his ear.

Who was he in such a hurry to call?

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Before returning to the rental, I stopped at Flip Stacks again to take advantage of their cell service. Nico had finally called me back.

“Nico, hey!”

“What’s up, Rosette? Herb said you needed me.”

“Yes. And you’re going to hate me for asking, but I needtwofavors?”

“You act like needing favors from me is new.” He laughed.

“I know. Don’t hate me.”

“Could never hate a woman with the name Rosette. What’s going on now?”

“So, my friend Eve, the one I told you to look into. I’m about ninety-nine percent sure she’s missing and that someone is behind her disappearance.”

“Oh.Shit.”

“Yeah. But get this. I have her camera, and I saw that she was last seen with her ex-fiancé. This guy is an asshole, Nico, but I need to know where he is. For all I know, he’s kidnapped her or something. I was hoping you could look into him, find his location. And . . . I was also hoping you could pay him a certain type of visit when you do?”

Nico went silent.

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