Page 9 of Never Let Go

“That sounds great.”

She peeled off her sodden jacket and climbed into the car. With the windshield wipers on full speed, she headed off to the forensics department, with the tires swishing along the wet roads, glancing at Owen as he drove behind her.

May was glad that she didn't have to go all the way into the pathology unit. Viewing the dead was a part of her job, but it was one of the worst parts, mostly because it brought all her fears of what might have happened to Lauren rushing to the surface.

This time, all she had to do was walk in the entrance, go to the lab where the DNA testing was done, sign the evidence in at the front desk, and request urgent DNA testing to be done on both samples.

Standing in the warm, and pleasantly dry, lab under the bright white lights, May pushed her wet sleeves back as she filled in the requisite details on the form.

"I will hopefully be bringing another sample in soon," she told the tech, handing over the form and the samples. “The one I’m bringing in just now might be a match for one of these. The other, we’re hoping, might be connected to an open case. Maybe a missing persons case.”

May hoped with all her heart that it was a match. It might get them a lot further in this current case if it was.

"We'll prioritize it for you and get it done today if we can," the tech said.

Rushing out of the forensics department, she got back in her car, this time with Owen in the passenger seat beside her.

Now, they had a tough job ahead of them, and one that she wasn’t looking forward to.

It was never easy breaking the news to parents that their daughter had been a victim of crime. And all the more so in such puzzling and strange circumstances. But May hoped that with the information she had now, Chloe’s parents might be able to shed more light on their daughter’s disappearance.

Now that they knew for sure that she’d been taken, there might be recent events that they were ready to speak about.

CHAPTER FIVE

Half an hour later, in the pouring rain, May and Owen pulled up at the offices of Tamarack Talent Agency to unleash the bombshell that she knew would shock Chloe’s parents—and possibly provide them with a much-needed lead.

She’d been surprised to learn that this was the business that the Terrys ran, and May guessed it had helped to pave the way for Chloe’s modeling success.

Showbiz, talent, modeling, and stage work were clearly in the family’s blood. Set in the outskirts of Chestnut Hill, the offices looked to occupy two floors, and included a model training center on the upper floor.

In this smart, upmarket place, May hoped they would get the answers they were looking for. But first, she’d need to break the news to them.

They rushed to the entrance, May acutely aware that she didn't look her best. With her drenched clothes and bedraggled hair, she looked very far from the average person who walked through these doors, she was sure.

But she was walking through them on a mission. She was looking to hunt down a criminal. The memory of Chloe’s terrified face, caught briefly on that camera, was haunting. Arriving looking like a drowned rat, and with no discernible trace of make-up, was a small price to pay, May thought firmly. At least, with his neat hair and height, Owen looked more of the part.

The receptionist, who looked as if she might do part-time ramp work herself, raised her mascaraed gaze to May as she walked in, trying not to drip on the red carpet that led from the door to the reception console. On either side, along the flashy white walls, were posters of models on the ramp as well asmagazine covers and pictures of VIP gatherings. Immediately, May knew that Tamarack Talent was both established and influential.

"Good morning," she said to the gorgeous receptionist, who was pushing back her mane of dark hair and regarding May curiously. "I'm Deputy Moore, and I’m looking for the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Terry."

"The Terrys are upstairs." The receptionist looked even more curious now. "Is this in connection with Chloe?"

"It's police business," May said shortly, not wanting to say anything until she and Owen had spoken to the parents.

"I'll call Mr. Terry now." Quickly, she got on the phone. "He'll see you right away," she said. "Please go upstairs."

The bright white staircase wound its way to the second floor, and May and Owen hustled up it.

Upstairs, in another spacious reception area, they saw a door open at the far side. An anxious-looking man in his forties, with a sharply cut hairstyle and wearing a bright scarlet jacket, walked out. At the same time, from an adjoining office, a pretty blonde woman who looked like a twenty-years-on version of Chloe herself appeared.

“Good morning,” May said politely. “Deputy Moore and Lovell. We need to speak to you privately.”

The Terrys looked at each other with horrified expressions.

“This is about Chloe, isn’t it?” Mrs. Terry asked. “Has something happened to her? Is it bad news?”

The two of them clasped hands. Since May couldn’t see anyone else in these upstairs offices at this time, she guessed the reception area was a private enough place to continue speaking.

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