Lynette Eason - Missing

“They sound like a couple of great kids.”

“They are. I mean, Bethany is and Kayla was.” She bit her lip. “I still can’t believe she’s dead some days. And poor Bethany. She was just devastated. She started spending all of her free time at the karate school.”

“Georgia mentioned something about that. How long has she been studying martial arts?”

“From the time she was three. We were at a spring festival one afternoon and a karate school had a demonstration. She was riveted and begged to take lessons. Finally, I gave in and signed her up. That was one thing I made sure of before we moved. That wherever we wound up had to have a dojo, or marital arts school. Fortunately, I never had to move too far from where we started out and she was able to go to the same karate school for a long time. It was worth the drive to keep some consistency in her life.” Lacey rubbed her eyes. “I think her being able to focus on the martial arts helped her get through a lot of emotional stuff. When Kayla died, Bethany spent even more time at the dojo.”

Mason raised a brow and said, “Then we need to talk to all of the kids at the school. The ones she had class with or hung out with.”

Lacey flushed. “I don’t know if it would do any good. She wasn’t close to any of them. She said most of the students there weren’t serious about the sport and played too much.”

Lifting his phone to his ear, he spoke into it. “Catelyn, we need to question Bethany’s instructor and classmates at the karate school on Brownstock Road. Lacey said Bethany spent a lot of time there.”

He must have gotten an affirmative response because he hung up. When he spoke again, he changed the subject. “Sounds like she’s been through a lot lately. Honestly, if it wasn’t for those weird pictures showing up at each of our respective houses and the fact that you were just attacked, I might be inclined to agree with your mother.”

“But you don’t.”

A tense hand curled around the steering wheel. She watched the color fade from his knuckles. A muscle jumped in his cheek. “No, I don’t. It all seems too weird to be coincidental. And the attacker basically confirmed that Bethany met with foul play by what he said to you.”

“Yeah.” She swallowed hard and felt the tears gather. Foul play. She sure didn’t like the sound of that. Especially not when it was used in conjunction with her missing daughter.

Mason pulled into the police station parking lot. Lacey climbed out and felt dread cramp her stomach. Daniel Ackerman was inside. He was the last man on the planet she wanted to face.

But for Bethany, she’d do it.

Mason kept the smile in place as Daniel walked toward them. With one hand on Lacey’s upper arm, he could feel her muscles tense.

A fine tremor shook her, but she held her head high and met Daniel’s gaze with a classiness Mason grudgingly admired.

He wished the memories of the last time the three of them had been in the same area would quit bombarding him. Renewed anger flooded him as old feelings of betrayal and soul-searing hurt came back with a vengeance.

With superhuman effort, he pushed aside his emotions and watched the approaching man.

When Daniel caught sight of Lacey and recognized her, shock flashed and he gave a slight stumble.

Interesting.

“Lacey Gibson?”

“Hello, Daniel.” Her voice was low. If he hadn’t been listening for it, Mason would have missed the slight wobble.

Daniel paused to offer a hand to Mason. Mason shook it then felt like excusing himself to find some soap and water. Instead, he got right to the point. “Lacey’s daughter is missing.”

“Bethany Gibson is your daughter?” Daniel had gathered his usual cool demeanor back and his face now showed no expression other than professional concern. He looked at Lacey. “You’ve heard nothing from her?”

“Nothing.” The clipped, one-word answer told Mason Lacey was on shaky ground. However it didn’t stop her from pulling a folded piece of paper from her purse and handing it over to the man.

Daniel took it and Mason nodded toward Daniel’s office. “Can we talk?”

Daniel hesitated, looked Lacey up and down as though trying to convince himself she was really standing there, then said, “Sure, come on back.”

Once in the office, Lacey seated herself on the edge of the brown couch, shoulders held stiff, fingers pinched around the strap of her small purse.

Daniel cleared his throat and looked like he might say something of a personal nature then focused on the flyer in front of him. “We have a missing persons report filed and we have officers keeping an eye out for her based on the picture you provided when you filed the report. I don’t really know what else you want us to do.”

Mason laid a hand on Lacey’s arm before she could come out of her seat and tell the man exactly what she wanted him to do. She shifted but stayed quiet. Mason looked at his former friend. “We want you to reopen the case of the car accident that happened back at the beginning of April.”

“The one where Kayla Mahoney was killed,” Lacey blurted.

Daniel sat back and raised his brows. They’d managed to surprise him. “Why?”

Mason took over. “Because she was friends with Bethany. We talked to Georgia, the girl who Lacey thinks was in the car that night with Kayla, but she denies it vehemently.”

“And she says they weren’t with Kayla that night,” Lacey offered.

Mason glanced at Lacey. “But Lacey thinks they were, even though Bethany denied it when confronted a few weeks ago.”

The detective shrugged. “Then what makes you think Bethany and Georgia are lying?”

“Because they’re scared.”

“Of what?”

This time Lacey did jump up. “If we knew that, my daughter might not be missing!”

Daniel didn’t react, simply leaned forward, keeping his eyes on Mason. “That wreck was ruled an accident. Catelyn and I both investigated it. A simple one-car accident caused by a reckless teen.”

“And you proved that without a doubt? You had the crime-scene guys go over the car with a fine-tooth comb?”

A flush climbed up the man’s neck to settle on his cheeks. “Look, that wreck was two months ago. Yes, we checked everything. Kayla lost control of the car and what happened, happened. Unfortunately, even our city isn’t immune from teen-driver deaths.”

“I’m not saying that, Daniel, I’m saying something’s going on and Bethany’s involved somehow.” He repeated what Lacey had told him earlier at his house. “She was scared. Someone seemed to be after her.”

Daniel stood. “That’s all hearsay. I need proof.”

Forcing himself to unclench his teeth, Mason held his temper. “And I’m telling you that the proof might have been in that car.” A thought occurred to him. “Do you mind if we look at the report?”

“And I’m telling you there’s no need. It was an accident.”

Frustration lanced him. Why was the man fighting him so hard on this? Mason narrowed his eyes.

“Let him see the file, Daniel.”

Mason and Lacey turned as one to see Catelyn standing in the door of the office.

Daniel let out a low sound of disgust and stomped to the file cabinet in the corner of the room. Tugging open a drawer, he searched until he found what he was looking for.

Turning, he slapped the file in front of Mason. “There.” Fury glittered in his gaze. “I don’t appreciate the insinuation that I missed something.”

Ah, so that was the issue. “I’m not saying you missed something because you didn’t do your job, I’m just saying a fresh set of eyes might not be a bad thing.”

“Whatever. I’m going to get some coffee.”