“And the person you wish to report missing?”
“My twin sister, Eliza Perry.”
“You’re a twin?” Spencer looked up from his notes.
“Yes.” She frowned. “Is that important?”
“No. It’s just that I’m a triplet. I guess it hit a nerve.”
“Wow.” For the first time, her expression relaxed. “I thought being one of two was hard. Can’t imagine three.”
They shared a brief, sympathetic smile. Giving himself a slight shake, Spencer returned to his notes. “We can go into details of Eliza’s physical description, identifying features and personal information later. For now, I’d like you to tell me why you believe she’s missing.”
“If you check your database, you’ll see this isn’t the first time I’ve made a report of this type.” Katrina took a slug of her coffee. She shuddered slightly as the acrid taste she knew so well hit. “But I’m not some eccentric who does this for fun. My sister is a drug addict... She was a drug addict.” She pushed back her hair with a shaking hand. “She has lapses, lives on the fringes of the lifestyle, but she’d gotten herself clean—”
“I’m not here to judge your sister,” Spencer said. “If she’s in danger, it’s my job to help her.”
“Thank you.” She chewed on her lower lip for a moment or two. He’d seen this inner battle so many times in his job. It was natural for a relative to want to protect the privacy of their loved ones. At the same time, the police needed to know the important details. “Eliza had been in a rehab program about twelve months ago, and she was doing well. Ours isn’t an easy relationship.”
“How could it be? Addiction is a cruel disease and people who suffer from it make bad choices. That has to be hard on both of you.”
She shot him a glance that was half surprise, half gratitude. “Most people don’t get that. What Eliza wants from me are the things I can’t give her. Money, a shoulder to cry on, unlimited amounts of my time...” She shook her head. “Over the years, I’ve tried my best to get the balance right. If she needs help with living expenses, I make payments direct to her creditors instead of giving her cash. I’ve gotten expert advice every step of the way. Physicians, addiction counselors, therapists—I can list them all in the Mustang Valley region and beyond.”
“From what you’re saying, although Eliza has gone missing before, this situation feels different?”
Katrina nodded. “The other times I could sense it coming. This time, everything was fine. Until the earthquake.”
Spencer frowned. “The earthquake was almost two months ago. Has your sister been missing since then?”
“I’m not sure what the time frame is.” She hitched in a breath. “I hadn’t heard from her for a few months prior to the quake, but that wasn’t unusual. I knew she had an apartment and she was working with her counselors. When the earthquake hit, I texted and called her a bunch of times to check she was okay. Eliza finally responded that she was fine, although her apartment had been destroyed. She said she was being helped by a relief organization called the Affirmation Alliance Group and they had provided her with accommodation. After that, all my subsequent messages went unanswered. Today, I drove out to the AAG ranch to check on her.”
“Why only today?”
“It sounds silly...” She shook her head. “I saw a dog that reminded me of Dobby and confided in a friend. She persuaded me that no matter how angry it might make Eliza if she thought I was interfering, I should go and make sure she was okay.”
“Your friend was right. But I take it she wasn’t there?”
“No. At first, the welcome manager at the AAG gave me an empty smile and tried to tell me she hadn’t heard of Eliza. Then, she checked with a couple of security-type guys. They told me my sister stayed for two nights in April, then left without telling anyone where she was going.”
Spencer looked up from circling “security-type guys” on his pad. “Is there a reason why you have a problem with that story, given that your sister has a history of taking off?”
“Dobby is my reason.” At the sound of his name, the comical-looking dog wagged his tail. “He’s Eliza’s. They tried to tell me she left him behind.” Tears filled her eyes. “But she would never do that. She’d die first.”
* * *
Katrina figured that the good-looking police sergeant had probably written her off as trouble around the time she crashed into him in the lobby. But telling him she believed Eliza would die before she’d leave Dobby? Surely, that added up to a whole new layer of concern about her sibling’s well-being.
At first glance, Spencer Colton’s blond hair and blue eyes could have appeared boyish, but the strength of his features, combined with a tall, powerful body, confirmed his potent masculinity.
Yes, he was handsome, but why should she care what he thought of her? Her sister’s safety was the only thing that mattered. And she was starting to believe that something bad had happened to Eliza. Even so, this would be a whole lot easier if she could convince Spencer to take her concerns seriously.
He continued making notes, apparently unshaken by her dramatic statement. When he looked up, she allowed herself to be reassured by the warmth of his smile. But then she remembered that life didn’t work that way. Depending on other people was a waste of time and emotion. Although she needed his help to find Eliza, the only person she could rely on was herself.
“Based on what you’ve told me about the uncomfortable feelings you got from the AAG, I guess you’d like me to investigate the circumstances of your sister’s departure from their ranch. And also, of course, try to discover her current whereabouts. Can you explain why you didn’t try to reach out to her before now? And why you’ve only come to the conclusion that she’s missing today?”
“As I’ve said, ours isn’t an easy relationship. Although she depends on me for money and comes to me for help when she’s in trouble, Eliza values her independence. If she suspects I’m trying to interfere in her life, I’m scared that she might disappear for good.” Katrina sighed. “And, although I hadn’t seen her for a few months, until the earthquake, I knew she was still in Mustang Valley because I got regular reports from her counselors that she was engaging with them. It was only when I went to the AAG Center and found out that she’d only stayed there two days that I realized she was missing.
“As for the AAG, uncomfortable doesn’t come close to how I felt. That place was creepy.” She shivered slightly. “I know that’s probably not helpful from an investigative point of view.”