All this effort. All this time. And nothing. Laurel couldn’t believe it.
“They’re pretty sure he was trying to make a call when he crashed,” Scott added. “The officer on the scene cited the cell phone
still clutched in Dennis’s hand as the cause of the accident. Witnesses said Dennis hadn’t been paying attention to his driving and missed the shuttle bus coming up in the lane he was merging into.”
“Was anyone else hurt?”
Scott shook his head.
“I wonder who he was calling?”
“Murphy’s number was still on the phone’s LED readout,” Scott said.
“You think he was going to tell him he was leaving town?”
“Or maybe tell someone where his sister is...”
Laurel was so frustrated—and frightened—she had to fight tears.
Dennis Arnett had been fleeing the country with a fortune of his sister’s money. And Cecilia, William and Arnett’s girlfriend, Leslie, were still nowhere to be found.
Even after all life had shown her, Laurel still found it shocking. It all seemed so pointless.
She got up and walked over to gaze out the window until she had herself better under control. Eventually she turned to face Scott.
He hadn’t moved.
“So what do you think?”
He watched her for a long time, just looking into her eyes, into her. “I don’t know what to think,” he said softly.
And Laurel knew suddenly that he wasn’t just talking about William and Cecilia and Leslie.
He didn’t know what to think about her. And him.
She didn’t know, either.
“I need you to be my friend,” she whispered.
“Always.”
She had no idea what she and Scott could ever be to each other, or even if they would stay in touch beyond this time. All she knew was at this moment, she needed him.
* * *
DAMN. SCOTT HATED the helplessness that washed over him.
He didn’t know what to do to take the stricken look from Laurel’s beautiful gray eyes. Didn’t know how to help William and Cecilia. Couldn’t even find out if they still needed his help.
And Leslie.
“She could still have them,” he said suddenly, straightening from the dresser to face Laurel.
“Who?”
“Leslie. If she and Dennis were partners, she could still be holding Cecilia and William someplace.”
“I don’t...”