“Unless he dragged those ramps over himself, drove the car off and hid the ramps right after, no. Hate to say it, but either Albert Payton wandered off or someone kidnapped him.”
“Which makes you wonder how they got it and him out of here,” Remi said.
“Smoke and mirrors?”
Oliver returned, staring at the officer’s card. “I should never have agreed to let him bring that car here. He’s right. It’s cursed. I’m almost afraid to ring the insurance company. This has to look dodgy to them. What if they accuse us of setting up the theft for insurance fraud?”
“Why would they think that?” Sam asked.
“Because of the fraud my uncle’s already being accused of. Every one of our accounts has been depleted.”
Remi gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Let’s hope so,” he said, still searching the faces around him again. “I can’t imagine where he’s gone off to.”
Nor could Remi, not that she was about to say it. “It’s possible that he’s just wandering around somewhere, unable to remember where he is.”
“Absolutely,” Sam said. “Why don’t you wait here in case he returns. Remi and I will take a walk around, see if we can’t find him.”
Oliver nodded, looking eminently relieved.
Remi glanced back, making sure they were out of earshot. “What’re the chances he wandered off?”
“After everything that’s happened? Pretty slim. Unless that car was spirited away on a fire truck or tucked in with the barbecues, it had to have gotten out of here somehow. There’s no way he drove off in it. Someone would’ve seen him.”
“One good thing about that car,” Remi said. “It’s certainly going to stand out. Lead the way, Fargo.”
While Oliver waited for his uncle at the entrance, Sam led Remi around the building. “It’d be nice to know which of these bay doors was used to get the Gray Ghost and the other cars in and out.” The first set they passed seemed too close to the front, which would’ve drawn too much attention. They continued on, stopping in front of a roll-up metal door that could easily allow the cars to be moved for the show.
The wind gusted, and Remi brushed her hair from her face as she took a look around. “It seems to be out of view of the main entrance.”
“Has to be the one,” Sam said. “It’d be nice to get in there. If we can figure out how they got the Ghost out, we’ll have a better chance of finding Albert.”
“Hey! What’re you two doing back here?”
They turned to see a gray-haired security guard, probably late fifties, walking quickly toward them. When the guy lifted his radio as though to call for backup, Sam gave Remi a nudge with his elbow. “Time for a little charm.”
10
This area’s off-limits to the public,” the security guard said to Sam and Remi. “You both have to leave.”
Sam stepped back, letting Remi take the lead. She smiled sweetly, waiting until the security guard was nearly on them. “Our cousin’s uncle is missing and we’re trying to find him. I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything?”
“Sorry, ma’am. You’ll have to check with the police. I’m just event security.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. We’re not from here. I saw the uniform and thought—”
“Americans?”
She nodded. “My husband and I just flew in to visit my husband’s cousin. And now this. We’re not even sure where to turn.”
“My cousin,” Sam said, following Remi’s clueless American lead, “made a missing person’s report. We were hoping to have a quick look around. In case he wandered away.”
“Alzheimer’s,” Remi added. “When the fire alarm went off, we got separated. The last we saw of him, he ran toward the Gray Ghost.”
The guard eyed Sam. “Your cousin owns that car?”
“His uncle, actually. The one who’s lost. We think he was worried the car would be damaged in the fire.”