King and Maxwell (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 6)

“Because apparently his fake stepmom has disappeared too.”

CHAPTER

26

THEY DIDN’T MEET AT THE PANERA, or at the pool.

It was a spot off a rural road about ten miles west of where Tyler lived. When he pulled up in his dad’s pickup truck, Sean was already there.

Tyler climbed out of the truck and looked at him.

“Where’s Michelle?” he asked.

Sean pointed over his shoulder. “Right behind you.”

Michelle pulled up in her Land Cruiser and got out. Sean eyed her. “Any problems?”

“No one followed him,” she reported.

Tyler glanced sharply at her. “I didn’t see you following me.”

“That’s sort of the point,” she said, coming forward and standing next to them.

The air was chilly and damp and the sky overcast. They all shivered at the same time.

She said, “Let’s do this in one of the vehicles.”

“Not yours,” said Sean quickly. “I hold the line against having meetings in Dumpsters. Let’s use my sedan.”

Giving him a brief scowl, Michelle followed them over to the Lexus and they climbed in. Michelle sat in the back keeping watch out the windows while Tyler and Sean sat in the front.

“Tell us about Jean,” Sean said. “Why do you think she’s disappeared?”

“She’s always at home when I get back from swim practice. She makes dinner. She nags me about homework. Always.”

“But she wasn’t there tonight?” said Michelle. “No dinner, no nagging.”

“Not only that. Her car is gone. And her clothes too.”

“Any note?” asked Sean. “Text, phone message?”

Tyler shook his head. “But I asked one of the neighbors. Mrs. Dobbers, the old lady across the street, said she saw Jean leaving around noon. She said she saw her put a suitcase in the trunk.”

“Any reason why she would head out somewhere?” asked Michelle. “Sick relative somewhere close? Anything happen between the two of you?”

“I don’t know about any sick relative. She never mentioned anyone. She and I had some words the other night. But it was nothing more than usual. She wasn’t mad or crying or anything.”

“What did she say exactly?” Sean asked.

“That she was sorry my dad was gone too. That we were all we had left. That got me mad. I told her I’d rather be an orphan.” He looked embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have said that. It was stupid.”

“But she didn’t break down crying or anything?” said Michelle.

“No. I just walked. Oh, I did tell her I was going to get to the truth. And that I was hiring you guys back to look into stuff.”

“Bingo,” said Michelle.

Sean nodded and looked at Tyler. “I think that’s why she left.”