Never Tell (May Moore Suspense Thriller 2)

May thought again of that evidence box, stashed away in the back office. If only she’d looked inside. If only she had more of a clue about Lauren.

Thinking about Lauren gave her a sudden idea about Emily.

“The airports, Jack. Have they all been told to watch out for her? She could easily have dumped the car somewhere and then taken a cab. She could be planning to fly out of here, to another state or even another country.”

“Yes, they have. All security teams at all the airports are aware she’s a person of interest and they must seize her if they find her. And I’ve stationed an officer outside her house for the night, so we’ll know immediately if she comes back or sends anyone else to her home.”

“Is there anything else we can do? Anything?” May asked.

Jack shook his head. “I’m about to wrap up operations here for the night. We’ve done what we can. We all need to keep our phones on so we can react immediately if we do get a notification, but for now, we need to get some rest and start again in the morning.”

May and Owen headed outside. The evening was warm, with a pleasant breeze. The town was quiet and peaceful.

It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago they’d been accelerating along these same streets, on their way to the home of the person they suspected to be the killer. If only they could have gotten there earlier, they might have been in time to stop her.

She felt a sense of disappointment and frustration. They had come so close to catching Emily, only to have her slip through their fingers.

“Come on, May. Let’s get home. I’m sure she’s hiding away for the night, and will make a move tomorrow morning,” Owen said, in an encouraging voice. “It’s better we’re rested for her then. We won’t get anywhere sitting here overnight, with nothing to do except worry.”

They really couldn’t do more. They’d exhausted every avenue. Finally, with a sigh, May capitulated and accepted this.

She climbed into Owen’s car and he headed out into the dark, quiet streets. At this time of night, May’s house was only a four-minute drive away.

She lived on the far side of town, away from the lake. Knowing her sister had disappeared on those shores, May hadn’t wanted to stare out at those waters every day.

She lived in a cottage next to a farmhouse. It was quiet and peaceful, and her view was of fields and trees.

“Thank you so much for the ride,” she told Owen as he approached the small, homely cottage.

For a weird moment, May suddenly wondered if she should ask her deputy to come in for a cup of coffee.

It seemed like a friendly thing to do. After all, they’d worked together the whole day. They’d chased and strategized and planned together. She suddenly realized how much she appreciated Owen’s company. He was a tower of strength.

But then at the last minute she decided against the coffee. It was very late, after all. And what if Owen got the wrong idea and it all became awkward?

Wondering what the right idea was, and what that coffee might have meant to her, May got out of the car and headed inside.

She was looking forward to getting some sleep, but as she climbed into bed, her phone beeped. It was Kerry.

Her heart accelerated when she saw the message. Was this about the case? Was her sister still pushing to be involved?

Feeling extremely nervous, May opened the message.

“Hi, sis! Brandon’s getting here very early tomorrow. We’ve organized an early breakfast at the folks’, and you’re invited! I’ll pick you up on the way back from the airport at around seven a.m. See you then!”

May’s heart plummeted.

She didn’t know if she would be able to attend this breakfast. It all depended on what happened with the case.

But if she was able to, May had no doubt that it would be a trying experience in every way, one to be endured rather than enjoyed, because it would target all her own insecurities.

She hoped to goodness that Emily made her move by tomorrow morning. Not only would it progress the case, but it would allow her to skip an event she was already dreading.