Chapter 15 Missing
Missing
Niall didn’t start worrying until it was a quarter past the hour. He searched for Angus and discovered him with two young men at the public entrance to the castle.
He glanced around expectantly and frowned. “Where’s Suzie?”
The young men turned to him, seemingly surprised.
“We thought she must be with you,” one said, his green eyes narrowed in his tanned face.
The other said, “Suzie is never late. She told us she’d meet us here.” He was taller, and a nasty scar disfigured his face. Despite this, his gaze, more blue than green, was steady.
“When did you see her last?” Niall asked.
“When she invited us to dinner. She found us at the bar, then left for fresh air. She told us she intended to stay close to the castle,” Liam said, his frown lopsided because of his scar.
“Did she tell you why?” Niall demanded.
“No.” Scott’s dark brows drew together. “Is Suzie in danger?”
Niall didn’t answer but turned to Angus. “Have you sent someone to check her room?”
“She’s not there. Scott and I stopped by her room since we’re on the same floor. I’m Liam. This is Scott.”
“Niall,” Niall said, worry threading through him as he called the private investigator. “Have you got eyes on my brothers?” He didn’t wait for the man to speak. “My girlfriend is missing.”
“I called my men off after I spoke to you. Do you want me to locate them again?”
“Please. Call if you find them.” Niall hung up. “Which part of the garden did she go to?
“She likes roses,” Scott said.
Liam nodded in agreement. “It might be possible to track her, but they had a scavenger hunt during the afternoon. The other shifters’ scents might muddy the trail.”
“Let’s go,” Niall said.
“I’ll organize a search of the castle,” Angus called after him.
“Thank you.” Niall hastened outside with Scott and Liam a few steps behind.
Concern and suspicion stabbed him as he strode past the castle chapel, the gravel crunching beneath his shoes.
He tried hard to push his apprehension away but didn’t succeed.
Her friends were worried about her, and this made his gut churn harder.
The garden was empty in the evening as most gathering shifters readied for dinner and pre-dinner drinks.
“Let’s split up,” Scott suggested. “We can cover more ground that way.”
The three men searched in different directions. Niall’s heart jumped when he stumbled across her scent. His mate.
Somehow, he had to force his brothers to return home. Everything had been fine until their arrival. The thought tickled his brain as he carefully followed the scent trail.
He halted abruptly when the thought solidified.
His issues with his honey had begun when his brothers arrived.
The investigator’s report hadn’t turned up any links, but the facts fit the scenario.
Someone had contacted his family and learned about their estrangement, or his brothers had encountered them here in Scotland.
Perhaps in a pub, when liquid courage had fueled their tongues.
He could picture the scene. Euan and Colin acting indignant about their ungrateful younger brother who refused to acknowledge them or offer them shelter in his castle.
The scent trail ended at a bench overlooking one of the more extensive rose gardens.
Niall walked in a wide circle around the bench, his nose quivering.
Ammonia. Bleach. He backed up, his bear forcing him to sneeze.
His eyes streamed, and his suspicions rose.
Someone had purposely sprayed the ground, knowing he’d investigate.
Niall wiped his eyes and surveyed the area. Now that he’d smelled the bleach, he could discern nothing else. The disgusting scent dominated everything. Niall held his sleeve to his nose while he searched for clues.
Scott and Liam arrived together.
“Find anything?” Liam called.
“Suzie sat on this bench. I can’t find a trail because someone sprayed the ground with bleach and ammonia.”
“Where?” Liam asked. “I can’t smell it from here.”
“That side.” Niall gestured right.
The two men headed in that direction, their gazes intent while Niall searched around the bench. Something glinted in the grass. Niall plucked it off the ground. It was Suzie’s watch.
“She was here,” Niall called. “I’ve found her watch.”
“We’ve got her phone,” Liam said.
Niall trotted over, holding his breath when he neared the sprayed region. The area was more extensive than he’d assumed, and his eyes were watering badly when he reached the men.
Scott grasped Niall’s arm. “This way.”
Niall followed mindlessly, allowing Scott to guide him.
“I think we’re clear,” Scott said finally. “The smell doesn’t bother us as much.”
“I’ve found signs of a group walking this way,” Liam said. “It might be someone from the gathering. It’s hard to tell.”
Niall wiped his eyes. “Let’s follow the trail, anyway. It’s the only clue we have.”
The scent led to the estate wall. A dirt road lay on the other side, and they concluded someone had whisked Suzie away in a vehicle. Dispirited, Niall led the way back to the castle.
“Did you find Miss Suzie?” Angus asked.
“Someone has taken her,” Niall said.
“Why?” Angus asked.
“It’s something to do with my new honey,” Niall replied. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
Liam frowned. “Why is Suzie’s disappearance related to your honey?”
“Yeah,” Scott said.
Niall hesitated because he seldom shared information. He learned the hard way when an ex-employee stole a formula for a competitor. Niall hadn’t seen the man since, but he’d heard he was still working for the opposition. “I’ll have to get you to sign a non-disclosure agreement,” he said finally.
Liam snorted.
“Really?” Scott said, scowling.
“A non-disclosure means nothing,” Liam snapped. “If Suzie is in danger, we need to move fast. Now.”
Niall straightened, irritated at how they’d brushed off his demands. He ground his teeth together to halt the quick words he wanted to spew and forced himself to pause.
Liam and Scott stared at him, their expressions set.
It was a standoff.
Finally, Liam said, “You don’t know us, but you know Suzie.
She is honest and loyal and would never sell out a friend.
It’s easy to see you’re more than friends.
Suzie is an excellent judge of character, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone.
For her to spend time with you, you must be decent.
We’re loyal to Suzie because we know and trust her.
We’re not sure about you, but because of Suzie, we’re willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
I’m sure you’re worried about her, and that’s why you’re acting like a moron.
Scott and I are farmers. We have ties to New Zealand and want to return home.
Besides having it on our morning toast, we’re not interested in your honey. Let us help you find Suzie.”
Niall studied the man with his scarred face. His blue-green eyes blazed with sincerity, and when Niall turned to Scott, he wore a similar expression. He trusted Suzie. At least, he did now. After a lengthy and fraught pause, he dipped his head.
“All right. This is what I know.” He explained about his brothers, how they’d turned up, and his relationship with them. He described his business and his recent problems.
When he finished, Scott said, “Your honey sounds amazing. I hope we can sample it before we return home.”
“Do you think they’ll hurt Suzie?” Liam asked.
Niall frowned. “If my brothers have her—I don’t think they’d hurt a woman, but I haven’t seen them since I was fourteen and left home. They’re motivated by greed and money.”
“You said the private investigator has been checking into them. Do they have gambling debts at home or something like that?” Scott asked.
“That might change the situation if they were desperate to repay debts,” Liam said.
“That’s what worries me,” Niall said. “Especially since they’ve been known to gamble.”
Angus tapped on the door and entered. “A young boy gave the housekeeper this note when he and his boss delivered a load of meat to the kitchen. He told me a man had paid him ten pounds to deliver it.”
Niall’s breath seized before he opened the envelope with trembling fingers.
Part of the note comprised letters cut from a newspaper.
They formed two sentences: Give me a jar of your honey for the girl.
Midnight tonight at the far end of the lake.
Someone else had added in handwriting below this, plus two hundred thousand pounds in cash.