Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
To Do:
- Text Charlie when we land
- Confirm appt with Brad’s assistant
- Find safest walking route for dogs
“So where do you think the head asshole lives?” Mindy whispered to Claire. She crossed her legs, and her foot banged into Claire’s shin. They were stuffed into coach seats. Luke had tried to persuade Claire to join him in first class, but the loan from the bank and inevitable increase in her insurance premium weighed heavily on her mind.
“I’m not sure,” Claire said. “Where do they hate women the most?”
“Texas?” Mindy guessed.
Claire shrugged. It seemed plausible. “No hits on Web Detectives yet?”
“I checked this morning, but I’ll look again when we land. He can’t hide forever.”
Claire bit her lip and pulled a binder out of her carry-on, banging her elbow off the window. The woman in the babushka next to them snorted in her sleep.
It had been over a week and they didn’t have a single lead on the professor’s location. Had he gone to a major metropolitan area, hoping to blend in? Maybe he was threatening indigenous women in Alaska or piloting an airboat in the Everglades. Hours spent scouring his old social media profiles had given them very little. All they had were a few check-ins from the early 2010s—Whole Foods, Dave and Buster’s, and an art museum. They couldn’t very well stake out every Whole Foods in the nation.
“You’re sure Luke doesn’t mind me staying with you guys?”
Claire fervently shook her head. “Not at all. It’ll be easier to work on the proposal if we’re in the same place.” Her fancy GPS watch beeped. “Speaking of which…murder break is over. Back to business.”
In just a few short hours they would land in Los Angeles, and there would be no avoiding the onslaught of tasks that awaited her. A color-coded list spanning several pages stared back at her. Her stomach clenched. Deep breaths. They had done the impossible before.
“Okay.” Mindy flipped her tablet back open. “Luckily I downloaded all of these and made a quick PowerPoint before we got on the plane. We have to talk about the West Coast HEA Affiliate.”
The knot in Claire’s stomach twisted harder. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
Her friend shrugged. “It sounded official.”
“Whatever. Show me what we have.”
Mindy tapped her screen until a slideshow appeared. “Okay, first candidate. Megan Corcoran. BA in business administration from Berkeley. Currently assisting a tech start-up but looking for something more long term.”
“Next,” Claire said flatly. “There’s no way we can afford someone with a BA from Berkeley.”
“Okay, then we have Jenna Sutton. She has a degree in hospitality from Iowa State, recently relocated to California to pursue a career in acting.”
“So she can call off all the time to go to auditions? Not a chance. Next.”
Mindy set her jaw and flicked to the next candidate. “Heather Clearwater. Bachelor’s in hospitality management from Penn State. Relocated to California four years ago to work for a hotel chain. She said she’s looking for something with more of a human element.”
“Hmmm. Okay, put her in the interview pile. You made sure she’s not a serial killer, right?”
Mindy laughed. “Nothing came up on her initial criminal background.”
“That means nothing. I’ll wait for the federal one to come back, and I will scrutinize her very closely during the interview.”
“That won’t freak her out at all.” Mindy shook her head. “Next there’s Alexis Renninger, LA. native. No higher education, but she worked as a production assistant on a lot of reality shows and could probably give us gossip.”
Claire leaned forward. “A very important skill. Let’s at least interview her.”
They flicked through the remainder of the candidates and decided to interview four.
“Great. I’ll set up interviews when we land. One more thing.” Mindy closed her tablet and turned to face Claire. “I think I’m going to propose to Sawyer.”
Clunk. Claire’s backpack hit the floor, startling a snore out of the woman next to them.
“Holy shit, Min,” Claire whispered. “When? How?”
“Not for a few months, until everything calms down a little bit. We can start the planning after California.”
The words “Are you sure?” were on the tip of Claire’s tongue. She clamped her mouth shut. Sawyer had proven time and time again that he was an honest, caring man. Love didn’t run on a specific timeline. So what if they hadn’t even been together a year? Maybe she could sneakily work their questionnaire into normal conversation. Just to be sure Mindy was really ready. She had boned a wanna-be serial killer in a bar bathroom less than a year ago, after all.
“This is huge. I’m thrilled for you,” Claire said, drawing her into a tight hug.
“I know it’s crazy. But I’ve never felt like this before. Normally with guys I can’t wait to get some space, but with Sawyer I’m paying for Wi-Fi on a plane in case he wants to tell me what he had for breakfast. Things with him are…”
“Different?” Claire smiled.
“Exactly. He’s so down-to-earth. No games, no drama. He’s there when I need him and he gives me space when I don’t. He just knows .”
“I’ve never seen you so smitten,” Claire teased, nudging her. “Not even with that lacrosse captain who burped a sonnet for you.”
“Ethan.” Mindy smiled fondly.
“I’m so glad you’re happy. He’s a significant improvement from…well, you know.” Claire said. Mindy’s last boyfriend, Garrett, had turned out to be a member of ESA. He was currently sitting in prison for his role in the attempted kidnapping of Claire’s nemesis.
“He’ll make an amazing husband,” she added.
“He will. Anyway, you want to clock an hour on Brad’s proposal, or should we try to squeeze in a nap before we get there?”
Claire yawned. “I vote nap. I keep thinking about Winston and Rosie down there with the luggage. It’s breaking my heart. Next time I’m driving cross-country.”
“I think that would traumatize them more,” Mindy said as she slid on an eye mask.
“You’re probably right.” Claire closed her eyes and waited for sleep.