Chapter 43
A cold chill seeped into Tori’s veins and spread. Drew would never leave his phone behind. “Did you look upstairs?”
“I did. He’s not there, either.” Scott’s voice was grim. “I want to search his room.”
“I’m coming with you.” There might be something in the room that would give them a clue to Drew’s whereabouts.
“I can do it—you’re in no shape to climb the stairs.”
“In shape or not, I’m coming with you.”
Reluctantly, he turned and she followed him to the stairs. Her mind was a jumble between worrying about Drew and processing what happened just moments ago in the pickup. Once again, Scott had been about to kiss her.
Tori brushed the thoughts away. Even if he kissed her, it didn’t mean he wanted a relationship. She didn’t do relationships, anyway.
Before she started up the stairs, she turned and scanned the home she’d lived in until she went away to college. Tori hadn’t been in the house since her mother’s funeral, and in seven years, it didn’t look as though Zack had changed anything in the house.
Everywhere she looked, a picture or vase or piece of furniture triggered memories of her mother. Some even included her dad. With a start, she realized they’d been happy here.
Tori climbed the stairs, fatigue attacking her legs, either because of the memories or the accident.
Didn’t matter, she couldn’t quit. Tori pushed herself to keep up with Scott.
She couldn’t let him know she was less than 100 percent.
Who was she kidding? She was nowhere near that.
And if Scott knew, he would call Caleb to come get her, and Tori was bound and determined to search Jenny’s house.
But first they had to figure out where Drew had gone. At the top of the stairs, she got her breath while Scott stepped inside her nephew’s room. Seconds later, Tori joined him. She scanned the bedroom, looking for clues to Drew’s whereabouts.
She checked his closet. There were no gaps on the hangers so he hadn’t taken anything. She stepped back and swept her gaze across the floor.
A narrow black strap was barely visible from under the bed. Could it belong to a book bag? Tori dropped to the floor and peered under the bed. Boxes and dust bunnies . . . and a backpack that looked like it was stuffed full.
“What are you doing?” Scott asked.
“Just looking.” She pulled the backpack from under the bed and unzipped it. A pair of jeans and two T-shirts lay on top, but beneath the clothes were packs of money bound with rubber bands. Tori sat back on her heels and looked up at Scott.
“Looks like you found the money.”
She nodded. “But why would he leave it here, under the bed? Why didn’t he take it with him, wherever he went? And my Toyota is still sitting in the driveway. How did he leave?”
Scott picked up the backpack and set it on the bed. Then he extended his hand to Tori. She hoped he didn’t notice that she winced as he helped her to her feet. She blinked as Scott dumped the money on the bed. “How much do you suppose is here?”
He held up one of the packs that had a sticky note under the rubber band with writing on it. “This says $10K.”
She examined the note. “It’s not Drew’s handwriting.”
Scott counted the packs. “There are ten bundles, and if each has 10K, I’d say this is at least a hundred grand.”
“What was Jenny Tremont doing with that kind of money?”
“That’s a good question. Unfortunately, the only person who can tell us is dead.” He took out his phone. “It’s time to call Ben.”
Tori agreed and followed Scott down the stairs as he talked to the sheriff.
There had to be answers somewhere, and she figured they would find them at Jenny’s house.
Scott ended the call as they entered the kitchen, and Tori reached for her phone only to remember hers had died. “I need to use your phone again.”
“For?”
“To call Zack. He might know where Drew is, and he has a key to Jenny’s house.”
“Do you think he knows about the money?”
“I doubt it, not with it being in Drew’s room.”
He handed her his phone. “Good point. Zack is in my contacts. While you talk to him, I want to check out something.”
She gave him a puzzled frown. “What—”
“Let me check out my theory first. Be right back.” He turned and hurried out the back door.
As Tori sat at the kitchen table, she couldn’t help thinking how many meals she’d eaten in this room and at this scarred old table that had belonged to her grandmother.
For the first time, she regretted the years she’d stayed away from her home.
They had been a close family until her mother’s death.
And now Zack was drinking and she was bitter.
Only Erin seemed to be trying to hold them all together.
She owed her sister an apology. Dad too.
She might not be quite ready for that.
“Did you get him?”
She jerked her head up as Scott came in through the back door. “Just finding his number.”
Tori quickly scrolled through Scott’s contacts, noting that he listed everyone alphabetically by last name. A person’s phone told a lot about them. Like Scott might not look like he was organized, but he was.
She found the number and called it. After the fourth ring, she was about to hang up when Zack answered with “What do you need, Sinclair?”
“This isn’t Scott, it’s me, Tori. Have you seen Drew?”
“No. Thought he was with you. Why?”
“He’s missing.”
“Try TJ Logan. He hangs out with him a lot.”
“Thanks. One more thing. I need a key to Jenny Tremont’s house. Can I borrow yours?” Silence answered her. “Zack?”
“What are you looking for?”
It occurred to her that he might know something about the DNA report. “I saw a report in her office from a DNA company that Jenny had an account with. Do you know anything about it?”
“The DNA thing . . . she was looking for her father because her mother had refused to answer her questions. It always bothered her that she didn’t know who he was. I encouraged her to do it, but later, whenever I asked what she learned, she’d brush me off.”
“Do you know if she had a copy of the report at her house?”
“Probably. She was meticulous about having copies of everything, but if it’s at her office at Livingston—”
“It’s gone.”
“You’re kidding. Why would anyone at Livingston be interested in that?”
“Good question. The key. Can I come pick it up?”
“No need to. It’s hanging on the hook over the washer. Got a green collar on it.”
“Thanks, bro.”
Tori disconnected and turned to Scott. “The key is over the washer, and Zack thinks Drew might be with TJ.”
“I hope so.”
When he returned with the key, she asked, “Did you discover what you were looking for?”
“I’m afraid so.” He fished his handkerchief from his pocket and unfolded it to reveal a small black box.
A tracker. “Where did you find it?” Tori was pretty sure she already knew.
“Under your rear bumper. I think someone has Drew, but I think they intended to take you.”