18. Zach
18
ZACH
I drove back to Carolyn’s house that afternoon feeling twisted up in knots. On the one hand, I was still upset that she’d done something so risky after promising me that she wouldn’t. I’d told her that I’d take the lead in the investigation. Her charging in on her own made it seem like she didn’t trust me. After the weeks I’d spent showing her in every way that I could that I was there for her and Austin, that I wasn’t going to leave them alone, that we were in this together…that lack of trust stung.
And it made me act like an asshole.
Hurt feelings were no excuse for freezing her out like that. We were supposed to be the kind of people who talked now. Who listened. Who didn’t let fears or insecurities put a wedge between us. I owed her an apology, a big one. The fact had nagged at me all day at work. My supervisor had even sent me home an hour early because I wasn’t focusing. I hadn’t bothered to argue the point, because the man was right. I didn’t have my head on straight.
I grabbed my phone off the seat next to me when it rang, hoping it was Carolyn. Disappointment hit me when I saw Steve’s name on the screen.
“Hey, Steve,” I answered as I turned onto Carolyn’s street.
“I’ve got some new intel on that name you gave me. Dale Huntly,” Steve reported.
“Yeah, what?” I had filled Steve in about any possible lead, including the history with the Huntly family.
“Dale Huntly works for All That Sparkles’ IT company. He’s been there for about nine months. Records show that he helped install tech at the store, and he had access to their email and other accounts. Strange coincidence, if you ask me.”
It could be a coincidence, but I was sure it wasn’t. This was connected to Carolyn’s problems. I could feel it in my bones. “Can you tell if Huntly sent those fake emails?”
“I’m unraveling that as we speak. It took some work, since he pinged the messages off other IP addresses to cover his tracks, but I’ll get to the bottom of the rabbit hole.”
“We’ll need proof.” I needed documentation I could take to the police, something that would get their attention and make a criminal case against this guy stick.
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Steve replied. “I know what we need. Probably take me another twenty-four hours.”
“Thanks. I owe you.” While we’d talked, I had turned into Carolyn’s driveway. The garage door was down, which wasn’t unusual, but no lights were on in the house. She’d said she would be home by now after speaking with the insurance adjuster.
I got out of the car, fingering her house key in my pocket. I’d refused to use it earlier, a decision that now seemed childish and petty. I’d never been good at managing my emotions, ruthlessly suppressing them instead, but I’d been unable to do that when my panic over the mere idea of Carolyn being hurt hit me square in the chest. I’d lashed out, and instead of supporting her as I should have, I’d added to her troubles.
The Admiral would be disappointed in me, I acknowledged. I was disappointed in myself. And worried since she didn’t appear to be home yet. I weighed my options, deciding quickly to use my key and go inside. I paused to listen after the door swung open. No sounds. If Austin was awake, the house should have been filled with chatter. I moved into the kitchen, looking around. Carolyn’s purse wasn’t on the counter, nor was the bag she carried for Austin.
They weren’t home, which compounded the feeling in my gut that something had gone sideways. I took a quick look through the house for any signs of a disturbance or struggle but found nothing.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Carolyn’s number. After four rings, it beeped and went to voicemail. I left a message for her to call me as soon as she could.
Something was wrong. She kept her phone on her and always answered, out of concern for Austin. My every instinct was on high alert. I scrolled through my contacts, calling Carolyn’s mother.
“Hello, Faith. Is Carolyn there?” I was being barely polite, but my concern was overriding everything else.
“Not yet,” Faith replied, sounding surprised at my question. “She was dealing with the insurance at the store. Austin’s with me, though. Do you want to say hi to him?”
I did want to talk to my son, but I needed to know Austin’s mother was safe first. “Kiss him for me,” I said. “Are you sure you haven’t heard from Carolyn?”
“Stop worrying, Zach. She just got held up at the store. Insurance issues always take longer than you think they will.”
“Where’s Charlotte?” My concern shifted to include Carolyn’s sister. She’d nearly been killed in the fire. And if this guy had a personal grudge against the Evert family, then that meant she was a potential target as well. They all were.
“Here with me. What’s got you so worked up?” Faith asked.
“Lock your doors and stay there. Inside,” I commanded. “I’ll send someone over soon to protect you.” I hung up before she could object or demand an explanation.
The store was the logical place for Carolyn to be and the first place I needed to look. I jogged back to my car, gunning the engine on the quiet street. I called Colin first, instructing him to go to Faith’s house. I gave a brief recap of the situation, and he said that he’d call Alex and Chance, to tell them to meet me at All That Sparkles. I could count on their help no matter the situation we were walking into.