Chapter Seven
Stace wasn’t surprised when Shep wasn’t able to find out anything new from Nicole. The girl had told Shep the same things she’d shared with Stace. Chloe didn’t normally stop at the tavern, so her Friday night visit had been an impulse. They didn’t go there, preferring to go out closer to the college they both attended and hang with friends.
Nicole had started crying then, and Stace had felt those tears as if they were hers. Her sister’s friend had looked her right in the eyes and asked if she thought there was any chance Chloe could still be alive. Stace wanted to believe there was a possibility, didn’t want to take the hope away from Nicole. But finding her sister alive was becoming more and more unlikely. Still, she fought for hope. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and felt a pain in her heart as Nicole accepted her nod.
“She’s going to come back to us,” Nicole sobbed. “I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t give up.”
When Nicole finally left, Stace needed to get out, to do something, and thankfully, Shep understood. They went to the police station and spoke with the lead investigator again. Shep was great, putting everyone at ease, and they’d eventually been able to speak to the officer who’d been first on the scene. Shep even took the time to hunt down and speak directly with the 9-1-1 operator who’d answered the call.
Still, nothing. No “aha, this is what I missed” moment. Nothing to point them in a new direction, hell any direction. Nothing. And the four weeks since her sister had been abducted were quickly turning into five.
How did a woman disappear and no one had any idea where or why? There was always a direction. When Stace took on a recovery, there was always a starting point that led her in the right direction. Yet, here, there had been no other reported cases of women drugged in the area. Which didn’t mean it hadn’t happened, only that it hadn’t been reported. It also meant that no one had died from an attempted date rape drug gone wrong, either. There would be a record of that.
They’d spent the whole day circling and circling and found nothing. Not a single thing to help find Chloe. It was getting harder and harder to keep holding on to hope. Every time she returned to the home she’d bought for them, it was like a knife to her heart. Even Shep’s presence couldn’t prevent it.
“Ally will be here soon,” Shep said, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Maybe she’ll be able to pick up on something and help.”
Yeah, the fiancée of his best friend who he had almost fallen for. A psychic who could potentially find a clue where every other avenue had failed. Ally here to save the day and remind Shep how amazing she was. That bitchy thought made Stace realize she needed a moment alone. It was a good thing that Shep’s friend was willing to drop whatever she had going on in her life and offer to help. Stace knew that.
“I’m going to head up for a bit,” she said. “Take a nice long run on the treadmill then hit the shower.”
He nodded, and she knew he understood without question. Somehow, that made her thoughts about his friend even worse.
“I’ll take another look at the files and,” he glanced at the clock before turning back to her, “fire up the grill in another hour.”
“Sounds good,” she agreed and turned to mount the stairs.
Shep stopped her with a tug on her hand, and she looked back at him.
“No matter what you think, Stace,” Shep said. “You’re not to blame for this. Everything points to a random act, and even if you’d been here, you might not have been able to prevent Chloe being taken.”
“But I would have been here, in the first days, and maybe, I could have found her immediately,” Stace argued.
“Maybe isn’t a game to play,” Shep countered. “There are a lot of maybes and what ifs, and if you focus on those, you’ll drive yourself crazy.”
“I know that,” she said.
“I know you do,” Shep agreed, giving her a piercing look. “You know it, but you need to believe it. Sometimes, bad things happen for no apparent reason.”
She nodded. Knowing it didn’t make it any easier to accept. With her background, it was hard to believe it wouldn’t have made a difference if she’d been here on the day her sister was taken. She hadn’t been here, though, and no matter how guilty she felt about that, it couldn’t be changed.
She turned again, and this time, Shep didn’t stop her as she headed upstairs. She’d change and take a good long run in on her treadmill before cooling off with a shower. Running always helped her clear her head. A run and a shower, then it would be time to meet Ally and deal with the complications of that.
* * * * *
Shep heard the car pull up and headed to the front of the house. The shower was still running, and he groaned as he gave up the thought of joining Stace with an offer to wash her back and any other places she wanted him to.
Better that he didn’t anyway since he needed to stay focused to make sure the meeting between Stace and Ally wouldn’t be as awkward as he feared it would be. He was hoping the two women would be friends. Especially since Ally’s fiancé, Blake, was Shep’s best friend. Shep might not have known Ally as long, but their friendship was just as strong. Maybe, he shouldn’t have been so honest, but that wasn’t him. If he wanted more than a casual affair with Stace, and he did, then they needed to start out with no secrets. Not when Blake and Ally were a part of his life. He wanted to make Stace a part of that friendship.
She was strong in every facet of the word. That was a big turn-on for him. She wasn’t clingy or bitchy or whiny. She seemed to be a woman who knew her mind and spoke it. She was a woman he lusted after and wanted to see a hell of a lot more of. It was already more than lust.
Maybe, it was the seriousness of what they were working together on, her sister’s kidnapping. Stace was open and exposed emotionally in a way most people weren’t when getting to know another person. He’d held her while she’d cried. No words. Just his arms wrapped around her, holding her tight.
A truck door slammed, and he came back to the present with a slow grin that quickly spread into a full-blown smile. Blake had come with Ally. Maybe, that twist would help diffuse the first meeting. Stace would meet Ally and see she was happily in love with Blake.
“I hear you can’t handle something on your own and need to call my woman to come save your sorry ass,” Blake said as he and Ally walked up to the porch.
Shep laughed, especially as he watched Ally give Blake an elbow to the abdomen.
“Hey,” Ally said and stepped right up to him, embracing him and lifting her face for a kiss. He brushed his lips over her forehead and gave her a squeeze.
“I’m glad you could come,” Shep said his glance meeting Blake’s. “Both of you.”
Blake nodded and, wrapping his arm around Ally’s waist, pulled her back against him while Shep turned to open the door. The shower was no longer running, so he knew Stace would be down soon. He held open the door open while they walked in and led them over to the family-living room. It was almost laughable how comfortable he was in Stace’s home.
“Alright, bring us up to date on what’s going on,” Blake said, taking a seat and pulling Ally down beside him. She just looked at Blake, shook her head and stood to cruise the room, looking at the pictures and things in it.
“Missing woman,” Shep began. “Chloe Anders, age twenty-one. Five foot nine inches tall, approximately one hundred forty pounds, with short brown hair and brown eyes.”
“Is this her?” Ally asked, holding up a framed photo of Chloe and Nicole.
“That’s her,” Shep replied.
“Attractive woman,” Ally said.
“She is,” Shep agreed, knowing Chloe didn’t hold a candle to her sister. “She’s been missing a little over four weeks now,” Shep continued. “Recorded 9-1-1 call indicates she knew she’d been drugged—or at least suspected she had—and called for help, which didn’t arrive in time. The call recorded at least two men’s voices and the sound of her being moved from the car.”
“The car’s still here?” Ally asked.
“It’s still with the police, but Stace can pick it up any time,” Shep stated.
“Stace?” Blake asked and lifted a brow at Shep.
“Stace Anders,” Shep answered. “She’s the sister of our missing woman.”
“And?” Ally prompted.
“Chloe is a nursing student in her third year,” Shep continued not answering what they were asking. How could he when he wasn’t sure yet? “She stopped in at Tark’s Tavern that night. It was unplanned, as far as we can learn. Then sometime while there, she was given a drink, which we suspect was drugged. Nothing left in or on the car. No one remembers seeing anything at the bar. Her best friend didn’t know Chloe was stopping at Tark’s since it wasn’t a place they hung out at. Police searched, questioned and came up with a big fat nothing. It’s as if she disappeared into thin air. And so far, we’ve found nothing, either.”
“Then the only thing you even have to indicate she was taken is the 9- 1-1 call?” Blake asked.
“Yeah,” Shep agreed. “Otherwise, it would look like she walked away from her car and left.”
“I’d like to see the car,” Ally said. “I think that would be my best chance to connect with her.”
“I’m sure we can talk to Stace and see about picking it up tomorrow,” Shep offered, glancing at his watch. “I honestly didn’t think about it today when We were there, or I would have suggested it then. The lot’s closed now.”
“Where is this Stace you keep referring to?” Blake asked.
“She took a run then hit the shower,” Shep answered. “I’m sure she’ll be down any minute. Until then, fill me in. Did you two go to the birthday party?” He knew they had. Her cousin, Ben, was the dad, and as the two cousins had only reunited in recent years, Ally and Blake would have stopped in.
“Yes, I can’t believe Mikey is already a year old,” Ally said, with a smile. “Katie had the house all decorated, and the cake was so cute. She and her mom, Catherine, had everything perfect. Oh, and you missed the big announcement since you weren’t there.”
“What announcement?” Shep wanted to know. There was always something going on with one of them. The Daniels and the large, extended Madigan family, which Shep was part of, seemed to always be in the middle of something.
“Well, maybe, we shouldn’t tell you. Maybe, it would be better if you just learned about it when you head back home,” Ally teased.
“Don’t make me wait for Griff to get back here,” he ordered, knowing he’d be waiting a long time since Griff had texted him earlier to say Jack was having Griff help Chetan on something else for a bit. Still, Shep didn’t think Ally or Blake knew that. “Just tell me everyone’s okay.”
“Yes. Things are wonderful,” Ally assured him. “Both Moira and Cass announced they’re pregnant.”
“What?” Shep exclaimed with excitement. “That’s fantastic news. I can’t wait to see them both when I get home. I’ll have to stop in at the club.”
Moira owned and operated a fitness club, and Cass helped manage it. Moira was the daughter of his boss, Jack Madigan, and Shep had known her since she was a teenager. She was like a sister to him. The same could be said for Moira’s best friend, Cass, though he and Cass had gone out on exactly one date. That was all it had taken for them to know beyond a doubt there was only friendship between them. Both the women had married into the Daniels family. Moira to the oldest brother, Gil, and Cas to the middle brother, Doug. Though Cas’ marriage was unconventional in that she was also married to Doug’s best friend, Damon.
“What’s fantastic news?” Stace asked, drawing his gaze to her as she walked into the room.
Shep was struck again by how naturally beautiful she was. Her dark brown hair was back in another ponytail, and her flawless face was without makeup. Still, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Stace,” Shep introduced, reaching his hand toward her and pulling her farther into the room. “Meet Ally and Blake. Ally, Blake. Stace Anders.”