Chapter 29
Caleb hadn’t returned my call. It was a little suspicious.
Isabella tracked his phone and told me we could find him at the Mangrove Grill. It was fine dining, but it had a more relaxed atmosphere during the day. You could get in with a T-shirt and cargo shorts for lunch. That wouldn't fly for dinner.
The decor was crisp and elegant. Well-spaced tables, secluded booths, and lots of greenery. It was a mix of New American cuisine and local favorites. The presentation was spectacular, and you could get everything from a Kobe beef burger to coconut pink shrimp.
A cute blonde hostess greeted us.
I flashed my badge. “Looking for Caleb. Is he around?”
Her face went long. "Oh, yeah. I think so. Is he in some kind of trouble?"
"No trouble. We just need to ask him a few questions.”
She looked at her seating chart, then glanced around the restaurant. She spotted Caleb and pointed, "There he is.”
I thanked her, and we weaved through the restaurant to catch up with him. Caleb was a tall, slender guy with shaggy brown hair, a narrow face, and brown eyes. He took an order from a table and said, "Thanks. I'll have that right out. My name is Caleb. Just holler if you need anything."
When he turned around, we were there to greet him. His eyes fixed on the badge for an instant as he froze in his tracks. He looked a little surprised and uncomfortable.
I made introductions.
"We’d like to ask you a few questions about Riley. I'm sure you're aware she's been reported missing.”
Anger tensed his face. "She's not missing.”
JD and I were both a little stunned by that response.
"What do you mean?” I asked.
"She ran off with some guy," he said, looking forlorn.
Confusion wrinkled my brow. "That's not what we've been told. Tracy reported her missing, and we have an eyewitness that…" I didn't want to say it.
"She's in Miami.”
"And you know this how?”
"Because my friend saw her.”
"When?
"Today. He called to tell me that he saw her at a restaurant with some guy. They were holding hands." The muscles in his jaw flexed. "We just broke up, and she's already got another boyfriend? How long has she been seeing him?”
"You're sure about this?”
"Well, I didn't see it with my own eyes, but Trent wouldn't lie to me.”
I shared a skeptical look with Jack, then addressed Caleb. "I need Trent’s number.”
"Yeah, okay. Hang on. Let me put in this order."
Caleb hurried back to the kitchen, turned in the order, then returned to us. He pulled out his phone, and I gave him my card. He texted me Trent’s number.
"How well do you know Trent?”
"He was my best friend in high school. He lives in Miami now. He DJs at clubs. Trent knows everybody.”
"When was the last time you talked to Riley?”
"Day before yesterday," he said. "I tried calling her yesterday, but she wouldn't answer.”
"What was the reason she gave for the breakup?”
"She didn’t give me a reason. But that's pretty fucking obvious now.”
It was clear he was unaware of the pregnancy. That probably would have devastated him.
"If you hear from her, let me know.”
"I don't ever want to talk to her again.”
If it were true, and she was alive and well in Miami, I could understand his frustration.
I thanked him for the information, and we left the restaurant. We stepped outside, and the valet pulled around the Wild Fury van, which looked quite out of place at the upscale restaurant.
We hopped in, and I pulled away.
Jack said, "What do you make of all this? Maybe Zoe is completely batshit crazy and fabricating this whole thing.”
"Let's call Trent and see what he has to say.” I dialed his number.
It rang a few times, then went to voicemail. I left a message, then sent him a text and told him it was urgent.
To my surprise, he called me back a few moments later.
"Thanks for returning my call. We just spoke with Caleb. He said you saw Riley in Miami today."
"Yeah, she was at the Harbor Kitchen with some dude.”
"Are you sure about that?”
"Dude, it was her. She’s kind of hard to mistake.”
"Did you talk to her?”
"No. Like I said, she was with some guy. I didn't know him.”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“100% positive, bro.”
"That doesn't line up with other eyewitness accounts.”
"I don't know what to tell you. All I know is what I saw.”
I thanked him for the info and said we might be in touch later.
After I hung up, Jack said in a sarcastic voice, “Well, that clarifies things.”
We headed back to the Avventura to get ready for the show at Vibe.