Chapter 3 #2
“Oftentimes you don’t,” El said, but at Gabe’s tortured look, she thought it best to move on before he completely lost it. Like most men, he was a fixer, and he needed to act before exploding and taking matters into his own hands.
“I’ve secured the ravine for tonight,” she said. “But will search the area in daylight too. Not only to look for evidence, but get the lay of the land.”
“You think something else occurred there?” Nolan asked.
She shrugged. “We could find signs of a struggle by Kenna’s van. Maybe that’s where she was killed, and we’ll find evidence of that. I’m also interested in seeing if it connects to the lake. Kenna and Lucy could’ve been taken away in a boat from there and brought to the beach.”
Gabe’s eyes narrowed as if he was imagining the scene.
Jude frowned at her. “Did the ME share any other information?”
“Nothing except that the autopsy is at nine. I’ll attend, of course.”
Gabe widened his stance. “I’m coming with you.”
“Sorry, but no. You’re not officially connected to this investigation. Besides, you don’t want to see your friend undergo such an invasive examination.”
His face paled, and he clapped a hand over his mouth. “I need some air.”
He bolted around the table and brushed past her with such haste she had to work to stay upright. Wanting to reach out to him, she stood firm and tracked his progress out the door.
“I’ll go after him,” Abby said.
Nolan held up a hand. “Give him a few minutes alone to process.”
Alone? He needed help. His pain was El’s pain. His anguish, her anguish. His loss, her loss.
Never had an investigation brought up such intense emotions. Not even Victoria’s. Perhaps the right thing to do was to recuse herself from the case. She could hand everything off to Ulrich.
Could, but she wouldn’t let Gabe down. She would not only find Kenna’s killer, but also locate her daughter, and along the way, she would support him through his turmoil.
El glanced around the group. “I have a few additional questions for Gabe, but other than that, I’m finished. Any questions?”
His solemn team members shook their heads.
Nolan focused on her as if training a sniper rifle. “In the event we don’t find her right away, let’s plan regular update meetings to pool resources. Maybe start at the end of the day today. We should have results by then, and it would be a good time to coordinate.”
Many detectives would be put off by a private investigation agency like this one, but she knew their qualifications and skills, plus their success rate in finding missing people, so she nodded.
Nolan stood and gave a tight smile. “I know this isn’t easy, and Gabe’s personal connection compounds that. But he’ll come around, so hang in there.”
She started for the door, and Abby rushed to join her. “I’m praying for you and for a positive outcome to Lucy’s disappearance.”
“Thanks.” El smiled at the petite woman. “That will make all the difference.”
Abby squeezed her arm, and El stepped out the door.
A brisk wind whipped from the ocean, and shivers ran over her body.
Gabe was out there somewhere, grieving alone.
Not surprising that he wanted to be on his own.
He kept his private life private. He’d let her in a few times, telling her he came from a family with connections to illegal activities, but not what specifically had caused him to lock down his emotions.
She walked to her car, but was drawn to the ocean lookout. Maybe viewing God’s majesty in His creation could lift her mood and help her trust Him to take care of Lucy.
She started down the cracked sidewalk and around the end of the long building. The lookout area spread out before her, lit by a single antique lamp on a post, the sound of ocean waves rushing to shore from the bottom of the cliff.
Near the security wall, Gabe sat on a dilapidated bench, shoulders hunched, elbows on his knees, staring straight ahead.
He wanted to be alone, but did he really mean it? He wasn’t the sort of guy who didn’t speak his mind. Meaning he wouldn’t want her here. She turned to leave, her boot disturbing nearby gravel, the rasping movement of rock sounding like a clap of thunder in her brain.
He swiveled on the bench.
“Sorry,” she said, and truly meant it. “I didn’t know you were here. I came out to stare at the ocean and clear my brain before heading back to the office. I’ll go now.”
“The view’s not working for me, but don’t let me get in your way.”
She hesitated, then moved directly to the wall, bypassing him to avoid seeing his anguish again.
She heard him get up and cross the gravel to stand beside her. “Did I miss anything at the meeting?”
She shook her head.
He took her arm and turned her to face him. “I won’t let you freeze me out of this investigation.”
“I know, but we’ll have to work together. You can’t go off on your own. Let me know in advance what you’re doing so we don’t have issues with contaminating evidence or jeopardizing the investigation. We both want to find Lucy, and Kenna’s killer.”
The fresh flash of grief in his eyes had her looking away at the ocean before she offered him some sort of physical comfort. Frothy waves rolled in, reminding her of the other body of water she’d left behind in the wee hours.
The lake had taken lives before. Would take them again. Might’ve taken one more last night. Even two. The second to be determined in the light of day.
What would Gabe do if divers found little Lucy’s body in the murky depths of the lake?