Chapter 14
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Andi let Duke start.
She got the same vibes from Detective Hawkins as she did the officer at the front desk. The detective seemed like the kind of man who respected people of his own gender more than he did women. Another reality she wished wasn’t true, but this wasn’t the time or place to address it.
Besides, Duke was very adept at handling himself—and he was so very attractive when he took charge.
“My name’s Duke McAllister. This is my colleague Andi Slade. We understand Gina’s sister reported her missing, but that a case was never opened. Is this correct?”
The detective nodded slowly. “I suppose you could say that.”
“We’ve been reviewing circumstances surrounding her disappearance, and there are a few things that don’t sit right,” Duke continued.
Hawkins’s brow twitched—just slightly, almost as if he were amused by their conclusion. “Is that right?”
Duke visibly bristled. “Just to give you a little background, I’m a former Army CID investigator. I do have experience in law enforcement.”
“CID, huh?” His gaze slid to Andi. “And you’re qualified to investigate because . . . ?”
Andi held her head higher. “I’m an attorney. And a podcaster.”
The eye roll came a half second later—small, dismissive, and well-practiced as if the man was searching for a reason not to take them seriously.
“Ah.” Hawkins nodded slowly. “You’re part of that tour. Where the Trail Went Cold or something. There’s been a lot of hoopla about it around town. Too bad people don’t get that excited over the crimes we solve here every day. Maybe if we added more entertaining narrative to it, they would.”
Andi’s jaw tightened. The man obviously didn’t respect true crime podcasters, and part of her could understand why. However, The Round Table wasn’t a regular group of podcasters. They were skilled at what they did.
And none of that changed the fact that a woman was in danger.
She leveled her gaze with the man. “We’re here because a woman is missing, and someone needs to take that fact seriously.”
Hawkins narrowed his eyes but said nothing.
“We visited Ms. James’s apartment this morning,” Duke continued. “There are subtle signs of an unauthorized entry, including a jimmied window latch and fresh scratches consistent with a quiet access point. Her sister, her name is—”
“Pam James,” Hawkins cut in with a long, drawn-out nod. “Yes. I know who she is. She called to report the incident.”
“Then you also know Pam is convinced something happened to Gina,” Andi said. “And now there’s evidence the apartment was accessed without force.”
Hawkins leaned forward, planting his elbows on the desk. “You want to know what I know?”
They waited for him to finish.
“I know Gina James is an adult,” Hawkins said. “She’s highly capable. Recently ended a relationship. And when things get stressful for her, she checks out of reality.”
Andi blinked. “Checks out of reality?”
Hawkins’s mouth twitched. “You mean, you didn’t learn about that during your investigation?”
His mocking tone made Andi want to reach across the desk and smack him.
Duke’s spine stiffened. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that Gina’s taken off before,” Hawkins said. “Not exactly like this, but close enough. A little over a year ago, she took a leave of absence without telling anyone, rented a cabin near Yosemite, and didn’t talk to anyone for almost two weeks.”
Andi stared at him, surprised this was the first she’d heard of it.
“No one told you that, huh?” Hawkins sounded entirely too satisfied. “Ms. James showed back up. Voluntarily. No crime. No charges.”
“Pam didn’t mention that.” Andi’s voice dipped in irritation. She’d specifically said that Gina would never just disappear like this.
Hawkins smirked. “People don’t always mention facts that weaken their story.”
The words landed like a slap.
Andi fisted her hands at her side.
She really didn’t like this guy. But she’d handled men like him before—usually in the courtroom—and she could do it again.
Duke didn’t like where this conversation was going—nor did he appreciate the detective’s arrogance.
He leaned forward, determined to somehow get through to this guy. “Okay, so maybe Gina took off again. Maybe you’re right. But that still doesn’t explain the break-in.”
“We truly have no evidence of a break-in,” Hawkins said. “Those marks you saw could be from something else. No one saw anything.”
“What about the zip ties?” Andi asked.
“She could have used them to tie up some cables for all I know.”
Duke’s shoulders tightened. “Then why go through the trouble of reporting it?”
“For attention. Some people will do anything for it.” The detective shrugged.
“What if something did happen to her?” Andi finally asked.
“Break-ins happen. So do misunderstandings. So do dramatic interpretations when folks watch too much true crime.” Hawkins’s eyes flicked pointedly to Andi then Duke.
“That’s not a fair statement.” Duke squared his shoulders as he stared at the detective.
“You two show up in San Francisco with a podcast and a sponsor list,” Hawkins continued.
“Putting on a show and signing merchandise for fans. Forgive me if I’m skeptical.
We get influencers in here all the time looking for a compelling angle.
Makes for great content. But we’re not about content here.
We’re about real life, real crimes, and real answers. ”
Andi bristled beside Duke, but she kept her voice level as she said, “We’re not looking for content or likes or more monetization. We’re looking for Gina.”
Hawkins stood, signaling the end of the conversation. “If new evidence turns up—real evidence—you bring it in. Until then, we don’t have a case.”
Duke rose as well, jaw set.
Andi followed, her hands curled into fists at her sides. “So that’s it? You’re comfortable assuming she walked away?”
“I’m comfortable assuming there’s not enough to prove otherwise. And until there is? This stays low priority.” Hawkins didn’t look at them again—his way of dismissing them.
Duke didn’t like this guy, and he knew they weren’t going to get anywhere with this conversation.
They walked out of the station in silence, the door closing behind them with a hollow click.
Outside, the drizzle had finally stopped, leaving the pavement dark and slick beneath the gray sky.
Andi drew in a slow breath. “Well, that was a waste of time.”
Duke glanced at her. “Yeah.”
She lifted her chin as if her resolve was settling into place. “Which means we’re on our own.”
A corner of his mouth lifted. “We usually are. We could really use a Gibson right about now.”
Logan Gibson was a state trooper in Alaska. He’d helped them on several occasions and was a valuable asset to their team.
Unfortunately, Gibson wasn’t here nor did he have jurisdiction in this area.
“But what about what the detective said about Gina disappearing before?” Andi paused and turned toward him. “What do you think about that?”
“It does make the police less likely to take her disappearance seriously—like the Boy Who Cried Wolf, right?”
Andi nodded slowly, unable to deny the comparison. “Do you think Gina just ran this time? Got freaked out by the break-in and left?”
Duke squinted with thought. “If she did that, then why wouldn’t she call her sister?”
“It doesn’t sound like she called her before either.” Andi crossed her arms, clearly wrestling through the possibilities. “I guess we should ask Pam about it next time we talk. Maybe she can clarify. But . . .”
“But what?” Duke waited to hear her idea.
“I can’t help but sense Pam has a secret,” Andi murmured. “Maybe this is what she’s been hiding.”