Chapter 47
FORTY-SEVEN
Quinn retreated inside. She was going to tidy up and get started on dinner, but she couldn’t get the conversation with DI Malone out of her mind.
Now that he had admitted he wasn’t actively working the case, she felt even more frightened.
She needed to talk to someone, and, since Gabe wasn’t there, she decided to ring Drew.
He might not have anything new to tell her, but his confident, reassuring manner always put her in a better frame of mind.
He may not have the answers, but he intended to get them, and he wouldn’t quit until he either got to the truth or hit a wall he couldn’t scale.
The call went directly to voicemail. Quinn tried again in a half hour with the same result.
Then again a third time. Drew always picked up, or, if he was busy, he rang back as soon as he was able.
He knew how desperate his clients were for information and spent nearly as much time handholding as he did investigating.
The house was tidy. The chicken and potatoes were ready.
And the sky outside was beginning to turn that delicate shade of orchid before dusk settled over the silent lake.
Gabe had turned off his tracking, so Quinn couldn’t see where he was, and Drew had not called back.
She tried Gabe, but the call went to voicemail.
Same with Jude. For a moment she considered calling Jill, but she didn’t want to alarm her cousin when she was miles away and couldn’t do anything to help.
Desperate to hear a human voice, she was about to ring Nicole, but decided that she didn’t really want to talk about either Logan or Geneva.
She would have to find a way to distract herself until someone phoned her back.
Quinn tried listening to a podcast she had downloaded last week, but couldn’t concentrate on the words.
What she needed was to walk, so she grabbed her jacket, phone, and keys and stepped outside.
The trail that wound around the lake was deserted, and deep shadows were beginning to pool between the trees, the path vanishing into the darkness beyond.
She wouldn’t go far. And as long as she remained within view of the boathouse, she would be safe.
Quinn walked briskly until the boathouse roof disappeared from view, then turned back and stomped up the path, her anxiety getting the better of her.
Where was Logan? Where was Gabe? Where was Drew?
And where was Jude? She hadn’t heard from him since this morning, and she was beginning to worry about him as well.
What the bloody hell was going on? With night settling in, she suddenly felt as if she were the only person left in the world.
A translucent crescent moon hovered above the lake, and the dusky sky was strewn with stars, by the time someone finally deigned to call her back.
Quinn thought it might be Gabe, but the call was from Drew.
An announcement came over a loudspeaker in the background, and she realized it wasn’t in English.
She thought Drew was at a train station or an airport, but why would he leave the country?
“Sorry I couldn’t ring you back,” he said. “I didn’t have service.”
“Where are you?” Quinn asked as soon as he moved into a quiet corner and was able to hear her.
“Prague. Something you said to me didn’t add up, so I decided to do a little digging.”
“What are you referring to exactly?”
“Chrissy told Logan and Rafe and her friends in London that she would be returning to the Czech Republic after the baby was born, but she didn’t go home. And she had also mentioned to her coworkers that she’d become a surrogate for Logan to help her family, but they’re quite well-to-do.”
“Maybe she needed the money and was too embarrassed to tell people. It sounds better when you say you’re doing it for your family.”
“Maybe, but I thought it was suspect and decided to find out more about her life.”
Quinn sighed, exasperated. “Drew, if Chrissy left the UK, then she’s clearly not a suspect, so what difference could her life in the Czech Republic possibly make?”
“It’s not as if I have any other leads,” Drew reminded her.
“What about the bloke she was living with? Might he know something?”
“I’m sure he might, but no one seems to remember his name. And without a name I have no hope of tracking him down. Look, I’ve got to go. I’ll ring you tomorrow.”
“Drew, DI Malone is no longer working the case. He thinks Logan left of his own free will and will turn up if he feels like it.”
“And Max?”
“And Max is our responsibility. They don’t know who the woman is and have no way to identify her. The police won’t waste resources on searching for a needle in a London-sized haystack.”
“She could have left London by now,” Drew pointed out.
“Yes, I suppose she could have.”
“I’ll call you back,” he said when someone addressed him in Czech.
Quinn was about to slide her mobile into her pocket when it rang again.
She hoped it was Gabe, but it was Colin.
She wished she could tell him about Logan and share her concerns for his wellbeing, but her brother was no longer Colin’s problem, and, although kind and helpful, he couldn’t do anything to help.
“I’m sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but there was a fatal stabbing in Westminster, and the victim is on his way to the lab. I need to make arrangements for the bog body. Rhys advised me to check with you.”
“What about, exactly?” Quinn asked. Her mind wasn’t really on Geneva’s remains at the moment.
“Do you wish to donate our girl to science, or do you intend to see her buried?”
“I really haven’t thought about it. Can I give you an answer on Monday? Surely you can find space for her until then.”
“You sound distracted,” Colin observed.
“It’s been an awful few days,” Quinn admitted, despite her better judgment.
“Anything I can do to help?”
“I doubt it. Logan is missing, Colin. And someone tried to take Max.” The words had come out unbidden, but it felt good to talk to Colin, who had loved Logan and, on some level, probably still did. “The woman was brazen enough to walk into his nursery school. She pretended to be me.”
“What?” Colin exclaimed. “Is Max safe?”
“He is, but the police have no idea who is behind the abduction attempt, and we can’t hide out forever.”
“Where are you?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“Of course. I quite understand. What will you do?”
“I have Drew Camden working on it. But he’s in Prague of all places, so, as you can see, we’re grasping at straws.”
“Maybe not,” Colin said. “Drew Camden is very good at what he does.”
“He’s my only hope of finding Logan and keeping Max safe.”
“Please, keep me posted. Logan is and always will be…” Colin’s voice cracked, and he couldn’t finish the sentence, but Quinn thought she knew what he had been about to say. The love of my life.
“I will.”
Colin’s declaration made her feel even sadder for her brother. He had forsaken the one person who truly loved him, but if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have Max. So she supposed he had exchanged one love for another, and Max meant everything to him.
Quinn felt so dispirited, she picked up a stone and hurled it into the lake, and watched with satisfaction as ripples spread outward from the point of impact.
She was so angry. What was Logan playing at?
Surely he realized she was frantic and that Max would be missing him and asking endless questions.
What was she supposed to say when she had no idea what was going on or if Logan would ever come back?
And how was she meant to keep Max safe and also remain emotionally present for her own children?