Alder. Cassie’s street.

  Maybe she didn’t have to feel so helpless after all.

  Taking the next right, Hadley turned the van toward Cassie’s house. She’d never been there before, but the place was hard to miss, perched on the side of the small foothill overlooking the river. It was huge as well, and the last rays of sunset reflected off the wall of windows along the front of the mansion.

  Cassie’s white convertible sat in the driveway as Hadley pulled the van up their steep driveway. A Mercedes SUV and a black Audi were parked under an expansive carport. Hadley eyed the three-car garage, wondering what was in there if these were the cars designated to the outdoor parking.

  Getting out of the van before she could change her mind, Hadley picked her way up the pathway to the Lee’s front door. When she glanced back at the driveway, Hadley’s van looked like it was part of one of those scenes from Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the others. The song played in her mind until she rang the doorbell and it played an electronic chime. The button Hadley had pushed glowed and changed color.

  “I got it!” Cassie’s voice proceeded footsteps pounding in a quick approach to the front door.

  Hadley saw Cassie’s head poke up into the decorative, cut-glass window at the top of the door. When the teen’s eyes lit up as they landed on Hadley, she realized her mistake.

  The door swung open, practically ripping off its hinges from the force.

  “Did they find—”

  Hadley put up a hand to stop the girl from getting too excited. “No. I’m so sorry. I had a few more questions for you. I didn’t mean to get your hopes up.”

  Cassie’s face fell, but she covered it with a appeasing smile. “Yeah … sure. Come on in.” She stepped back, making room for Hadley to enter the palatial foyer. “Let me show you where I’ve got Bailey.”

  Following as Cassie led the way up a staircase that would’ve put many hotels to shame, Hadley worried about the phrase where I’ve got Bailey. Hopefully Cassie’s parents hadn’t made her seclude the cat to an unused part of the house like a guest bathroom in a wing they never used.

  All of Hadley’s fears were eased as Cassie stopped by a door with a sparkly, pink sign that said, Cassie. She grinned back at Hadley before opening it and going inside. Hadley entered a bedroom bigger than her living room. The room had an en suite bathroom, a balcony, what she could only assume was a giant walk-in closet since she could only see the entrance from where she stood, and its own sitting area.

  Sprawled on a bright white duvet, just as she’d seen him spread himself out in the middle of the road, was Bailey. A beam of orange-tinted light from the sunset outside bathed his fur as he stretched out even more.

  Chuckling, Hadley said, “Looks like he’s made himself at home.”

  Cassie beamed, walking over to the cat and planting a kiss on his forehead. “He loves it.” She turned to face Hadley. “Would you mind shutting the door behind you?” When Hadley complied, Cassie added, “They think he’s going to ruin all of their expensive pieces.” She rolled her eyes, emphasizing the last word with a snooty tone Hadley might’ve used to mimic her just a few days ago.

  She’d been quite wrong about Cassie.

  Gulping, Hadley walked farther into the room, realizing the same misunderstanding could’ve been the reason she hadn’t seen Dennis as a viable suspect in Miranda’s disappearance.

  “What other questions did you have?” Cassie asked. She plopped onto her bed next to Bailey, scratching the cat’s chin and was rewarded with a loud purr.

  Hadley settled carefully onto a plush, turquoise chair, pulling a golden sequin pillow into her lap. “Did Miranda talk about her work at the candy shop at all?”

  Cassie shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, mostly just about how good a new chocolate whatever or caramel whatsit was and how I had to try it.”

  “Not ever anything about her boss?”

  Looking down at her bedspread, Cassie’s forehead wrinkled. “She felt bad for him. He always seemed so sad; Depressed Dennis was what she called him.”

  “Did he ever get mad at her?”

  The teen shook her head. “I doubt it. She’d never admit it, but she’s one of the main reasons that place does so well.”

  Unable to argue, and getting nowhere with her questions, Hadley decided to try a more direct tactic. “Did you know Miranda stole from the candy shop?”

  Cassie’s wide eyes flew to meet Hadley’s. She opened her mouth, as if to argue, but froze. “Omigosh … that’s why …”

  “That’s why, what?” Hadley gripped the sparkly pillow tighter, resisting the urge to lean forward.

  Cassie paused. “Uh, it’s just, Miranda was over last week, and she left her phone on my bed when she went to the bathroom. I saw a text come through from Jax. He said something about it not being about money and warned her not to do anything stupid. I pretended not to see the text, and when she came back from the bathroom and checked her phone, she seemed super freaked out. I’d never seen her so anxious, so I guess she could’ve been desperate enough to steal.”

  Hadley bit her lip. She looked down at the almost nonexistent nail polish and chipped off the last few flakes. That had gone quickly. Dennis’s disappearance didn’t look good, but it still didn’t rule out the possibility Jaxon had hurt her and tried to cover it up.

  “What we need to know is why Jaxon thought she might do something stupid in the first place, but he won’t talk to the police.” Hadley sighed, frustration making her want to curl her fingers into fists.

  Cassie perked up. “Want me to call him?”

  “For real?”

  “Sure,” Cassie said with a shrug. “I mean, he still hasn’t returned any of the calls I made to him on Friday after I found out, but … it’s worth a try. If he picks up, I can put him on speaker phone so you can hear too.”

  Glancing outside at the darkening sky, Hadley pressed her lips together. “No, I want to talk to him in person.”

  17

  Hadley insisted on taking the Jam Van, unable to handle Cassie’s driving during the daylight and knowing it would only get more terrifying at night. Driving aside, her opinion of Cassie had only improved when the girl had insisted on telling her parents the truth about why they were headed to Cascade Ridge so late in the evening on a Sunday night, if they asked.

  Her opinion of Cassie’s parents did not improve when they failed to so much as look up from their television show, let alone inquire where their daughter was going.

  Someone’s daughter is missing out there and you’re not worried about yours? Hadley thought to herself as they waved at her and went back to their episode.

  Determined to take good care of the teen, Hadley followed the directions Cassie gave as they wound through the streets of the city. She wondered what Paul was finding out about Brenda at the hospital. Was she okay? Brenda must’ve felt hopeless about finding her daughter to do such a thing. Hadley’s stomach tightened in worry, and she couldn’t blame the mother; the time since Miranda had gone missing was growing uncomfortably long.

  It had already been seventy-two hours, at least, and they needed to find her.

  “I’m still surprised he texted back. Maybe he just needed time to think. Take a right here,” Cassie said, pointing to an ornate sign denoting the Magnolia Oaks development.

  The word quaint came to mind as Hadley slowed and pulled into the neighborhood. At that point, darkness had crept into the valley, and the van’s headlights became increasingly necessary. Until they came upon the first house—mansion would be a better description, actually—then quaint was replaced with ornate at the same moment dark was replaced with light. Along with the many lights lining footpaths and porches, each home had a grand chandelier sparkling away in its entryway window, as if the impressive illuminations were as much of a part in the neighborhood’s housing agreements as perfect grass.

  Hadley remembered Cassie telling her how Jaxon’s family was even more well off than hers and Paul mentioning how Jaxon’s father was a good friend of the mayor.

  “Pull in here,” Cassie said, pointing to a park in the middle of the neighborhood.

  Hadley didn’t have time to marvel at the idea of having a whole beautiful park designated just for one neighborhood because Cassie’s phone screen lit up the interior of the van. Her thumbs flew across the screen as she composed a text. As soon as she sent it, her nimble fingers turned off the screen and she met Hadley’s gaze.

  “He’ll meet me out by the swing set.”

  The word me made Hadley’s breath catch in her throat. “Cassie, there’s no way I’m letting you go by yourself. Jaxon could be the reason Miranda’s gone. I’m going with you.”

  The teenager didn’t roll her eyes as Haley half expected her to, instead biting her lip and nodding quickly. “Okay, follow my lead, then.”

  They crept out of the van, crispy leaves crunching underfoot as they walked from the sidewalk and onto the grassy expanse leading to a large children’s play structure. Hadley couldn’t quite tell if the air was cooler up on the hill or if the nature of such a clandestine rendezvous was the cause of the extra chill creeping up her spine. The air held the distinct smell of wood smoke, even though Hadley was sure most of the fancy houses surrounding her would be solely outfitted with push-button, gas fireplaces.

  Hadley jumped as she noticed a shadowy figure move out from behind the swing set supports.

  “Who’s she?” Jaxon’s voice was deeper than she would’ve expected for a teenager, more intimidating. She suddenly worried they’d made a terrible mistake meeting him alone.

  “She’s my tutor. My parents won’t let me go anywhere alone since Miranda … so I brought her along. Don’t worry, though. She’s cool.” Cassie’s voice was smooth, holding none of the anxious energy spiking up Hadley’s neck in hot waves.

  Realizing the high schooler was keeping it together better than she was, Hadley shoved her hands in her pockets, hoping to appear marginally more at ease. However, once inside the lining, her fingers closed around her phone—just in case. Jaxon stepped into a beam of light from a nearby streetlight, but Hadley still couldn’t get a good look at his face.

  “I’m glad you messaged, Cass.” Jaxon sniffed.

  Hadley could feel her nose running after a few minutes out in the cold as well.

  Suddenly, the young man lunged forward. Heart in her throat, Hadley watched as he went for Cassie, arms outstretched. About to jump to her rescue, Hadley took one more second to let her eyes adjust in the darkness.

  She was glad she did.

  Instead of harming Cassie, as Hadley feared, Jaxon pulled her into a tight hug. In the moonlight it was hard to see, but Hadley could make out Cassie’s arms wrapping tight around the teenage boy.

  “I’m so sorry. I feel like it’s all my fault.” Jaxon’s words were muffled slightly as he leaned down to give her one last squeeze before stepping back.

  An overwhelming sense of pity came over Hadley. Either the boy was an amazing actor, or he was finally cracking after carrying around the guilt of being the last person to see Miranda. Shining, silvery tears shone in the corners of Cassie’s eyes as she looked up at him.

  “Honestly, Jax, I can’t tell you if it is or not because this is the first you’ve talked to me since Thursday night. You didn’t return my calls, and everyone’s saying you refused to tell them anything.” Hadley wanted to cheer for Cassie and the blunt way she cut right to the point.

  Jaxon’s head dropped. “I know. I’m so sorry. I was pissed after my fight with her. I went to Danny’s and got wasted. I turned off my phone, so I didn’t see anything until I got to school around third period and realized what had happened.” He raked a hand through his hair. “When the police came to talk to me, I got scared, Cass. Asking all of those questions like they thought I’d done something.”

  Scared? Said the teenage drug dealer, Hadley thought incredulously, losing some of her sympathy for the guy.

  “You’ll tell me, though …” Cassie reached out and grabbed on to Jaxon’s arm. “Right?”

  Instead of answering, he glanced over at Hadley. “Without her.”

  “No can do,” Hadley responded, surprising herself after being quiet for so long. “I’m not letting Cassie out of my sight tonight, sorry.”

  “Seriously, Jax,” Cassie scoffed. “She’s fine. She makes jam all day and is a self-proclaimed cat lady. You don’t have to worry about her saying anything to anyone but her seven cats.”

  If Hadley wasn’t sure Cassie was purposefully laying it on thick for Jaxon’s benefit, she would’ve been mildly offended by the statements. But as it was, she nodded in support. Seven cats didn’t sound too terrible.

  “Guilty,” she added, holding up a hand as if she were confirming the statement.

  Jaxon was silent for a moment, but he finally motioned over to a beautifully cut cedar picnic table to their right. Once all three of them were seated, he cleared his throat.

  He placed his hands on the table as if to steady himself before saying, “You should’ve never introduced her to me.” He shook his head, dark hair swinging in front of his equally dark eyes.

  Cassie pulled in a deep breath. “She would’ve found a way to get them with or without you.”

  Jaxon shot a look toward Hadley, but continued. “She told you about our fight, then?”

  “A little. Said you wanted to park and she didn’t, and when you got mad she made you let her out.” Cassie blinked, the nearby streetlights reflecting off the whites of her eyes.

  Jaxon let out a groan. “That’s not what happened, Cass. You’ve gotta believe me. We were parked on the ridge just talking. I hated her buying from me in the first place, but when Casey showed up dead I decided I wasn’t going to sell anymore. She brought out this big wad of cash, begging me not to stop. When I asked her where she’d gotten the money, she wouldn’t tell me. Then she wanted to fool around. I got mad and told her she was just using me for the drugs.”

  He stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She flat-out freaked, started yelling at me, saying she wasn’t like her mom. I didn’t know what to do, so I started to drive, but I didn’t get far before she told me to let her out.”

  Silent tears streamed down Cassie’s face in the moonlight as she listened.

  “I shouldn’t have left.” He smacked the heel of his hand into his temple. “I should’ve gone back to get her.”

  The fact that Jaxon’s story was different from what Miranda had told Cassie on the phone that night gave Hadley a bad feeling, but she decided to let Cassie keep up what she was doing.

  “So you dropped her off between the ridge and the hospital.” Cassie chewed on her bottom lip. When Jaxon cocked an eyebrow in question, she added, “She told me she didn’t know where she was, but she thought it was close to the hospital and would meet me at the normal spot.” Cassie’s voice trembled. “She just never made it.”

  Jaxon nodded. “It’s another reason I didn’t say anything to the police—I heard they were doing search parties in the same area, so I figured they knew as much as I did.”

  Cassie let out a long exhale. “Dang it, Jax. Where is she?”

  They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the flitting of bat wings and the hooting of owls in the night. A text came through on her phone and she pulled it out to read, the bright light shocking to her now acclimated eyes.

  It was from Paul, and it made her blood run cold.

  Dennis cleared out his savings earlier today.

  Her heart sank. Jaxon was telling the truth. He didn’t have anything to do with Miranda’s disappearance other than leaving her alone in a moment of anger. Clearing her throat, Hadley decided it was time for her to ask a few questions.

  “Did Miranda mention anything that night about fighting with her boss?” she asked, putting her phone away, hoping to gently slip into the conversation without them thinking it was text related.

  “No.” Jaxon took a deep breath.

  “She was upset, though,” Cassie said quickly. “I could tell she’d been crying when she got to my house. We were supposed to stay in. She’d told me earlier she didn’t want to go out, but when she got there she called Jax right away.”

  “Yeah, we weren’t supposed to hang. That’s right,” Jaxon said.

  Hadley ticked through what she knew about Miranda’s night. She’d fought with Dennis, gone straight to Cassie’s, left with Jaxon, fought with him, got out on the side of the road, and went missing. Her mind worked through what, if anything, this told her.

  She was thinking so hard, trying to see what piece she could possibly be missing that she didn’t realize Cassie was staring at her for a good few moments.

  “What?” Hadley said, surprised at the intensity of the stare the teen was leveling at her.

  “That’s the second time you’ve asked me about her fighting with Dennis.” Even in the darkness, Hadley could feel Cassie’s gaze narrow. “What do you know that we don’t?”

  Hadley’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. She wasn’t sure Paul wanted anyone to know about Dennis’s disappearance yet. The thought almost made her laugh after a moment. It was Stoneybrook, most of the town probably already knew. She sighed.

  Before she could say anything, Jaxon stepped forward. “How does your tutor know so much about all of this?” he asked, staring at Hadley as if he was seeing her for the first time.

  Cassie ran her hands up and down her arms and cleared her throat. “Uh…”

  “Because my brother is one of the deputies looking for her,” Hadley said, not feeling the need to hide it any longer.

  Even in the dark, the way Jaxon’s eyebrows shot up wasn’t hard to catch. But before he had a chance to say anything else, Cassie swatted at him. “Stop distracting her, Jax. She was about to tell us something important.”

  Hadley stood there for a second, refocusing on the news she’d gotten from Paul. “Dennis is missing, and he took all of his money out of the bank. It’s possible he’s the one who took Miranda, and now he’s gone.”

  The gasp that spilled out of Cassie at the news wrenched Hadley’s heart, knowing the amount of helplessness she felt in that moment.

 

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