Chapter 4

Noah's heart sank."I'm going to jail, aren't I." It wasn't a question.

A small smile tugged at one corner of Hugo's mouth. "Probably not today, hermano."

"Is that because of the rule about waiting twenty-four hours before someone is officially considered missing?" Maggie asked.

Hugo's smile broadened. "That's a bit of a myth, Ms. Milena."

"Please, just call me Maggie. And really?"

"Yes, Maggie. While it's true that a police department may wait to take your report about a suspected missing person, that doesn't apply to people suspected of being a victim of foul play, which is potentially what we're dealing with here."

Noah groaned.

Hugo gripped Noah's shoulder and gave him a reassuring look. "Don't worry. At least not yet. Like I said, there's a lot of things I'm seeing here that just don't add up. For all we know, Valentina left of her own accord. But first, we need some officers to really comb this place for evidence. The police will also contact Valentina's family and friends to see if anyone has heard from her."

Hugo's gaze swung between them, "As a matter of fact, have either of you tried calling her?"

"I don't have her number," Noah mumbled.

Hugo looked confused. "I thought you had a date with her last night?"

"I did, but..." Noah's face reddened. "It was a setup by a matchmaking service."

"My matchmaking service," Maggie said. "Matches by Maggie. But it's our policy not to share personal information such as phone numbers or addresses with our clients. We simply arrange their first date, and after that, it's up to them what they feel comfortable sharing."

"Ahhh." Hugo's face cleared.

"I have her number," Maggie added, pulling her cell phone out of her purse. She made a few taps on her screen and then held the phone to her ear.

Her hopeful expression turned to dismay a few seconds later. "Her voicemail is full."

With a grim expression, Hugo pulled out his own cell phone and placed a call to the Whispering Pines Police Department.

It wasn't long before two officers arrived. Noah, Maggie, and Hugo answered all their questions. It was particularly frustrating for Noah to realize how little he could recall about the previous evening, including how he'd ended up in Valentina's condo.

After they were questioned, the officers had the three of them wait near the entrance while they examined each room, took photographs, lifted fingerprints, and packaged up the wine and glasses.

Finally, the officers finished and everyone stepped outside while one officer placed a bright yellow police banner over the condo's front door.

A feeling of unreality washed over Noah as one officer told him not to leave town. He let Noah know they might need to bring him into the station for more questioning. Then the officers left them all to go speak with the management team of the complex.

"Look, I've got to go pick up Ani," Hugo said, glancing at his watch. "But I'll keep you updated on the investigation."

Noah's expression was bleak.

Hugo gave him a pat on the back. "Don't sweat it, Noah. Our police force may be small, but they're a smart bunch. I'm sure they'll find Valentina alive and well."

"And if they don't?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, you should probably go get checked by a doctor to figure out why you can't remember anything. Maybe it has something to do with that bruise on your face. Maybe you hit your head last night."

"Yeah, I guess," Noah mumbled. Then Hugo bid them both farewell and headed toward the parking lot.

Maggie turned to face Noah. "Hugo's right," she said, a look of concern on her face.

"I know. But, Maggie, all I want to do right now is find Valentina."

"I get it. I feel the same way."

"Maybe if I try retracing my steps from last night..."

"But you only remember the start of your date at the coffee shop," Maggie said. "And that's the only thing I arranged for you, so I don't have any additional information either."

"Well, I can start there, at least. Maybe I said something to Olivia, or maybe she'll remember something."

He was referring to the friendly owner of Lakeside Latté, Whispering Pines' most popular coffee shop.

Noah looked down at Boon. He'd taken the dog's leash back from Maggie when they'd exited the condo. "What am I going to do with you, though?"

The dog cocked his head, looking up at him with liquid brown eyes.

Noah sighed deeply and slid a sideways glance at Maggie. Her brows were furrowed, and there was a little crinkle over her nose. This was a familiar sight to Noah from back when they were in high school. He recalled how the crinkle always appeared whenever she was deep in thought. Despite the stressful situation, she looked absolutely adorable, and Noah felt an overpowering urge to lean over and kiss that crinkle away. He cleared his throat. "Look, Maggie, I'm really sorry about all of this. And I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming so quickly when I called this morning. I hate that I ended up involving you."

"Don't be silly! Of course I'm involved. We're friends, Noah. And besides, all this happened while you were on a Matches by Maggie date. I care about you and Valentina. I need to know that you're both okay. Besides, like Hugo said, we don't even know exactly what happened yet."

He was touched by her efforts to keep a positive spin on it all. But as he looked back up at the yellow tape draped across Valentina's door, he couldn't quite shake a feeling of impending doom. He sighed. "Well, I guess we should go now."

"Do you need a ride?" Maggie asked.

"Uh...maybe?" He frowned and glanced toward the condo parking lot. "Like I told the police, I know I drove to the coffee shop for the start of the date. But I have no memory of driving here last night. And it's scary to think I might have." He ran a hand over his face. "But man! I really hope my car is here."

"Let's go see," Maggie said.

The two of them walked along the sidewalk that led to the small lot in the back of the building. The neatly painted white lines offered enough spaces for about two dozen cars. Noah's eyes swept over the colorful array of parked vehicles. He should have been able to easily spot his Trailblazer, but he didn't see it.

He frowned and dug his hand into the pocket of his pants to pull out the key to his car. He planned to hit the lock button so his headlights would light up. Instead, what he found in his hand was a slim, black key fob with a fancy red-and-gold logo etched into the top of it. "What the—"

Maggie looked down at his hand and then back at his face with a surprised look. "Seriously? You drive a Porsche?"

Noah's eyes were wide. "No, I don't drive a Porsche!"

She arched a brow. "Then why does your key fob have the Porsche logo on it?"

"I don't—"

She quickly pressed her fingertips against his lips. "Please don't say ‘I don't know' again!"

He couldn't resist smiling at her beneath the light pressure of her fingers, but then returned his gaze to the mysterious key fob. Giving a little shrug, he lifted it and aimed it toward the lot full of cars. He saw lights flash from the middle of the lot.

He pulled Boon along as he immediately started walking toward it, Maggie trailing behind them. He arrived at the spot where the lights had flashed and stopped short, Maggie bumping into him.

She stepped around him and then sucked in her breath. "Nice!" she breathed, walking toward the sleek, silver Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. Noah stood frozen, his mouth hanging open.

Maggie pressed her face against the tinted window. "I can't see anything," she said.

Recovering, Noah hit the unlock button, and she pulled open the passenger-side door. "Oooh, I wouldn't have pegged you for a red-leather interior kind of guy."

"I'm not!" Noah protested as she slipped into the passenger seat. "Maggie, this is not my car."

He circled the car like it was a dangerous animal about to strike. What was he doing with the keys to this Porsche in his pocket? And where was his car?

He took in the vehicle's sleek lines and pristine condition, finally stopping at the hood to stare down at the unmistakable Porsche shield emblem with the prancing black horse at its center. It perfectly matched the one on the key fob he held in his hand.

Still holding Boon's leash, he walked back to the driver's side door, commanded the dog to sit, and slid in beside Maggie. She was busy rifling through the glove box.

"I don't understand," Noah said, shaking his head. "I promise you that I do not own this Porsche."

Maggie was studying one of the documents that she'd pulled from the glove box. Then she glanced up at him, brows slightly raised. "Um, apparently you do."

"What?"

"Read these," she said, handing several pieces of paper to him.

Noah's mouth fell open again as he flipped through the registration, insurance, and title papers to the car, all clearly showing one Noah Riley as the owner.

"I bought a Porsche last night?" he shouted.

Suddenly Boon, who had been sitting quietly next to the open driver's side door, leaped into the car and onto Noah's lap. He filled the entire front of the vehicle as he pressed his large body against Noah, his doggie face now eye-to-eye with Maggie.

"Boon!" Noah exclaimed, getting a mouthful of fur. "What are you doing? Get down, boy! Off!"

A lot of wriggling, twisting, and nudging ensued, resulting in Boon eventually sitting in the tiny, low-slung back seat, his furry head poking between Maggie and Noah in the front.

"Start it up!" Maggie said, her face flushed with excitement.

Noah hesitated, uncertain. But then he reluctantly obeyed, and the engine purred to life. His eyes moved from the standard tachometer centered behind the steering wheel to the glowing digital displays that showed speed and car status information floating along each side of it.

Maggie instantly tapped at the large touchscreen that lit up in the center of the instrument panel. She scrolled through options for navigation, entertainment, and vehicle settings. She tapped a button and gave a delighted squeal as the atmospheric drums and heavy bass of a dubstep tune poured through the Bose surround sound system. She started swaying to the beat in her seat before catching Noah's eye. He was staring at her.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," he said.

Maggie looked back at him, barely managing an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but...c'mon! We're in a Porsche!"

"But where is my car?" he said. "And don't say this is my car!" he quickly added when he saw her open her mouth.

She closed it.

He shut his eyes and leaned back against the soft leather of the deep bucket seat. He tried to deep breathe and think. But it was useless, his memory of last night was still a blank slate. And his headache was pounding out a relentless drumbeat against his temples. When he opened his eyes, he found a genuinely contrite Maggie looking back at him.

"I really am sorry," she said. "I can't imagine all you must be feeling right now. I know you said you want to try and retrace your steps to find Valentina. I want to help."

Noah sighed, then sat back up and shook his head. "It could be dangerous, Maggie. Think about what happened with those guys breaking into—" She held up a hand, cutting him off.

"I want to help! This matters to me, too, Noah. Valentina was my client, and I'm just as concerned about what might have happened to her. Let me help you retrace your steps."

He looked uncertain. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

He surveyed the Porsche's stylish interior, still trying to process how it was possible that this luxury vehicle had somehow ended up in his possession. Despite his reservations, he let out a resigned sigh.

"Okay then," he said with reluctance, and started to adjust the mirrors. "I guess we should start with a visit to Lakeside Latté. You can follow me in your car."

"Uh..."

He looked over at her. "What?"

"Don't you think maybe you should change first?"

He'd completely forgotten about his disheveled appearance and blood-stained shirt. He glanced at his face in the rearview mirror and groaned. "Yeah, I guess that's probably a good idea."

"Look, my car is over there." She indicated an old burgundy Subaru a few rows away. "I'll drive home and get Valentina's file info off my computer while you go freshen up. Then maybe you can pick me up at my place?"

"What about him?" Noah said as Boon once again poked his head through the gap between their seats, his exploration of the back seats apparently complete.

"I think we should just keep him with us for now," Maggie said, leaning sideways to avoid his probing wet nose. "I mean, maybe Hugo's wrong and Boon really is Valentina's dog. He might even be a help."

Noah glanced between her and the dog with a doubtful look, then gave a little shrug. "Okay, it sounds like a plan."