Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

We spent the afternoon checking out the other farms in the area. Blueberries, Groveland Farms, and Happy Hollow. None of them had any record of Lacey Riley calling them or setting up an interview. The day was mostly a bust with the exception of the half-off sunflower bouquets we picked up from Happy Hollow. It was the end of their season, and they were desperately trying to move the last of their stock.

"We still need to go by Tazia's shop and Sky's the Limit," Charlotte said, eyeing our list.

"There's no time like the present," I said.

"Oh no." Charlotte shook her head violently. "First, you're going to feed me. I'm starving."

"I guess we can stop for a late lunch."

"We either stop, or you'll have to deal with hangry Charlotte. Your choice."

I sped up and said, "Late lunch it is."

"That's what I thought."

In less than five minutes, I pulled the SUV into the parking lot of Witches' Garden.

"Are you even allowed in there?" Charlotte asked, eyeing the restaurant that had almost burned down during one of my mixers.

"Ha. Ha. Bellatrix has completely forgiven me. Especially since I send a lot of first dates here."

"She's nicer than me," Charlotte quipped.

"A lot of people are nicer than you." The words just flew out of my mouth, and the second I heard them, I clasped my hand over my mouth.

My sister just looked at me and laughed. "No lies detected. Though you didn't have to be so blunt about it. Now come on. My stomach is trying to eat itself."

"Sorry," I muttered. "I didn't mean that."

She laughed. "Yes, you did. But you can make it up to me by buying lunch."

"Okay," I said and even managed to refrain from mentioning that I usually did when we were working.

The restaurant was lit with at least a thousand candles, and there were sage bundles in the middle of each table.

"You'd think after almost losing the place to fire once before that Bellatrix wouldn't ever light even one more candle," Charlotte observed after we were seated.

"They are spelled. The flame is an illusion," I said. Bellatrix had asked me if she could pay the coven to create the gorgeous aesthetic. I'd told her I'd ask, but no way was she paying for it. In the end, the coven had been happy to help. And with seven of us combining our power, it had only taken about ten minutes.

"You can't even tell," Charlotte said with awe in her voice.

"Marion!" Bellatrix called when she spotted us. "It's been a while since you've been in. How are you?"

"Doing pretty good. How's business?" I asked as I stood and gave her a hug.

"Booming. Know anyone looking for a job? We're short a few servers." She glanced past me and said hello to Charlotte.

"Only one," I said hesitantly. "But it's possible she's already come by or called you. Does the name Lacey Riley ring a bell?"

"Actually yes," she said, frowning and then giving a quick shake of her head. "But it appears your friend isn't all that interested in work. I told her I'd give her a try, but she never showed up."

I sucked in a sharp breath. It was our first solid lead. Not only that, but Bellatrix was someone I trusted. The information she gave us would be reliable. I just hoped there was something we could use to piece together Lacey's whereabouts on the day she disappeared. "Listen, Bellatrix, Lacey went missing yesterday. Charlotte and I are trying to trace her movements prior to her disappearance. Do you mind answering some questions?"

"She's missing?" Bellatrix clutched her crystal necklace, her eyes wide. "No wonder she didn't show up yesterday. She was supposed to come in around two to do paperwork and get a tour before she shadowed one of my other waitresses. Oh gosh. And here I was, angry and thinking uncharitable thoughts. Of course, I'll help in any way I can."

"Have a seat." I waved to the empty chair at our table as I sat back down. Once Bellatrix was settled, I asked, "When did Lacey first come in?"

"Let me think." Bellatrix tapped the table with her fingers and said, "It was either Thursday or Friday."

"Anyway you can narrow that down?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, probably." She wrinkled her nose. "I swear, getting older sucks. The short-term memory is the first thing to go." Then she pulled out her phone, looked at her calendar, and said, "There. Demetri was the sous chef that day. I remember because he flirted with her when he brought me a new dish to try. So that was definitely Friday. Sometime between lunch and dinner. I'd say around three, probably."

"Friday. Okay," I said with a nod, unsure how that could help us if she went missing on Sunday. But it was a start. "Do you mind telling us about the interview?"

"There's not much to tell," Bellatrix said with a half shrug. "She was new in town. Looking to start over after the last place she worked went out of business. Said she moved here because her mother said it was her favorite place on earth. Decided if she needed to start over, she might as well do it in a ‘magical place' as her mother had called it."

"Did her mother live here?" Charlotte asked, her expression hopeful.

"Oh, no." The restaurant owner shook her head. "Her mother came here on her honeymoon and then came back every anniversary up until her untimely death about twelve years ago." Bellatrix looked sad when she added, "Her dad didn't handle it well and married a woman half his age just three months later. They moved Back East, and Lacey said she hadn't heard from him since."

"She told you all that?" I asked. It wasn't something people usually talked about in an interview.

"You'd be surprised what people say when you give them space to talk about themselves," Bellatrix said. "If I've learned anything about interviewing potential staff after all these years, it's to listen more than speak. Usually they end up divulging something I never would have asked about. It gives me insight into who they are. With Lacey, I saw a young woman who just needed a break in life. That's why I was disappointed when she didn't show up yesterday."

I'd already known that Bellatrix was a good person, but her words just drove the point home.

"Did she say anything that might help us find her?" Charlotte asked. "Like where she lived, hours she was available, or if she'd interviewed with anyone else?"

"She said she was renting a studio apartment from an older couple here in Premonition Pointe. I assume a granny apartment or one over a garage." Bellatrix said. "But she didn't say where. She did say she was looking for a second job because she liked being outside and was hoping for something at a farm or nursery."

We already knew about her preference for a farm or nursery, but it was good to have confirmation. I just wished she'd given Bellatrix something more substantial that would give us a lead on her.

"The only other thing we talked about," Bellatrix continued, "was that she couldn't come in on Saturday because she was watching her neighbor's kid. They'd worked out an agreement to help each other out with childcare. The neighbor's name was Kelly, I think she said. Or was it Kelcy? I'm not sure. Something with a K."

"Kylie?" Charlotte asked, her brows raised. "Kylie Brickenson?"

"Kylie! That's it," Bellatrix exclaimed, beaming. "I knew it was a K name. I don't know about the last name, but it definitely was Kylie."

"Who's Kylie Brickenson?" I asked Charlotte.

"She's the woman I go to for my waxings at the Liminal Space Day Spa," she said excitedly. "Kylie has a little girl, about eight years old I think."

My heart started to pound. "Do you think she's working today?"

"I'm already on it." Charlotte had her phone out and was busy making the call.

I turned to Bellatrix. "Thank you so much for your help. If Kylie Brickenson really is her neighbor, this could be the break we need."

Bellatrix nodded once. Then she frowned at me. "Where are the PPPD in all this? Shouldn't they be handling this investigation?"

I let out a frustrated grunt. "You'd think so, but they have their sights set on Kai Gray with zero proof."

"Why would they do that? Was he seen with her or something?" Bellatrix asked.

"No. At least not the day she went missing. He did step in during an altercation with her ex on the beach the day before that, though. Jax and I were there. Kai was nothing but helpful. I think someone at the PPPD just has a thing against Kai and are looking to pin this on him with or without concrete proof."

"And you aren't going to stand for that," Bellatrix said kindly. Then she reached over and squeezed my hand. "There should be more people like you in the world, Marion. Let me know if I can be of any more help."

"I will." I stood and gave her a hug.

"Marion, we have to go," Charlotte said, jumping out of her chair and grabbing her bag. "Kylie is with her last appointment right now. We gotta move if we want to catch her."

So much for that lunch, I thought, eyeing the empty table.

Charlotte grabbed my hand and hauled me after her. I glanced back and called, "Thanks again, Bellatrix."

"Give me your keys," Charlotte demanded when we got to the SUV.

"I can drive," I said, moving to open the driver's side door.

But once I had the door open, Charlotte bumped me out of the way and climbed in. "You're moving too slow. Get in. I've got this."

She started the vehicle and was already putting it in gear before I registered what was happening.

"I'll leave you here," she said.

Knowing she wasn't one to bluff, I hurried around to the other side and climbed in. Before I even got the door closed all the way, Charlotte stepped on the gas and whipped the SUV out of the parking lot.

"Holy shit, Char. You could have waited until I was strapped in at least."

"We don't have time." She floored it when the upcoming light turned yellow.

I grabbed the "oh shit" handle and held on. "I don't think we need to risk our lives to catch her in time, do we? I mean, we know where to find her now."

Charlotte glanced over at me, her expression made of steel. "As far as we know, no one is actually looking for Lacey. If Kylie has some information, then maybe we'll get a clue about how to find her, right?"

"Well, sure…" I started.

"Then time is of the essence, right?" she demanded again.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"You guess so," she repeated. "If it were me or Ty or Jax, you'd be weaving in and out of this traffic right now."

My sister had a point. If one of my loved ones had disappeared, I'd do just about anything to find them. I gave my sister a long look. "You identify with Lacey, don't you?"

"What?" She took a turn a little too fast, making me slightly nauseated. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you're all in on trying to find her."

Charlotte didn't say anything at first, but then she finally responded. "I know what it feels like to think you're alone in the world. I can't stand the idea that Lacey must be feeling that now, wherever she is. So yeah. If we can help, then I'm going to do whatever I can."

"I'm with you," I said.

She smirked at me. "That's good, since I'm driving."

"Just get us there in one piece," I said.

When she pulled into the parking lot, I loosened my grip on the handle, more than ready to have my feet on solid ground.

Charlotte slowed, staking out a parking spot, but then she suddenly pointed at a red Toyota Camry and said, "Oh no! There she goes!"

Before I could get a word out, Charlotte stepped on the gas and raced after the red car.