Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

"Where to first?" Charlotte asked as she headed for the driver's side of my SUV.

"Oh no. Your driving days are over," I said, pushing her out of the way. "You're lucky I didn't lose my cookies after that speed demon display."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Fine. Stop being so dramatic."

We climbed into the vehicle, and I hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do first.

"Well, Marion?" Charlotte demanded, impatient for the plan.

"I'm thinking. What I really want to do is head to the police department and give them a piece of my mind. Find out why they aren't looking into John."

"Then let's go," she said. "We'll talk to the police chief. That way if anything hinky is going on with Stone and his partner, someone from the top can look into it."

"Let me just call Brix first. He said he'd put out some feelers." I grabbed my phone and hit Call. It went straight to voice mail. I groaned. "He's out of pocket. Okay. We'll head to the station and see what we can find out."

Ten minutes later, we were walking out of the police station with zero progress. The chief wasn't there. They'd offered to let us speak to a beat cop, but I'd declined. It just didn't feel right to talk to anyone except the chief.

"We'll come back tomorrow," Charlotte said.

"Yeah," I said, feeling frustrated. We'd finally gotten a break in the case, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I led the way around the corner to my SUV. We'd parked on the side street, hoping not to draw attention to the fact that we were at the police station. Just as we were about to reach my vehicle, Charlotte nudged me.

"Look," Charlotte said, her voice low.

I followed her gaze to the lot behind the station and spotted Stone and Wallis standing near their patrol car. Stone was looking away from us, toward the busier street, while Wallis leaned down, talking to someone in a gray Nissan four-door sedan. A scowl claimed my lips, and I started to dismiss them until Wallis pulled out a thick wad of cash, handed it to the driver, and then took a brown paper bag in return.

Warning bells went off in my head. Did I just see what I thought I saw? Were Stone and Wallis buying drugs? Was that why it looked like Stone was trying to shield Wallis from view? There was no way to know what was in that paper bag, but it didn't look like a food delivery. The bag was far too small.

Wallis suddenly glanced over at us and said something to Stone.

Stone turned around, scowled, and then hurried toward us. I debated just getting in the SUV and leaving. It's not like we were breaking the law. But I decided I wanted to hear what Stone had to say.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Stone?" I said, my tone icy.

"You can keep your nose out of everyone's business," he practically growled.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, playing dumb.

"Don't think we don't know that you're nosing around, trying to interfere in our case. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've caused by having that sniveling idiot from the MTF call here?"

I wanted to pump my fist in the air, knowing that Brix had ruffled some feathers, but I kept my cool. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. If you know what's good for you, you'll go back to your little matchmaking business and keep your nose out of police affairs."

"If you did your job," I said sweetly. "I wouldn't have to interfere, now would I?"

I heard Charlotte suck in a breath. Maybe I shouldn't have said that, but the officer was baiting me, and sometimes a girl just snapped.

His expression turned stony. "Stay. Out. Of. It. Or else it's you who's going to pay the price. Understand?"

"Are you threatening me, Officer Stone ?"

"I'd take it that way if I were you." He turned and started to leave but then paused and added, "I'm sure you wouldn't want us to arrest your guard dog, would you?"

I was still fuming when we got back to the office. How dare Stone threaten Jax? I was going to take him down if it was the last thing I did.

"Marion, calm down," Charlotte said, leaning on her desk and munching the fries we'd picked up from the local burger joint on the way back. "I think there's actually steam coming out of your ears."

"I wouldn't doubt it," I said through clenched teeth, staring at my uneaten lunch. "I don't think I've been this mad since that time you washed my favorite white dress with your red jeans and turned it bubble gum pink."

"That is mad," she said and held her hands in the air as if I was going to attack her.

I couldn't even bring myself to laugh. Instead, I picked up the phone and called Sebastian. After relaying what we'd learned from Kylie, he said, "Do you want me to put a PI on John?"

"Yes," I agreed instantly. "Do you have the information on his background check yet?"

"We have the record of the restraining order that Lacey filed against him, but there is no work history or even a stable address for him. It appears the man has always worked under the table, assuming he worked, and has never owned a home or even rented one in his name. The address he has on file is his grandmother's, and that house is empty and has been condemned according to county records."

"That's gonna make it hard for a PI to find him, isn't it?" I said, sitting back in my chair and covering my eyes with my other hand.

"Maybe, but don't worry, Marion. We'll find information on him. We always do. And the PI can trace things in a way that we can't. I'll call as soon as I know anything."

"What about Lacey's background check?"

"Looks like she's been on her own since she was fifteen. Was in legal trouble once when she was stealing food at age sixteen. Since then, her record is clean. Her last known address was down in Fresno. That's where I'm sending the PI to dig up information on John."

"Okay. Thanks, Sebastian."

"Sure thing."

"Nothing?" Charlotte asked.

"Nothing useful." I drummed my fingers on the desk and then finally tapped my computer and opened my search engine. I typed in Gray Wolf Winery and Help Wanted.

The second return on my search was for an online ad posting for seasonal harvest workers for Gray Wolf Winery.

"Oh man," I muttered to myself and picked up my phone again to call Kai.

"Marion," he said when he answered. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey, Kai. I just learned you guys are hiring seasonal help out there at the winery."

He chuckled. "Are you looking for a part-time job? We can always use some help picking the grapes and tending the fields."

"Ha, no. Not yet, but if business stays in the toilet, you never know," I quipped. "Actually, I'm trying to find out if you had any interviews lined up this week."

"Why?" he asked, suddenly sounding suspicious.

I hadn't wanted to directly ask him about Lacey, preferring instead that he just tell me if he'd had a meeting with her on the books. But it was obvious from his tone that he wasn't going to do that. I cleared my throat. "Well, as it turns out, we learned that Lacey was on her way to a job interview when she went missing. An interview out on Pointe Meadow. Since I saw your online ad, I was wondering?—"

"You think she was coming here and that I or the pack abducted her?" His tone was full of venom. "Really, Marion? That's what you think of me?"

"Um, no? I'm just trying to follow all the leads and cross you and the pack off the list." I hadn't actually thought that, but now I was wondering. Why was he so defensive?

"Right. I'm sure that's exactly what you're doing. For your information, no, I did not have any interviews set up. But if I'd known that woman was looking for work, I'd have hired her just to give her a break. I have to go." The line went dead, and I stared at the phone for a long moment, wondering what just happened.

"That doesn't sound like it went well," Charlotte said.

I glanced up at her. "No. It didn't. Not at all."

"Looks like I might need to find a new date for Autumn then," she said as she tapped on her computer.

I just nodded, wondering if I'd been wrong about Kai and the pack all along. His reaction had been way over the top. I understood being frustrated when everyone suspected you of wrongdoing just because of who and what you were, but I hadn't accused him of anything. Had I?

Maybe deep down I had.

An ache formed in the pit of my stomach as I tossed my lunch in the trash, knowing I wasn't going to be able to eat.