11. Hazel

Chapter 11

Hazel

I welcomed the new day with a bright smile, but it dimmed when I remembered I would be meeting up with Ian today. I wondered what kind of late-night psychosis had led me to agree to this team-up in the first place.

What was I thinking?

I couldn’t stand Ian, and he couldn’t stand me. How on earth were we supposed to solve a mystery if we hated the very thought of being in the same room together?

“What was I thinking?” I asked myself out loud as I groaned into my pillow.

I shoved my curly hair out of my face and walked into the shower. Half an hour later, I was standing in the kitchen, staring at my fridge and trying to figure out what to eat for breakfast. Ian and I weren’t meeting until ten a.m., so I still had some time to enjoy life before I had to endure his presence.

After eating breakfast, I got ready and headed out. I drove to Stacey’s bakery where Ian and I had agreed to meet. It wasn’t far from where I lived but the early morning traffic made the journey appear longer. I wasn’t upset about it though. I still had about half an hour before I had to be at the bakery.

Plus, sitting in traffic gave me time to think. I needed to think about what I was about to do. Was I really capable of working with Ian? I’d spent the better part of my life ignoring the man and now I was agreeing to be his partner.

I did my best to remember that this wasn’t about me or how I felt about Ian. It was about Emily. She needed help and for her, I could handle a few extra hours with Ian.

I parked in the driveway of Stacey’s bakery. Coming here seemed like a smart idea. After what happened the last time Ian came to my office, this would certainly be better. I didn’t want my coworkers listening in on our conversation like they did last time. This way we could enjoy our privacy even if it was in a public place.

It was either this or meeting up in one of our apartments. I was still recovering from having Ian in my home. Somehow the brief moment he’d spent standing in my doorway had left his scent all over my house. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if I had him over regularly.

The alternative was going to his place and that sounded just as uncomfortable. The thought of us working alone in his apartment was terrifying. Working at Stacey’s bakery was definitely the best option.

I got out of my car and walked into the building. Unsurprisingly, I saw Ian sitting at a table in the corner. I’d never experienced it personally, but Jade told me her brother was disgustingly punctual. I could tell from his empty cup of coffee that she wasn’t wrong. He’d been waiting for a while.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” I said as I slipped into the chair opposite him.

“It hasn’t been that long.” He lifted his hand to check his watch, and the shiny jewelry almost blinded me. Some days I forgot how rich he was. “Besides, you’re right on time.”

I signaled a waiter and placed my order. When he left, I brought out my notebook so I could go over all the details of the case with Ian. Before I could get a single word out, Stacey walked up to our table.

“When you said you were waiting for someone, never in a million years would I have thought that someone was Hazel Jones,” she said to Ian. Then she turned to me. “I thought you couldn’t stand him.”

“She told you that?” Ian asked.

I glared at Stacey. Ian and I were both aware of our feelings for each other but neither of us had ever said it to the other one’s face.

“Of course not,” I said.

Stacey carried on as if I hadn't spoken. “Yes, she did. Actually, I believe her exact words were— Ow!”

It was Stacey’s turn to glare at me since I was currently grinding the heel of my sandals on her toes. “Oops, sorry. I didn’t see your leg.”

“She can be so aggressive sometimes,” Stacey said, quickly recovering and shifting away slightly so I couldn’t stomp on her toes again. “You really have to be careful with her.”

“Trust me, I know,” Ian agreed, his voice solemn as if he were discussing something very serious. “I’m honestly terrified she’ll reach across the table and strangle me at any moment.”

“I’m really considering it,” I said.

“Just be careful around her. And if you make it through the morning without losing your head, I’ll give you a free slice of chocolate cake.” Those were Stacey’s parting words as she left us. I glared at her back and she turned to face me with a bright smile. My glare intensified and her laughter floated across her bakery.

“Relax. She’s only teasing you,” Ian said, making me turn to him again.

“I know.”

My order arrived and Ian asked the waiter for another cup of coffee. When we were alone again, I opened my notebook.

“Okay, so this is everything we know about Emily’s disappearance. She and her friend came to Cloverhill two weeks ago because they wanted to see the town where you grew up. They’re both huge fans of you, Emily more so than Olivia. They explore the town together for a few days while spending their nights at a local hotel because they don’t know anyone in town. One night, Olivia goes out to buy some things. She tells Emily to come with her, but Emily declines and Olivia goes alone. When Olivia returns her friend is missing. She flat-out disappeared. Anyone’s first thought would be that she simply left of her own accord but that doesn’t make sense because Emily left everything of value behind. Her ATM card, her phone, her purse. All of it. She wouldn’t leave without that stuff which is why Olivia feels her friend was kidnapped.”

Ian looked at me curiously, tilting his head and making a sound in the back of his throat, but he didn’t interrupt.

“She tried reporting to the police first, but they needed more time before they started the investigation. So she came to me and asked me to help her write a story about Emily. We both hoped that it would bring awareness and people would come forward with information about Emily but so far we have nothing.”

I shut my notebook and set it on the table just as the waiter returned with Ian’s coffee. He took a sip with a thoughtful look on his face. His brows scrunched together, and his eyelids lowered as if he was mentally going over everything I’d just said.

“There really isn't a lot to go on.”

“You’re right. There isn't.”

I wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Ian put down his cup of coffee and… smiled at me. It was so unexpected that it hit me like a blow to the gut, pushing the breath out of my lungs in a sharp exhale.

“That would be the first time we’ve ever agreed on anything,” he said with a laugh.

It took a while for me to find my voice. When I did, it was croaky. “It… It is. Th-That’s true.”

I laughed alongside him, and it was the strangest thing I’d ever experienced. Sitting there laughing with Ian felt…weird. But not in a bad way. It felt good to hear him laugh, to see the way his mirth contorted his features. It made me notice things about him I’d never noticed before. Things I really shouldn’t be noticing.

I remembered the moment when he’d laughed in my apartment and the two moments blended into one. Suddenly all I could see and hear was Ian laughing. The melodic sound danced around me, while images of the way his eyes lit up with amusement played in my mind. I saw his eyes and then his lips, the opened-mouthed smile that exposed perfect white teeth, one slightly crooked from a hockey accident he’d had many years ago.

I still remember that day. I remembered the fear in his mother’s eyes. It wasn’t a serious injury but nothing anyone said could convince his mother that Ian’s life wasn’t in danger. Ian recovered quickly and before long he was on the field again, much to his mother’s dismay. She wanted him to take some time off, but he was determined to keep going, to keep chasing his dreams.

I guess that was the moment Mrs. Carter realized that hockey wasn’t just a pleasurable pastime for her son. To Ian, hockey was the world. I knew he had more than enough money to get that tooth fixed, but he still hadn't. I thought he kept it because it reminded him of where he started and of how far he’d come.

Now, he was the Ian Carter, the world-renowned hockey player. He was also the man sitting across from me and giving me butterflies in places I didn’t know I could get butterflies.

I shook my head and tried to focus. I didn’t come here to ogle Ian. Actually, there isn't a world where I should be ogling Ian or looking at him with anything else but disgust.

“Anyway, back to Emily.”

“Right,” he said, his smile fading and the thoughtful look he had on before appearing once again. “So, what’s next?”

“We just have to keep digging. The real issue is I have no idea where to start, I’ve tried everything I can, spoken to everyone I could. Nothing seems to be working. Nothing I’ve done has brought me any closer to finding her.”

A bit of the frustration I’d been feeling slipped into my voice. I felt frustrated by the lack of progress on Emily’s case. I knew that the more time we wasted searching for evidence, the more time she spent in the hands of whatever maniac took her. She could be suffering right now. Or worse, she could be dead.

“What are the police saying?”

I scoffed. “They haven't made any progress. Heck, I’d argue that I’ve been able to find more information than they have. And I can feel them slowly giving up on her. I feel it in the way they discuss it. I see it in how dismissive they are of any new information I bring. They couldn’t find anything so now they want to just give up. They believe Emily simply left on her own. After all, there were no signs of struggle in the hotel room.”

“None at all?” Ian asked.

“Nothing. It looks like she left but that doesn’t mean she actually did. How can they just give up like that?”

“I’m sure they’re not giving up. The police in Cloverhill are usually good at their jobs. At least from what I’ve heard.”

I chose not to argue with that even though I’d yet to see the police competence he spoke of. We remained silent for a while until Ian spoke again. “Is there any way we can check the hotel room ourselves?”

“I tried that. I didn’t make it past the guy at the front desk.” I still vividly remember the way the man had looked at me when I asked if I could get into the room. He quickly dismissed me, and I had to leave without ever seeing the room where Olivia and Emily stayed. I understood that I wasn’t a police officer, but I was also working to help Emily. Shouldn’t that be enough? “There’s no way we can get in there,” I said.

Ian’s smile made a spectacular return. “Leave that to me.”

I stared at him, confused and slightly worried about what he was planning. But strangely I felt I could trust him.

I trusted Ian Carter.

I never thought I’d ever feel that way about him. I wondered how much more my feelings would change if we kept working together.