Page 36 of Solid as Steele
“Sounds like she disappeared, car and all,” Mackenzie said, even though he was reading the same thing.
Mackenzie scrolled down, and Cassie’s photo opened in front of them. She was young and beautiful with long blond hair and high cheekbones. Big eyes were coated liberally with mascara.
Owen drew in a sharp breath.
Mackenzie glanced at him. “So youdoknow her?”
“She looks very familiar and seeing her is like a knife to the gut.”
Mackenzie continued down the story, which didn’t really give many more details other than Cassie’s parents reported her missing when they couldn’t get ahold of her, and the outfit she was wearing matched the one the woman in the creek had on.
“I think it’s time I call a contact at Clark County to see what we can learn.” Mackenzie reached for her phone on the end table and scrolled through her contacts until she located Bobby Harmon. She glanced at Owen. “Full disclosure. Detective Bobby Harmon and I dated for a while. Didn’t end badly but I broke things off with Bobby, so we’ll see how cooperative he’ll be.”
“Might he be the detective on the investigation?”
She shook her head. “He’s only been a detective for the past two years. One of the reasons we broke up. He couldn’t handle the fact that I made it to detective before he did.”
She tapped his icon, and the phone rang.
“Bobby.” She hit the speaker button. “Mackenzie Steele.”
“Mac? For real?” He paused. “Long time no hear from you.”
“Yeah, it’s been a minute,” she said, waiting for him to take over the conversation as he always did in the past.
“I heard you left the force.”
“I went to work with the family after my cousin Thomas was murdered.”
“Oh, yeah, right. Saw that on the news. I was really sorry to hear about him.”
“Thanks.”
“So what can I do you for?” He sounded wary and a little bit testy but that could just be because of their past.
“I’m on vacation in the John Day area and one of Clark County’s missing investigations came to my attention. Cassie Collins is the missing woman.”
“Now that’s odd. You’re the second person who’s called in today to ask for information on her.”
“Who else called?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.”
She wouldn’t just give up. “Was it Sheriff Wheeler?”
Bobby blew out a short breath over the phone. “Again. Can’t say.”
He was either holding a grudge or had suddenly become a stickler for the rules. She didn’t think he’d changed so likely the grudge.
“What can you tell me about the investigation?” Mackenzie asked, ignoring Bobby’s stonewalling.
“Now, come on, Mac. You know I can’t share that either. I can’t tell you a single thing.”
She gripped the edges of her laptop. “Can you at least point me to the detective who worked or is working the investigation?”
“Not really.” He didn’t respond for a long moment. “But I can tell you what I told the other person who asked. It doesn’t look like anyone’s working it. Says here the investigation went cold, and we closed it some time ago.”
An answer but not one she wanted.
