Page 51 of Solid as Steele
He flared his nostrils. “I could honestly use your support, but my parents would think they had to hold it together because you were there.”
“That makes sense.” She gave him what she hoped was a sincere yet sympathetic smile.
“I’ll borrow my mom’s car to go tell Cassie’s husband and likely come back here for the night. Then pick up my files in the morning.”
“How about we meet at eight at my place? I’ll make breakfast for you.”
“Sounds good.”
“Do you need the address?”
“I remember it.”
Of course he did. She was coming to see he had an excellent memory, which must have made forgetting his identity even worse.
He unclipped his seatbelt but stared ahead instead of getting out.
She reached for his hand. His skin was icy cold.
“Let me pray for you before you go in,” she offered.
“I’d like that.” His desolate tone cut into her heart.
She took a breath and bowed her head, first silently asking God for the right words. She wanted God’s help, yes, but she also wanted Owen to be comforted by her words for his difficult task ahead.
Owen found his mom and dad in their family room, all the furnishings the same for as long as Owen could remember. His dad was lightly snoring in his worn leather recliner, his mom reading a book in front of a blazing fire in the gas fireplace. Owen had to force one foot in front of the other to join them. He was about to change their lives in so many horrible ways. He’d seen it often enough on the job. That he’d have to break such heartrending news to his parents had never crossed his mind until Cassie went missing.
His mom looked up and smiled, but it quickly evaporated. “What is it? What’s wrong, son?”
He crossed over to her, stopping to gently shake his dad’s shoulder on the way.
“I’m just resting my eyes,” he muttered and blinked a few times. “Owen. Guess I dozed off.”
“He has bad news,” his mom said. “I can see it in his face.”
Owen sat down next to her and took her hand.
“It’s Cassie, isn’t it?” she asked.
Owen nodded.
“She’s been found, and it’s not good.”
Owen nodded again. “I’m sorry, Mom…Dad.” He looked back at his dad. “But we recovered her body today.”
“Oh. Oh. No. It can’t. I…” His mom clutched his hand with iron strength. “How long? When did she die? How?”
“I don’t have any answers other than to tell you I followed up on a lead on another investigation I was working and found her in the desert near John Day.”
“Desert? John Day?” His mom blinked in rapid succession. “I don’t understand. She said she was going hiking.”
“Perhaps she went hiking there.” Owen’s dad came to sit and put an arm around Owen’s mom.
“Could be.” Owen kept his gaze trained on them. “We’re basing her ID on the clothing she was last seen wearing and her necklace.”
“The one we gave her on her eighteenth birthday,” his mom said.
Owen nodded. “Since it was custom made, the odds of anyone else having one like it and wearing the exact same outfit is astronomically high. Still, the lab is running DNA and they’ll use her dental records to confirm.”
