Page 67 of Lost Hours
El nodded. “Help yourself to the pizza and salad while we run through the assignments from last night. Then we’ll go through the list of suspects to see what connection, if any, they might have with Becca’s disappearance.”
Mina nodded and headed for the food laid out on a credenza. She grabbed a monster-sized slice of pepperoni pizza and a plastic container holding a ready-made salad and took her food to the table. She plopped down on the open seat next to Abby. If circumstances were different, Mina thought she might be friends with the former sheriff due to their common experiences.
“Hayden,” El said. “You’re first on the list. What have you learned?”
“Before I start on the background checks, you should know that Becca hasn’t used a credit or debit card since the mayor’s death.”
“That doesn’t bode well for her going out of town,” Abby said.
El gave a somber nod. “It does make me suspect foul play or that fear sent her into hiding.”
“Her social media doesn’t show her going away on a trip either,” Hayden said. “Be it a day or a week or a month, she doesn’t mention anything. So either she’s wise on security measures—not posting when and where she’s gone for would-be stalkers and burglars—or she really didn’t go out of town.”
“Hayden gave me a list of her social media friends,” Jude said. “I was able to talk to the ones who replied to her posts most often. None of them knew about a trip. However, one of them said she wouldn’t put it past Becca to make a quick decision to go somewhere for a long weekend and not tell anyone. She said Becca had a stressful job, and she often needed alone time to recover.”
“I interviewed her supervisor and coworkers at the county,” Reece said. “She didn’t show up for work today or call in. The guy said it was unlike her to miss work. Her coworkers seconded that.”
“Did they mention her need to recuperate from work?” Mina stabbed her salad with a plastic fork.
“Not in so many words, but her supervisor did say she’s a hypersensitive individual, and she often took the plight of her clients to heart.”
“So maybe she’s holed up in a cabin or motel somewhere,” Mina said.
Reece nodded. “I’m already checking with hotels, motels, and B&Bs in the area. I’ll let you know if I find anyone matching her description.”
Mina smiled at her. “Good work, Reece.”
El dropped her pizza slice on her plate. “What about the list of people Daisy made of Becca’s and the mayor’s local friends?”
Jude held his pizza near his mouth. “That’s me. I’ve interviewed all but two of them, and they don’t know where she might be. One mentioned a spa she liked to go to, but she’s not there. I’ll keep after the friends I haven’t been able to connect with yet.”
“So we still don’t know for sure that she’s in danger.” Mina looked around the table. “But since she never misses work without calling in, that’s most suspicious.”
The others nodded.
“I still have those friends to interview,” Jude said. “But my gut says she isn’t out of town. The mayor’s a different story. Daisy couldn’t come up with many friends. He only had acquaintances. His birdwatching club would be the closest, and they didn’t have a clue who would want to hurt him.”
El looked at Hayden. “What did you find out on Becca’s and the mayor’s background check?”
“Both are squeaky clean,” he said. “Except the deposits and withdrawals I mentioned for the mayor. He’s definitely been selling items in an auction house and on eBay.”
Mina set down her fork. “I know he had some pricey sports memorabilia he collected over the years. He displayed it on shelves in his office, but I didn’t notice if it was missing when we were there. I’ll stop by his place on my way home tonight to see if the collection is missing.”
“But it’s odd, right?” Hayden said. “He has plenty of money. Why sell anything to get more? There has to be another reason. And why then take it out in cash?”
Jude shoved his empty plate away. “Maybe he was doing it for Becca. She told me she didn’t understand his fascination with collecting and wasn’t into it. If he took care of selling it, she wouldn’t have to deal with it after the cancer took him.”
Gabe scowled. “But she would’ve seen the items disappearing, which means the mayor would’ve had to tell her about his cancer.”
“Or not,” Nolan said. “He might’ve told her he was tired of it and wanted to get rid of it.”
Jude shook his head. “I don’t buy that and neither would she. Not based on how much of a fanatic he was about it. Or at least that’s what Becca said.”
“I can vouch for that.” Mina stabbed a juicy tomato. “Hewasfanatical about it.”
“Any thoughts on what this has to do with her disappearance?” El set down her water bottle.
Reece wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “What if she was helping him sell the memorabilia, and she went to meet someone who took advantage of her?”
