Page 90 of Lost Lake
She shook her head. “Not him either.”
“Since you do take this trail frequently, can you tell me anything about the cabin near the end?”
“That thing?” She shook her head. “What an eyesore. My running group has been trying to get the council to get that thing taken down forever. Apparently, the property is just outside the park border and is privately owned, so they can’t do anything about it.”
Hayden was looking into it, but he’d run into roadblocks. Apparently, the property belonged to a shell company, and he was having a hard time finding the company’s legal owner.
“Then thank you for your time, Ms. Armstrong.” El stood. “Could I get your phone number in case I have additional questions?”
“No problem.” She rattled it off.
El put it in her phone.
Caitlyn tilted her head. “Was I right? Is this the guy in the news who abducted that little child?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not free to discuss the investigation with you at this time. But please know you’ve been very helpful.”
“Man, oh man.” She stood and shoved her hands into the pockets of her uniform top. “I wish I knew, but I understand. Call me if you need anything else.”
She whisked away, her soft-sole clogs squeaking on the floor.
El looked at Gabe. “We don’t have proof positive that it was the abductor and Lucy, but I think we can fairly well assume it is.”
“Yeah, and I’m glad we both agree about that.” Gabe pushed open a hallway door and held it for her. “I want to make sure I’m not letting my feelings for Lucy point me toward a conclusion I want to be true.”
“You aren’t.”
He stepped up beside her. “One thing I can’t dispute. The actual abductor isn’t either Tinsley or Trent.”
“But like you said, they could’ve sent a flunky or an associate to take care of things for them.”
“Just think of that cabin. Could you see men in their positions staying there?”
“No, and I hate that anyone took Lucy there.”
Gabe grimaced. “Me too. But hopefully our interview with these two guys will lead us to her, and she won’t have to suffer in a place like that again.”
El nodded and led the way out of the hospital. She agreed with him, but one thing he probably hadn’t thought through was how he would tell this precious child that her mother had been murdered and her life as she knew it had now completely changed.
But now that someone had seen her, at least they could pray that would be a possibility. As lead investigator, if El made the right moves, they would find Lucy alive. Make a mistake…
No pressure. No pressure at all.
21
In a quiet residential neighborhood, Gabe followed El and Silas Tinsley up a winding staircase of a large older home now turned into a group home. They were heading to Tinsley’s office on the third floor. Gabe had hoped they would catch a look at the rooms, but every door was closed. Probably for security or privacy, but it still gave Gabe a bad feeling.
Tinsley’s posh office, when the rest of the place was rundown, immediately made Gabe dislike the guy. Or maybe Gabe was searching for a reason to dislike him. He looked just like the picture El had shown Caitlyn—his blond hair styled perfectly, his suit tailormade—but that wasn’t Gabe’s issue. He disliked the way he held his head, chin in the air, as if he were superior to everyone around him. And the fact that his office was flashy and his clothing expensive when the rest of the property needed obvious repair seemed sketchy. Maybe he should just cut his salary that paid for his clothing and use it to make the needed repairs.
He pointed to two chairs by a sleek glass desk and told them to sit when he should be apologizing for keeping them waiting for nearly an hour before agreeing to see them. A power play, orwas he getting his story together regarding Kenna’s death and Lucy’s abduction?
He sat in a white leather chair behind the desk. “Is this about one of our children?”
“We’re here to talk to you about your organization,” El said, relaxing in her chair, as if this interview wasn’t important.
“Safe Harbor?” He blinked rapidly. “What about it?”
“We’d like to know what exactly you do and how it functions.”
