Page 16 of Wicked Shadows
5
CHAPTER FIVE
“Devon, I need your help.”
Jeff’s frantic tone made the hair on the back of Shadow’s neck stand at attention and salute. There was only one reason why Jeff would react with such strong emotion.
“Tell me.”
“Elle is missing. She called me a couple of nights ago. It was late and she was scared. She said she thought someone was watching her. I should’ve listened to my gut and flew out there the minute we hung up. She convinced me she was just being paranoid. If anything has happened to her, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Jeff’s agitated state had him spewing information at Shadow in half thoughts and out of sequence events. Shadow couldn’t make sense of Jeff’s ramblings, though he understood why he reacted so forcefully. The mere mention that Elle was missing was enough to push Shadow over the edge. But his friend called for a reason—for his expertise in high-pressure situations. He’d need all his wits about him, and all the details he could uncover, to get through it himself.
“Calm down and start over. This time, start from the beginning and walk me through everything. Every word she said. Don’t leave anything out, no matter how small you think it is.”
Shadow listened intently as Jeff took a deep breath, released it slowly, then recounted the entire conversation. He told Shadow about Elle calling late Pacific Time when she’d returned home from the lot, about the missing girls and fake press stories, and how she felt so uncomfortable she was at the point where she wanted armed bodyguards with her at all times.
“I’m kicking my own ass right now for staying here instead of flying out there to be with her. She said she’d call Mom, Dad, and Mark to alert them. Mark could’ve stayed with her until I got there.” The guilt infused in Jeff’s tone was palpable, thinking he’d let his little sister down when she needed him the most. “She never calls me that late, Devon. That should’ve been the first clue to slap me upside the head and make me see something was seriously wrong.”
Shadow listened to his friend, soaked in every word and every detail, then tried to soothe him as best he could.
“Hey. Quit beating yourself up. That’s my job. How long do you usually go without calling to check on her? Despite the number of times I’ve told you to stay close to her so you can protect her every second of every day.”
“You’re not helping. And I talk to my sister every few days. Our schedules aren’t always conducive to multiple conversations per day. But this is different—she called me and she was scared. Now I can’t reach her or Beth. Mark is on his way down there now, but he runs the winery for our parents. He doesn’t have a clue where to start looking for her.
“I need your help, Devon. Elle needs you. I feel it—something bad has happened to her.”
“I’m on the next flight to LAX. I’ll find her no matter what it takes. You said you can’t reach Beth either. Do you know if they were together on the set?”
“Yes, Elle said Beth is her makeup artist. They’ve been riding back and forth to work together, especially since they both work such long hours. It just makes sense since they live together. It’s not a good sign that they’re both missing, is it?”
“Jeff, I know you’re on the verge of doing something really stupid. I can hear the panic in your voice. The more you obsess over what you should’ve, could’ve, would’ve done, the more likely you are to make a rash decision. Swear to me you’ll give me time to do some digging around before you go off half-cocked and make things worse.” Shadow’s request more closely resembled an order.
“You have my word. I know you work for a security firm, but I didn’t know who else to call. I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Don’t be. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll call you when I get to LA. But if you hear anything else before then, don’t wait to contact me.”
Shadow and Jeff hung up with the promise to keep each other updated on any new developments. Shadow retrieved a phone from a hidden safe in the wall. He stared at it longer than necessary, hating the fact that he was forced to use it at all. But she was worth it. He would do whatever it took to ensure she was safe and sound, even if that meant he’d be indebted to the CIA again.
With the phone powered on, he hit the send button and made the call. After two rings, the call connected and Shadow squeezed his eyes shut while he waited for the coded answer.
“Luigi’s Pizza Delivery. What type of crust would you like?”
“Deep dish, extra garlic, extra cheese.”
“Shadow,” came the surprised response. “It’s been a long time, my man. Must be something important for you to call in. What can I do for you?”
“Hey, Steadman. Good to hear your voice again. You know I need your help.”
“Whatever you need. Lay it on me.”
“What have you heard about actresses disappearing lately?”
“You sure you want to go there, Shadow? You’re cleared to be read in, but once I do, there’s no turning back,” Steadman warned.
With his thumb and index finger firmly pinching the bridge of his nose, Shadow considered his options.
“If Elle Sinclair is involved, then read me in.”
