Page 46 of Weston’s Treasure

“Silver? Oh, thank God. Where are you? Are you okay?”

“What? Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, ignoring the panic in my dad’s voice.

“I tried to call you when I got to Florida. A man answered, said he worked with you and you were missing. Just vanished and no one could find you.”

“Someone answered my phone?” I asked, and my gaze went to Weston. His spine snapped straight and his features went to stone. “Hold on, Dad.” I took the phone from my ear and found the speakerphone icon. “I’m back. Start from the beginning. Tell me exactly what happened.”

“Two days ago, I pulled into Florida and called you to tell you I was back early. When I called, a man answered and told me that no one could find you. You’d missed work, you weren’t at your apartment, and your car was in the parking lot at the yard.”

“Did the man tell you his name?” Weston asked.

“Who is that?” my dad asked, anger sliding into his tone.

“A friend,” I told him. “As you can see, I’m fine. Someone lied to you. Did they tell you a name?”

“No. I can’t see anything. Where are you?”

“Dad. Really, I’m fine.”

“Silver. Where are you? Tell me now or I call the police and have them track this phone call so they can come and bust you out.”

I glanced back at Weston with wide eyes. My dad was nuts. He’d call the police. He was also dramatic and used words like “bust out” like he was in some cop show.

Weston shook his head and mouthed the words ‘he can’t track the call.’ At least there was that, but he’d still call the police.

“Don’t call the police, Dad. I’m fine. I ate something bad, got sick at work, now I’m staying with a friend while I recuperate from food poisoning. My work knows, they’ve been notified. So whoever you spoke to is pullin’ a prank and I’d like to know who. It wasn’t cool getting you all upset. But I need you to make whatever calls you have to make and stop the manhunt for your not-so-missing daughter. And the media, Dad, really?”

“Not until I see you.”

“Well, considering you’re in Florida and I’m in Maryland that’s gonna be hard. But seriously, it’s not cool the cops are wasting resources on finding someone who is fine.”

“I’m in Delaware. Meet me at your apartment in twenty minutes.”

“What? Why are you in Delaware?”

“Because my goddamned daughter is missing. Where else would I be?”

Okay. That made me feel good. I didn’t know my dad had it in him to travel on dry land even if his only child was missing. But as nice as that felt, we now had a big problem.

“Fuck,” Nixon muttered.

“Mr. Coyle. Silver isn’t going back to her apartment. If you want to see her you’ll have to come to her.”

“I’ll come there and you let her go. Trade me for her.”

What the hell?

“Dad, this isn’t a hostage situation. I’ve told you I’m with my friends. Jeez, you’ve been watching too much Blue Bloods while out to sea.”

“I don’t know that. It sounds like a trap.”

“Mr. Coyle, it is not a trap. But if you’d feel better, I’ll meet you at the Kent County, Maryland Sheriff’s station,” Nixon entered the conversation. “As a matter of fact, that’s where I want to meet you.”

“Why?”

Great, now my dad was going to argue about where to meet even though Nixon was actually giving him what he wanted by involving the police.

“Because I want to make sure you weren’t followed.”