Page 7 of The Missing Couple

Treehouse

Bradly Retreat, 7:45 a.m.

Billie had been awake for hours. At seven he’d called the sheriff’s office and made sure the official missing persons reports were filed for Briana and Martin. To his surprise, the sheriff had insisted on taking care of the matter personally. A news conference was scheduled at noon.

After that, Billie had tried to focus on how to move forward. He’d attempted to relax. To focus on anything but the facts for a moment. With that in mind, coffee in hand, he leaned against the deck railing and stared into the woods. The trees were too thick and too heavily canopied to see very far. The sounds of the forest were subtle…almost soothing.

Except his sister and her new husband were missing.

To hell with relaxing. He forked his fingers through his hair. How the hell had this happened? There was no indication of anyone from his past having initiated some sort of payback. He’d had his resources at the Colby Agency search not only his past cases but also any potential issues in the area of Guntersville. So far, they had nothing, even though it had been about eighteen hours since he learned Briana was missing.

He shook his head. This was off. Way off. If she’d been kidnapped, why had there been no ransom demand by now? If she and Martin had decided to take an off-the-itinerary excursion, why not find a phone and let someone know? That sort of reckless behavior was not his sister’s style. She was meticulous about everything. Her schedule. Her home. A laugh choked out of him. Her hair. She was six years younger than Billie’s thirty-five, but she’d been born an organizer. Which made her perfect for forensic accounting. No one was better. More important, she had a kind heart.

A smile tugged at his lips. She had to be okay…

He pushed away from the railing and walked back into the cabin—treehouse. He had to hand it to whoever designed the small space; it was very well thought out. There were shelves and drawers in every potential spot. The beds were built into the wall, giving the exterior a completely “un-rectangular” feel. The structure was all curves with minimal true angles, none of which were standard fare. It was almost wonky. But in a very cool way.

Billie couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a vacation. He was too focused on work. Gaining a spot at the Colby Agency had been his dream for several years. When Jamie Colby, the granddaughter of matriarch Victoria, had called him with the news two years ago, he’d been stoked. He had barely taken a day off…until now.

He left his cup in the small, round kitchen sink and went in search of a suitable shirt. He’d been at work when he received that call yesterday. He’d taken just enough time to throw a few things into a bag and then his boss, Victoria, had kindly offered the agency jet for rushing him down to Alabama. Jamie had arranged for a rental car to be waiting for him at the Guntersville Municipal Airport.

The next best step, he decided as he buttoned the shirt, was to have a look around the cabin where Briana and Martin had stayed. If the BOLO issued by the police turned up something on the rental SUV first, that would be great. For now, he intended to start at ground zero and work his way outward.

He stepped out onto the front deck just in time to spot the retreat owner buzzing up the path in her UTV. She braked to a stop and hopped out. Her brown hair was pulled into a long braid. Like yesterday, she wore a tee and jeans with her hiking boots. Today’s jeans were different. They were the more utilitarian-cargo type with extra pockets on the legs, all of which looked to be stuffed with something. At least two held water bottles. He descended the steps, winding around the trunk of the tree until he was face-to-face with her on the ground.

“Morning,” she said with a nod. “You sleep okay?”

“Not that great,” he admitted, studying her green eyes. She had really dark green eyes. “Worrying about someone you love will do that.”

The hopeful look in her eyes faded to something unreadable. “Yeah. You’re right.” She gestured toward the trail. “I was about to head over to the Willow and start looking around. I thought you might want to join me.”

“I was just about to head that way myself.” He imagined finding two missing guests was important to her as well. If they weren’t found, it wouldn’t look good for her business.

“You had breakfast?” she asked as they walked toward her ride.

“One of those protein bars and coffee. Does that count down here in the South?”

“Close enough in my opinion.” She slid behind the wheel. “Every breakfast doesn’t have to include grits and biscuits.”

He laughed in spite of the worry twisting in his gut. “I guess you’re right.”

The ride to the Willow took only a few minutes. No cops around. He wished he could have gotten a look at the scene before the locals, but there was no help for that. They exited the UTV and Charly walked straight to the cabin and unlocked the door.

“We could have a look inside again,” she offered, “but personally, I’d like to start in the woods.”

“Lead the way.” He didn’t mention this was his preference as well. He was surprised she would have the same thought. Maybe she didn’t put too much stock in the deputies’ work yesterday, either.

Billie had no reason to feel that way but there had been a sort of nonchalance about the deputies he’d met last evening. This was Billie’s sister. There was nothing nonchalant about the situation.

As Billie had done late yesterday, Charly walked all the way around the house, scanning the ground, shrubs and bushes. The second go-around, she stopped at the steps from the deck and stared into the woods. He wondered if she had spotted something.

He hung back and scrutinized the area she’d taken the longest to analyze. A smile stretched across his face. Right there at the corner of the bottom step was the tiniest snag in the dirt as if a heel had gotten caught in it. He straightened and headed in the direction Charly had gone.

She picked her way through the woods, surveying the ground and everything around her. Trees, shrubs…wild grasses, scattered flowers and weeds. From time to time she stopped and inspected something more closely.

The next time she stopped, he moved in close behind her. “What are you seeing here?”

“Heel marks.” She glanced up at him then pointed to the small, shallow indentation in the ground. “Your sister’s hiking boots are still in the closet so I’m guessing she left the cabin in whatever shoes she arrived in. What was she wearing when she left for the airport?”