“There’s a great place next door, right on the water—Key Largo. I’ve had dinner there nearly every night since I arrived. You’ll get a kick out of the tiki bar, shaped like a boat.”

  Grinning, Eva lifted one eyebrow. “I’m beginning to like Western Minnesota already.”

  Within the hour, they were stuffed with boneless wings and standing on the front step of the Tribeau residence.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  When Ben and Eva arrived at the luxurious home on Keeley Island, Nicole and Tom’s daughters, Madolyn and Brittany, were hunched over piles of women’s clothing in the living room, sorting under the direction of their paternal grandmother and aunt watching from outside through a wall of windows. Ben had briefly interviewed the older Tribeau women on his last visit, and found them to be strangely unaffected by Nicole’s death. Although Nicole and Tom’s daughters displayed twinned expressions of grief, neither appearing to have slept a wink since news of their mom’s disappearance, their female elders laughed and carried on like old hens in a salon.

  Nicole’s sons Erik and Darrin were out on the family’s wake boat with friends, and had to be summoned by Tom via cellphone. While Ben waited on the dock for their return alongside Tom, Eva pulled Tom’s daughters aside. She had a talent for making children open up in a matter of minutes, and would hopefully glean helpful insight into the Tribeau men.

  Tom held a hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight, blinding Ben with the bright gleam of his gold Rolex. After spending time with a girl in college who’d been obsessed with symbols of wealth, Ben was able to distinguish Tom’s khaki shorts paired with a white button-down as being high-end designer brands. He also knew from reviewing Nicole’s credit card statements that their family had a tendency of spending thousands in online shopping every month from luxury e-commerce websites.

  The Tribeaus were all about appearances and having the best of everything. Tom had built an empire in the rural community out of an excavating business and a construction company that built lake homes for the area’s wealthiest residents. His family, Tom included, was quick to spend every cent the empire brought in.

  “Still can’t believe they sent you to work this case,” Tom commented with a grunt. “Why do you think it’s necessary to speak with Darrin again? Don’t you people already have Nicole’s killer in custody?”

  “No one has been arrested at this time,” Ben clarified, subtly flexing his jaw.

  “What about Mia? I was told that bitch killed both her ex and my wife. Probably that Scriber girl too.”

  Roaring heat rushed over Ben’s face. “You were told wrong. She’s not a suspect.”

  “Oh yeah? Then why is everyone saying she’s in the looney bin for thinking Gavin is still alive? She sounds crazy enough to be a killer if you ask me.”

  Cursing small town gossip, Ben calmly shook his head and looked directly into Tom’s stormy green eyes. “Do you believe everything you hear, Tom? Because there are also rumors about your wife being unfaithful in your marriage, and I understand your buddy, Matt, had a reputation for being licentious. If they were in fact having an affair, it would provide you with a strong motive for revenge.”

  “You fucking kidding me?” Tom spat. From his coiled body language and the way he leaned in, Ben expected him to charge like a bull. “I just buried the love of my life yesterday, and you’re going to stand there and accuse me of murdering her?”

  Based on the sincere display of outrage, Ben doubted Tom was the unsub. It didn’t necessarily mean he was off the hook. Ben decided to push him a little harder. “Would you know if she’d been having an affair with Matt? It’s a reasonable conclusion to make if you believe gossip.”

  “Nicole was too damn old for him,” Tom snarled, clenching both his teeth and fists. “He preferred his women under thirty.”

  “Like Alyssa Scriber?”

  Tom threw him a puzzled look. “Matt was sleeping with her?”

  “I have no reason to believe that’s true, but the theory seems plausible.” Based on pictures friends and family had posted in her memory online, she was a stunning blonde with almond shaped blue eyes, an hour-glass figure, and large breasts. One of her close friends had even commented that Alyssa was into older men. “I’m looking for any possible connection between the three victims.”

  “As far as I know, he was sticking it to one of the young waitresses at the resort.”

  “And he had a history for being monogamous?”

  “Matt?” Tom chuckled in a tight, nervous sound. “I’ve known him to sleep with more than one woman in just one night.”

  The need for another shower passed through Ben’s mind. How had Mia ended up with that creep? Because you abandoned her, he thought bitterly. He loosened his tie, silently cursing the sun’s brutal rays soaking into his black suit jacket. “Let me ask you this again, Tom: did you know Alyssa Scriber?”

  Tom’s face took on a shade of dark red. “As I told you before, I only knew her as a classmate of Darrin’s. I was certainly not sleeping with her, if that’s what you’re implying. I can’t attest as to whether or not Matt was.”

  Eva joined them as a sparkling clean 25 foot boat with a wakeboard tower and maroon detailing skimmed over the water toward the dock, blasting a country pop tune heavy on male vocals and fiddles. The hundred-thousand-dollar watercraft slowed to a quiet rumble, gliding with precision into the massive lift. All four male occupants gave Ben and Eva hard looks as the electric hoist raised the boat several feet out of the water.

  Darrin, Tom and Nicole’s oldest, left his position behind the steering wheel to pick up discarded items in the boat. In a pair of colorful swim trunks, tanned chest and arms sculpted with muscle, white baseball cap worn backwards over wet, chin-length light blond hair, chiseled features paired with a straight nose, Ben imagined Darrin was popular with women just as his father had been. He was easily 6’2” with a build that could’ve brought him within the weight range of their unsub. He carried himself like a former high school wrestler, shoulders and back taut, gait heavy as he moved around the boat. The kid was clearly both physically strong and cocky as hell.

  The nineteen-year-old, Erik, rose from one of the seats, cautiously watching the agents and his dad as he stepped out of the boat onto the dock. He was nearly as tall as Darrin with the same shade of hair, worn shorter. In sharp contrast to his brother’s athletic build, his white t-shirt and navy swim trunks hung on his slim frame. He’d be lucky to weigh 150. A puddle quickly gathered around his feet from his wet swimwear. “What’s up, Dad?” There was a slight tremor in his voice when he eyed his father, as if seeking reassurance. “Why’d we have to come back?”

  “Agent Pitt and his partner, Agent Diaz, have more questions for Darrin,” Tom said, putting on a wide smile as their teenage companions crawled out of the boat behind him. “Jake, Carter, you guys can come back for dinner. We’re ordering pizza from Key Largo.”

  “Sweet,” the tallest of the boys replied. “Thanks, Mr. T.” He reached out to bump Erik’s fist. “Later, E.T."

  “Thanks for the ride, man,” the other boy said, also bumping Erik’s fist. He turned to Tom, eyebrows wiggling. “Your new boat is badass, Mr. T.”

  As the two friends shuffled off the dock, Tom clamped a hand on Erik’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go check on your aunt and grandma? They’re probably getting tired of sitting out in the sun. Offer them some lemonade with vodka.”

  Running his fingers through his wet hair, Erik gave his father one last lingering look. There was a shyness about him that shone in gray eyes larger than his brother’s. With a slow nod, he finally trailed after his friends toward the house.

  Darrin finished shutting the boat down and stepped onto the dock, holding Ben’s gaze with his chin lifted, lips clamped tightly together. Darkness shadowed his clear blue eyes to spine-tingling depths. Ben’s astute intuition for evil tingled. He’d seen a similar expression on a man who’d dismembered a dozen women and kept their hearts as trophies.

  “This is my partner, Special Agent Eva Diaz,” Ben told Darrin. “She has some additional questions for you.”

  “Let’s go have a seat inside,” Eva suggested, motioning for Darrin to lead the way.

  “I’d rather stay right here,” Darrin replied, unblinking. “I’m still wet.”

  With a grunt, Tom rolled his eyes. “I’ll grab you a towel.”

  “No, it’s okay,” Eva told him. “We can do this here.” Eyes locked with Darrin’s, she crossed her arms and asked, “Where were you the night your mom went missing?”

  “What’s this?” Tom demanded, barging in front of his son. Veins strained against his neck as his skin turned a brilliant shade of red. “You think my son’s a suspect? For what possible reason?” He glowered at Ben. “Have you lost your goddamn mind?”

  Ben threw him a cocky shrug. “She’s merely asking where he was that night, Tom. Unless he has something to hide—”

  “I was with Gwen Martin,” Darrin answered in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

  Tom became as still as a sculpture. “What?” he demanded.

  Knowing the details of Gwen’s miscarriage, Ben shook his head. “Try again. Gwen’s mom picked her up from a friend’s house that evening, and brought her home.”

  A sneer spread over Darrin’s pale lips. “I dropped her off near Heidi’s house so no one would know I’d picked her up from the clinic.” Holding Ben’s doubtful stare, he titled his head. “She didn't want my sister and our moms to know I’m the one who knocked her up.”

  Ben tried his hardest not to react, knowing it was exactly what Darrin wanted. But everything became deafeningly silent with the kid’s shocking confession. He wondered what Mia would think, considering her history with their family. Was Darrin the reason Gwen had been flaking out on her parents, skipping work and taking off without letting them know her whereabouts?

  “Enough!” Tom growled, turning to his son. “Don’t say another goddamn word, Darrin!” He regarded Ben with a dark scowl. “This interview is over. We’re calling my lawyer.”

  Ben met Darrin’s smug smirk with a confident lift of his chin.

  Darrin had a good chance of being the unsub.

  Ben only had to unearth solid evidence to prove it.

  After a late night of testing different theories involving Darrin and the victims, Ben received a call early the next morning from Liz. Mia had been released. He drove Eva to Mia’s cottage, narrowly resisting the urge to go twice the speed limit. The nine days Mia had been gone felt longer than the sixteen years they’d been apart.

  Mia met them at the door, leaning against the frame with a tentative look. When her eyes met his, reflected with something between misery and embarrassment, he yearned to pull her into his arms. She wore frayed jean shorts, and a brightly colored kimono over a white tank top that dipped low over the swell of her breasts. Her golden hair was twisted into a knot on top of her head, and she was barefoot. He tried to avoid glancing down at the long, lean legs that had once been wrapped around his waist, but it was unavoidable once she shifted her stance. He cleared his throat and looked into her eyes, hoping to find a spark of the sassy girl he’d fallen for all those years ago. “You look good.”

  Her sweet lips wavered with a brief smile. “You don’t have to blow sunshine up my ass, Ben. I know how I look.” Her gaze flipped over to Eva. “You must be Special Agent Diaz. Come on in.”

  Relieved to see a bit of her spirit returning, he breathed a little easier as they followed her to the kitchen island. “Is Gwen around?”

  “She’s at Heidi’s,” Mia answered.

  Are you sure about that? Ben thought. He glanced in Eva’s direction, wondering when was the right time to tell Mia about Darrin’s confession. Eva had suggested Ben let the conversation take a natural course before deciding if he should fill Mia in on what they’d learned.

  His pulse raced when he stepped in next to Mia and accidentally inhaled her rosemary scent. It was hell on his control to keep his hands off of her. He resented the way she regarded him like a stranger as she took one of the stools. On closer inspection, he noticed she’d lost a significant amount of weight while in the hospital, and her tan had faded somewhat. Her tank top revealed the sharp valleys surrounding her collarbone, and faint shadows lined her dull eyes. When she adjusted her position on the stool, she winced as if in pain.

  Anger stirred through him. He could visibly see how much life had been drained from her while she’d been away. Had the doctors bothered keeping her supplied with nutrients, or had they simply pumped her full of drugs and kept her locked in a padded room?

  Eva had agreed to let him take the lead with Mia since they had a history, and Mia trusted him. Leaning against the kitchen island with her arms crossed, his partner’s dark eyes seemed to track every movement Mia made. Ben knew without a doubt she was analyzing Mia’s behavior with each second that passed, trying to decide for herself if she was certifiably crazy.

  Liz came out of the bathroom in a casual red dress, dark hair freshly styled, expression slightly hesitant when she regarded Ben and Eva. She was unusually quiet, as if her best friend’s decline had emotionally drained her as well.

  Ben sat beside Mia, arranging his stool so they were face-to-face. Brushing his fingertips over her slender bicep, he offered her a gentle smile. He wished they were alone so he could pull her in for an embrace. “It’s good to see you back in your own home. I know this will be difficult, but I’d like you to tell us what you can remember about the night Nicole disappeared. Start with the arrangements you made to pick up your daughter.”

  Eyes flicking down to her hands clasped in her lap, Mia ducked her chin. “I had an edible right before she called.” She glanced up at Ben, cheeks filled with a slight blush. “I know I shouldn’t have driven while high, but my back pain had flared that night, and she insisted I come get her from Heidi’s house. I could tell something was wrong. Gwen doesn’t usually get very emotional, and she was supposed to be at work.” With a trembling hand, she reached for the glass of water Liz had poured. “It was raining when I left. I started to hydroplane a little on Pelican’s Pass. I thought my heart was going to give out before I regained control. I realize part of my paranoia was because I was high, but the roads were slippery, and I hadn’t been by that way since…” She stopped, taking a long drink.

  “I know,” Ben assured her, giving her knee a light squeeze. Because of the combination of drugs she’d ingested, she wouldn’t be a reliable witness in a court of law. That didn’t mean she didn’t actually see something that could help them find Nicole’s murderer. “It’s okay. You don’t have to talk about the accident.”

  When she finished her water, she set the empty glass back down and glanced between Ben and Liz. She slumped forward in the stool, running her tongue over her dry lips. “Ben, there’s something I haven’t told you about that night. At first it was because I wasn’t sure I could trust my mind, and thought maybe I was seeing things. You know because of the rain, the drugs, and…” Her cheeks flushed as her eyes met Eva’s. “You probably already know this, but I’ve had a few…episodes. I sometimes see and hear things that aren’t really there, like my dead son.”

  Eva didn’t react in any way.

  “Is this something that should wait until your attorney is present?” Liz asked, setting a hand on Mia’s shoulder.

  “No,” Mia insisted, firmly shaking her head. “It’s not anything that would incriminate me.” Running her bottom lip through her teeth, her eyes held Ben’s. “I wanted to tell someone right away…I swear I did. But I second guessed myself a thousand times, trying to decide if I’d actually seen something, or if it was lingering trauma from my accident that was making me hallucinate. Then I thought about it for too long, and I worried the sheriff would’ve wondered why I didn’t report it sooner, like maybe I had something to hide. I’ve harbored immeasurable guilt for putting it off the way I did. I always wondered if there was something I could’ve done.”

  Dread settled over Ben. What had she seen? “Take your time,” he offered, keeping his tone even and gentle.

  “Once I resumed control of the Camaro, my headlights caught on what I decided was a black car. Something old. It reminded me of the classic Impala you once drove. Then I thought I saw two figures in the road up ahead—closer to the pass. It was possibly a man and woman. It was hard to say what exactly they were doing.”

  “Could you describe them?” Eva asked.

  “Not really. It was hard to see anything the way the rain was coming down. I guess the one figure was thicker and a little taller, but that’s about it. I couldn’t tell if they were fighting or what was going on. But when I let my eyes focus, I was pretty sure the smaller person was wearing the same outfit Nicole had worn when I’d run into her at the grocery store earlier. Then Gwen called to see if I was close. By the time I hung up with her, they were gone. Part of me decided it wasn’t real because they’d disappeared in the blink of an eye—the way Gavin often did when I imagined him. Then Matt told me Nicole’s phone had last sent off a signal from that location, and I wasn’t sure what to believe.”

  Ben drew in a tight breath. “Were you still taking chlorpromazine at that point?”

  “Yes, but I’m supposed to avoid weed while on it. It can make me drowsy and amplify my symptoms.”

  Eva’s eyes flickered to the ceiling as she considered Mia’s confession. “So in other words, that night you may have actually seen Nicole and someone bigger than her, possibly a man, alongside a black car on Pelican’s Pass. Or, you imagined everything.”

  Pinching her lips together, Mia nodded. “There’s something else.” She regarded Ben with a weary glance. “I went to visit Tom a few days later, hoping he’d say something that would help ease my mind about staying quiet after what I thought I’d seen. He was angry and yelled at me to leave. On my way out, I noticed a black Impala parked in his garage.”