Page 79 of The Vanished

“But—”

Malone didn’t allow her to finish. “We have no evidence to suggest that Logan didn’t leave of his own free will. The burned-out car might be an insurance job.”

“But you found blood in his house.”

“The blood could have been his. Perhaps he cut himself.”

“You don’t really believe that,” Quinn exploded. “And someone tried to abduct Max. Do you only investigate the case if the abduction is successful?”

Malone’s voice vibrated with irritation. “What I believe is irrelevant. I must work with the facts. We know that some bloke appeared to be following Logan, but we don’t know who he is or if the two had previously met. We also have no evidence that Logan let him into the house.”

“Did you dust for prints?” Quinn demanded.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t authorize the expense of a SOCO team when I have no proof that a crime has been committed.”

“But my brother is still missing.”

“Logan is not answering his mobile, which could be by choice.”

“And what about the woman who tried to take Max? Is that not a crime?”

“Tried,” DI Malone said. “She did not succeed, for which we are very grateful. But we can’t charge people with trying. And we have no idea who this woman is and have no way to identify her,” he admitted.

“So, what do you suggest we do?” Quinn was almost screaming now, her fear and frustration finally boiling over.

“I suggest you get back to your life. We’re treating Logan as a missing person, but I must warn you that these cases are rarely solved quickly. Unless the individual comes back on their own or a body turns up, the case might remain open for several years. Quinn, I’m really sorry,” Malone said, his voice softening across the miles, “but my hands are tied. I must prioritize my cases, and right now a grown man who texted you after he left is probably not in as much danger as a twelve-year-old who was snatched on her way to school. I’m sure you understand.”

Angry as she was, Quinn had to admit that the detective made a fair point. From a procedural standpoint, they had nothing to go on and had to prioritize the more pressing cases. She suspected that the police had run out of road, and, unless Drew found out something pertinent by tomorrow afternoon, they would have to take their chances and go back home.

FORTY-SEVEN

Quinn retreated inside. She was going to tidy up and get started on dinner, but she couldn’t get the conversation with DI Malone out of her mind. Now that he had admitted he wasn’t actively working the case, she felt even more frightened. She needed to talk to someone, and, since Gabe wasn’t there, she decided to ring Drew. He might not have anything new to tell her, but his confident, reassuring manner always put her in a better frame of mind. He may not have the answers, but he intended to get them, and he wouldn’t quit until he either got to the truth or hit a wall he couldn’t scale.

The call went directly to voicemail. Quinn tried again in a half hour with the same result. Then again a third time. Drew always picked up, or, if he was busy, he rang back as soon as he was able. He knew how desperate his clients were for information and spent nearly as much time handholding as he did investigating.

The house was tidy. The chicken and potatoes were ready. And the sky outside was beginning to turn that delicate shade of orchid before dusk settled over the silent lake. Gabe had turned off his tracking, so Quinn couldn’t see where he was, and Drew had not called back. She tried Gabe, but the call went to voicemail. Same with Jude. For a moment she considered calling Jill, but she didn’t want to alarm her cousin when she was miles away and couldn’t do anything to help. Desperate to hear a human voice, she was about to ring Nicole, but decided that she didn’t really want to talk about either Logan or Geneva. She would have to find a way to distract herself until someone phoned her back.

Quinn tried listening to a podcast she had downloaded last week, but couldn’t concentrate on the words. What she needed was to walk, so she grabbed her jacket, phone, and keys and stepped outside. The trail that wound around the lake was deserted, and deep shadows were beginning to pool between the trees, the path vanishing into the darkness beyond. She wouldn’t go far. And as long as she remained within view of the boathouse, she would be safe.

Quinn walked briskly until the boathouse roof disappeared from view, then turned back and stomped up the path, her anxiety getting the better of her. Where was Logan? Where was Gabe? Where was Drew? And where was Jude? She hadn’t heard from him since this morning, and she was beginning to worry about him as well. What the bloody hell was going on? With night settling in, she suddenly felt as if she were the only person left in the world.

A translucent crescent moon hovered above the lake, and the dusky sky was strewn with stars, by the time someone finally deigned to call her back. Quinn thought it might be Gabe, but the call was from Drew. An announcement came over a loudspeaker in the background, and she realized it wasn’t in English. She thought Drew was at a train station or an airport, but why would he leave the country?

“Sorry I couldn’t ring you back,” he said. “I didn’t have service.”

“Where are you?” Quinn asked as soon as he moved into a quiet corner and was able to hear her.

“Prague. Something you said to me didn’t add up, so I decided to do a little digging.”

“What are you referring to exactly?”

“Chrissy told Logan and Rafe and her friends in London that she would be returning to the Czech Republic after the baby was born, but she didn’t go home. And she had also mentioned to her coworkers that she’d become a surrogate for Logan to help her family, but they’re quite well-to-do.”

“Maybe she needed the money and was too embarrassed to tell people. It sounds better when you say you’re doing it for your family.”