Page 2 of Girl Long Gone

Mark wouldn’t have to move in Connor’s cramped apartment to see the computer screen. “You told the cops she’d signed up for EternalMatch. They interviewed Gabriel Wilson, and no red flags came up. Hell, he even had an airtight alibi for the night she went missing.”

Irritation had Connor shaking his head. Something else had to be there, and they couldn’t see it. “The guy shut down his profile. Why would he do that if he didn’t have anything to hide?”

Mark shrugged. “Maybe because he didn’t like having the police hound him in a missing persons investigation.”

Connor bit the inside of his mouth until the tinny taste of blood mixed with his saliva. “He’s hiding something. I know it. If no one else believes me, I’ll find another way to prove it.” Maybe it was pure desperation training his focus on Gabriel, but years of police work taught him to trust his gut.

And his gut screamed to find out more about the only man Monica had shown any interest in the last three years. Nothing else made sense.

“You already poked around Monica’s dating profile. What else is there to find?” Suspicion turned Mark’s voice hard, but Connor didn’t give a shit.

Ignoring the question, he settled his weight into the comfortable chair and concentrated on the intricacies of the dating site. Whoever had put in the safeguards and written the code was good, but not as good as him. Time passed in a haze, and sweat tickled his forehead. Everything around him, including the irritated energy pouring off of Mark in waves, disappeared as he crawled closer and closer to his goal.

A pulse of satisfaction beat through him. He was doing something. He was using his resources to help his sister.

Glancing behind him, a wide grin cracked the somber expression that had been his constant companion the last few days. “I’m in.”

A deep frown pulled at Mark’s lips, and wrinkles marred the tanned skin of his brow. “What did you do?”

“I pulled up Gabriel Wilson’s shut-down profile and can see every woman he’s messaged.”

“What?” The word erupted from Mark, and he crossed the room with thunderous steps.

“He knows more than he’s saying. Maybe he said something to one of these women that could lead to Monica. Maybe one of them will tell me what they know about this guy.”

“Dude, even if you find something of use, you can’t take it to the police now.” Mark shook his head and scowled.

Connor pressed his lips together and turned back to face the computer. He didn’t need to take what he found to the police. He’d already hired someone who could help without red tape tying their hands.

He scanned the list of women on Gabriel’s match list and read through line after mundane line of conversation. A pictureless profile sparked his interest, and he pulled up their conversation history. “Sonofabitch.”

“What’d you find?” Mark peered over his shoulder.

Connor shifted his gaze to the time posted in the bottom corner of the screen. “A woman, Evelyn Price, has talked with Gabriel for a few weeks. They’re meeting for coffee in five minutes.”

“You don’t have time to stop her. And even if you did, you have nothing to tell her to keep her away from him.”

“No, but she’s the only woman he seems to have made actual plans with. She might be able to help me.” He dragged the cursor through the conversation between them and tried to find her number.

Mark snorted, the sound reminding Connor of his fat pug sleeping curled up in the corner of the couch—the pug Monica begged him to bring home. “You think this guy is dangerous, and you’d ask a stranger to help you get close to him?”

Locating the number, Connor grabbed his phone and made the call.

Please, God. Let this woman pick up her damn phone.

The warm breeze skimmed across Evelyn’s cheek, and she closed her eyes and let the soft tickle of air calm her jangled nerves.

It didn’t help.

The rapid beating of her heart raced along with the million excuses rushing through her brain. Meeting men for coffee in the middle of the day wasn’t a normal activity for her. Usually, she ignored men like the plague, especially ones with a history of using their charms to get anything they wanted.

Get a grip. I made it clear this isn’t a date. Just a guy I kind of knew from high school catching up and hopefully landing the biggest job of my life.

Filling her lungs with the crisp spring air, she gathered her nerve and grabbed the door handle of the coffee shop she’d recommended to Gabriel.

Ring, ring, ring.

The sound of her phone sliced through her facade of courage, and she shrank back into the crowd hustling down the congested sidewalk. She plunged her hand into her purse, and her sweat-slicked palm made grabbing her phone more difficult than it should be. A river of people swallowed up the sidewalk, engulfing her into their current of motion. She fought against them as she battled her way back to the front of her favorite coffee shop.