Page 74 of The Attercop
Harold kissed her on the cheek. “I would be delighted. Until next time.”
He bowed, then skirted the dog and made his way out of the office.
Mrs B sat back down on her chair and composed herself. She’d wait until the others arrived for their meeting to tell them the bad news. If Declan was missing, Monarch had him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Charlie pulled his car into the parking lot behind their building. He felt that he’d failed. He hadn’t discovered anything new about Jules except that she had a brother. Nothing of what had happened made any sense, but in his gut, he felt that if he found Jules, it would lead him to Declan and that was all that mattered right now.
Charlie walked around to the front of the building, up the stairs, and through the front door of the office. He found Mrs B at her desk, talking on the phone. She nodded at him. A large plate heaped with sandwiches was sitting on the coffee table. Gwen appeared from the kitchenette with another platter filled with pastries. She walked past Charlie and put the food down, then adjusted the platters and stood back assessing the buffet before disappearing into the kitchenette.
Mrs B shrugged. She covered the telephone receiver. “Feeding people is how she copes.”
Gwen returned with a dishwasher rack full of cups and when she couldn’t find a clear surface, she placed it on the sofa. She finally acknowledged Charlie. “Eat!” she ordered.
He grabbed a sandwich and sat down beside the mugs as Duck ambled over and rested his chin on Charlie’s lap. “Want some?” Charlie asked, offering him the small remains of his sandwich.
Duck sniffed at it, then gently gulped it down.
“That was Sam,” Mrs B said as she hung up the phone. “He and Gary are almost here. Did you have any luck finding Jules?”
“No,” Charlie said, dejectedly.
Gwen stuck her head out of the kitchenette. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“That’s okay, Gwen. You don’t have to,” Charlie answered.
“Well, if I don’t do something around here, I’ll go mad!”
Charlie smiled. “A latte would be great then.”
She returned in a few minutes with his perfectly prepared coffee just as the main office door opened and Sam and Gary walked in.
“You two,” Gwen said, “sit and eat!”
The men obeyed, and after a few bites of food, Sam looked up. “We should compare notes. So, I only got started looking into the names on Declan’s list, but most of the people I got in touch with have solid alibis for the time Declan disappeared. And most say they can back up their claims with witnesses.”
“They could have hired someone to do their dirty work for them,” Gary said, “so an alibi wouldn’t matter.”
Sam frowned. “I was hoping one of them might look like the guy who attacked Angel, but to be truthful, when I looked them up, none of them really fit the bill. I don’t think that list is going to be a huge help after all.”
Gary took a sip of his coffee. “I had a bit better luck. I pulled a few strings and managed to get this…” He tossed a piece of paper on the coffee table.
Charlie picked it up. “What is it?”
“It’s a search warrant for the house,” Gary replied. “It would usually take some time, but when I explained that there were exigent circumstances and that the missing person was Sam’s son, the judge didn’t blink an eye.” Gary looked over to Sam. “You might recall the Honourable Linda Havens sat on the bench for a number of cases where your airtight testimony put several crooks behind bars. She was happy to help out.”
“Did you find out anything about the shard of glass from the house?” Sam asked.
“The folks at the lab said that it showed traces of isoflurane, a sedative used by vets. That might explain why Duck wasn’t so keen on the scent when he found the spot on the floor in the house.”
Duck shook his head violently and sneezed.
Charlie dredged up a memory from the previous week. “Jules said she worked in a veterinary clinic. That can’t just be a coincidence, can it?”
Gary looked at Sam, then back at Charlie. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Did you get the name of the clinic Jules worked at?” Sam asked.
