Garret's Gambit by Dale Mayer (book club books .TXT) 📗

them differently that she would otherwise. Or seeing her life as it is and wanting more. Needing maybe time alone to think.”

Astra winced at that. “I get that whole raging-hormones thing with a pregnancy,” she said, “and I know my sister is on the border of being neurotic in many ways already. But I would hope that she’s erring on the side of safety, for the baby if not for herself.”

Garret agreed. “I would say she’s definitely protecting the safety of the baby, no doubt about it. Probably in a manner that’s way over-the-top, knowing her.” That statement prompted a snicker out of Astra. “Now it’s a matter of figuring out how we find them,” Garret said.

“Well, I’m doing what I can do,” she said. “But I fear I’m in way over my head. My question is, what will you do?”

“Get them back,” Garret said. “Let’s just hope we can do it before something bad happens.”

Chapter 3

On the heels of that statement, chaos reigned. Garret’s phone went off, and so did Kano’s. Astra went over to the counter and picked up her coffee cup, then walked to the window. She’d rented this hotel room because it was the same hotel her sister had been in. She hadn’t been allowed access to her sister’s room, and, as far as she knew, the police had been in, searched, and gone. She had yet to provide that room number to Garret though.

As soon as they were off the phone, she said, “My sister was staying here, also on the second floor.”

“You and I’ll head there now. Kano will stay here. Also I’ve got the team searching for whatever they can turn up, and I’ve contacted Charles.”

“Who is this Charles?” she asked, as they walked to the door.

“Somebody in town who works in our field.”

“Good for him.”

“No, he should have retired a long time ago. In fact, he has one of those jobs that you just never retire from.” He walked to the door, waiting for her to join him, then he shut it, as he walked out into the hallway with her.

“What about Kano?”

“Kano’s on his own mission to get information. We’ll pull as many threads as we can to get people on board.”

“Do you have a team?”

“A lot of team members,” he said, with a nod. “And we’re running with other teams as well.”

She wasn’t quite sure what that meant but was willing to accept any help coming their way.

“Had Amy been working?”

“No, not in the last few weeks. She’d been doing contract work for art graphics. Websites, logos, branding, things like that. But, since she found out she was pregnant, things kind of went to pot for her.”

“Again, those emotions boiling over,” he murmured.

“And again, not necessarily all that there is to this,” she said. “I get that she’s not your favorite person at the moment. Yet, whatever is happening, she needs help.”

“I get it and would hope that you still know me better than that,” he said. “But the bottom line is that definitely some aspect of her pregnancy is involved here, no matter what else is going on. Being pregnant makes everything different for her.”

“There’s also a chance that she’s taken off because she felt she was in danger.”

“But you have no way to contact her?”

“I’ve tried every way I know,” she said. “Social media, text, cell phone, old phone numbers, messages with friends. Everything I can think of, but nothing’s turned up so far.”

“How was your relationship lately? Is she likely to respond?”

“I would have thought so, yes,” she said, but again she shrugged.

“But?”

“She knew that I didn’t approve of her getting pregnant and having his baby.”

“Why not?” he said, almost offended at the suggestion that something was wrong with his brother.

“Because she wanted desperately for her baby to have a father who would be home, and, with all his traveling, in no way does Gregg fit that model.”

“No,” Garret said. “He doesn’t.”

“Why are you getting all defensive about it anyway?” she asked, looking at him sideways. “Like I insulted him or something. Look at you. How could you possibly believe he would have anything to do with your accident?” she asked. “Do you really think he’d cause a plane crash over the middle of the ocean?”

“Only because of what Amy said. That she had information and thought he was involved somehow.”

“That came from her? That doesn’t add up at all. I just don’t get it. She never said anything about that to me,” she said, sounding upset.

“Unless …” Garret said, speaking slowly, thinking as he spoke. “Unless she thought that would somehow guarantee that I would come over here and talk to her. She is the last person I want anything to do with, and she knows it.”

“That actually makes sense,” Astra murmured. “She would try whatever she could to make you come and help look for him.”

“But then she bails and takes off, so we’re not even sure what the score is right now,” he said, frowning.

“If she took off,” she said. “What if she was taken instead?”

He rolled his eyes at that. “Okay, for the moment, we’ll assume that something has happened to both of them. Which makes sense, but I’d just as soon have some proof before we head down that rabbit hole.”

“What if there isn’t any proof?”

“Then we’re in trouble,” he said. “It’s pretty hard to move forward, if you don’t know what the hell you are supposed to do next.”

“I know,” she said, and she did. “It’s just so damn frustrating and frightening. We’ve never been all that close, but I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, much less my sister. I know the pregnancy was weighing on her terribly. Wherever she is, she’s got to be petrified.”

“I’m sure she is,” he said gently. “And, Astra, despite my history with your sister, I’ll do whatever I can, for both of them.”

“I know that,” she said, with a nod. “Your own sense of honor won’t let you do anything else.”

“Sometimes I