Page 84 of Wicked Promises
“Why would he have a car in the city? Does he drive it a lot?”
The detective smiles. “You’re asking the right questions, at least. And I’m going to humor you.” He flips through his notebook. “I talked to Mr. Hutchins myself. He said the car was stored in a garage, and he was planning on a Sunday drive to visit family when he noticed it missing.”
I grunt. “It’s too neat. He reports it missing mere hours before it’s involved in my…”
“Or it’sgoodtiming, and we avoided a lot of hassle because he did notice.”
“You’re supposed to be humoring me.”
He sighs. “Margo, I’ll humor you as far as logic will allow. But reaching for pieces of facts to make them fit your theory is bad detective work.”
Like you did with Caleb?I bite my tongue instead of spitting out that accusation.
“Okay, okay.” I sigh. “You don’t find it fishy that there’s a link from Lydia to Tobias?”
His eyes bore into mine. “I agree, there’s a connection there. But what of it?”
“Why would LydiaAsherhave a relationship with my father’s lawyer?”
“Is that your whole theory?”
I raise my eyebrow. “Honestly? Yeah. I have no idea who Unknown is, just that they’re probably my age. Which means they’re someone who knows Lydia and goes to Emery-Rose.”
“Matt Bonner went to Emery-Rose,” Robert says from the doorway.
I jump.
“He transferred, but I suspect he knows quite a few kids at your school. Still friends, even.” Robert frowns. “You mentioned he had some hand helping Caleb with a project, Margo? Sorry, that’s unhelpful.”
Oh my God.
Matt was the one who led us to the diner. To my motherandLydia Asher. Of course he went to Emery-Rose. It was how he and Caleb became friends.
Which means he probably knows Lydia.
White spots flash in front of my eyes. I blink hard and swallow, trying to get rid of the light-headedness.
“Quite all right,” Masters says. “How are you feeling?”
Robert lets out a small chuckle. “Like someone scraped through my insides with a blade. I’ll be fine in due time.”
“You’re welcome to join us.” The detective motions to a chair. “You knew Matt?”
“Not personally.” Robert lowers himself into the seat next to me. “What are you chatting about? Besides Matt.”
“He has to be working with Lydia,” I insist.
Masters shakes his head. “Where’s the motive? She moved away after the trial and would have no reason to… what, exactly? And the other factor: usually kidnappers call the family with demands. A ransom. That didn’t happen.”
“Because Caleb and Eli found me.”
“A burner phone texted Caleb’s phone with coordinates. That’s how he found you.” Masters pats the table. “I understand that you want to connect Bonner to this, but you’re grasping at straws.”
“Margo has had a crazy few weeks,” Robert says softly.
“You don’t think the person who has been texting me and who kidnapped me—apparently without an actual reason—was the one to do that to my room?” I shoot to my feet, except there’s nowhere to go. “And you don’t believe that Matt Bonner could be that person?”
“I’ll dig around the Ashers, see if I can find anything suspicious, okay?”