“All right, all right,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t want you to think April was unbalanced—or paranoid. She was . . . is . . .”
“I realize you’re struggling to believe she’s still alive,” Tony said. “We understand that. Don’t worry about how to talk to us about her. We get it, okay?”
“Thank you. I want to believe I’ll see her again. Life without her is so . . . nothing.” He looked up at them, his eyes shiny with tears. “Please . . . please don’t give up on her, okay?”
“Tell us what you don’t want to tell us,” Tony said. “Trust us.”
Nathan took a deep breath. “Before she disappeared, she told me that . . . she wondered if she might be putting me in danger. She talked about leaving so she could be certain I was safe.”
CHAPTER
FOUR
River suddenly felt cold. Nathan’s revelation rocked her to her core. It mirrored her own feelings about Tony. She wanted to respond, but she couldn’t seem to find any words. Thankfully, Tony took over.
“It isn’t just that you don’t want us to believe April was paranoid,” Tony said, “you were afraid we might think she left on her own, right?”
Nathan didn’t say anything, he just nodded.
River took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. “If it helps,” she said, “I understand.” River offered him a small smile. “There is good reason to believe that’s not the case. If it were true, she would have packed all of her clothes and taken her phone, laptop, and purse. Most importantly, she would have taken her cat. My mother has a cat, and it means the world to her.”
“Is that it, Nathan?” Tony asked, his voice steady. “Is there anything else you’re hiding from us?”
“No, I promise. I’ve told you everything I know. Please believe me when I say I’m certain she didn’t just walk away on her own.”
“We do,” River said. “Don’t worry.”
“Go home,” Tony said. “We’ll see you around six.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“And Nathan,” Tony added, “be careful. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet. Just keep your eyes open, watch your back, and don’t let anyone into your apartment that you don’t know.”
“You really think I’m in danger?” he asked, his eyes wide.
“I seriously doubt it, but it never hurts to be careful,” Tony said. “Until we get an idea of what April was into, it’s just best to err on the side of caution.”
“Okay . . .”
River didn’t want the kid to worry, but Tony was right. Nathan needed to be careful, just in case.
After he left, River leaned back in her chair and met Tony’s gaze. “So? What do you think?”
“I don’t know. Before I render an opinion, I want to see April’s laptop. And I’m especially interested in her notes. If . . . and that’s a big if . . . she wasn’t being paranoid, she’s either dead or in real trouble.”
“I told Nathan she wouldn’t have left without her purse, her laptop, and her phone, but that’s not necessarily true. I’d really like to know what was in her purse.”
“You’re thinking she may have left decoys behind and taken her real credit cards and identification with her?” Tony said.
River nodded. “We’ve seen it before, but why would she want to frighten Nathan and her father? I tend to doubt she would have done that. Why not just tell them she’s going away for a while? It would have been a lot less dramatic, and it might have stopped them from looking for her. And I meant what I said about her cat. That fact alone makes me believe she didn’t leave of her own accord.”
“I’ve never had a cat, but I’d never leave Watson behind. He’s family. I’d like to look at her bank accounts and credit card statements. See if she’s still using them.”
River frowned. “Her father would have checked that, right? Just to make certain she’s okay?”
“I don’t know. Even if he’d believed she’s really missing, most adults don’t give their parents their bank account information.”
“Maybe April had access to funds no one knew about.”
Tony’s right eyebrow shot up. “Like another credit card? But payments would show up on her checking account . . . unless she opened a new one and didn’t tell anyone.”
River could see his mind working.
Finally, he sighed. “You know, if her father believed she was in trouble, this thing would be a lot easier.”
“Maybe. I keep thinking that April seems to be particularly savvy. I think she could have created another identity if she’d wanted to. I doubt seriously she would keep using her credit cards or her checking account if she was trying to hide.”
Tony grunted. “You’re probably right.” His eyes locked on hers. “You think she’s still alive?”
“I don’t know. Until we know more, I don’t want to speculate.”
“So, what does that note mean? Who could have sent it?”
“That’s exactly what I’m wondering,” River said. “April wouldn’t mail it if she wants to stay concealed. And if someone took her, or worse, they wouldn’t send it. If this was some kind of killer who wanted attention, he wouldn’t wait this long—and he’d be touting his own superiority, not making it sound like she was still alive.”
Tony was quiet for a moment. “Is this case hitting a little too close to home for you? Is that going to be a problem?”
River was still a little unnerved by Nathan’s revelation, although she didn’t want Tony to know it. Even though this situation wasn’t exactly the same as hers, River couldn’t help but feel a deep connection to the missing woman. However, if she ever decided to leave, she wouldn’t do it like this. She would never allow Tony to wonder if she’d been abducted. He would assume the Strangler’s accomplice had taken her. She couldn’t possibly do that to him.
