Point of Disappearance by Carol Ericson

Author:Carol Ericson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-09-21T17:46:23+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Blanca’s disappointment surged into confusion and renewed excitement as her heart pounded so hard it made the buttons on her sweater quiver. “Who is Gabe Whitecotton? I haven’t heard that name before.”

Tate tossed off the rest of his wine and jumped from his chair to take a turn around the kitchen, clasping the back of his neck in a gesture becoming familiar to her. “That’s because he was listed as a runaway. He’s from the Samish nation. Lived on the reservation across the river.”

Folding her arms, she dug her fingernails into her biceps. “Why were the authorities so sure he was a runaway? Because of the age?”

“It had nothing to do with his age, Blanca. He disappeared when he was thirteen around 2017.”

“But Gwen just told me the bones belong to a fifteen-year-old.” She stopped and placed her hands over her mouth.

“Exactly.” Tate punched a fist into his palm. “Where was he for those two years?”

“Maybe—” she planted her hands on either side of her plate, fingers spread “—Gwen’s estimate is off. Maybe the bones are from a twelve-year-old.”

“She sounded confident to me. I’m pretty sure there are measurements and other tests they perform to pinpoint the age.” He grabbed the wine bottle by the neck. “Why are you trying to talk yourself out of your own theory? This would match with the marks on Andrew’s wrists. It would explain why Jeremy’s body has never been found—to this day.”

With an unsteady hand, she held out her glass for a pour. “Jeremy in 2003, Andrew in 2010, Gabe you think in 2017, and now Noah. Are there more? Does every missing boy from the Discovery Bay islands in the past twenty, thirty years have to be reinvestigated?”

Tate shook his head as he added a steady stream of red liquid to her glass. So much for staying sober.

“Why were the authorities so quick to call Gabe a runaway?”

Rubbing his eyes, Tate slumped back in his chair. “He’d done it before. I had just finished my training around that time and had moved back to the island, so I remember the case.”

She studied his face, his jaw a straight, hard line despite his relaxed position in the chair. She’d bet that he remembered that case...and every other case of boys gone missing. He’d pulled Gabe’s name and date missing right out of his brain as soon as Gwen had provided the details.

“Gabe had a troubled home life, had skipped out a few times...and he lived on the reservation.” Tate rolled his shoulders. “Hate to say it, but Sheriff Maddox was more likely to gloss over a case when it involved the Samish.”

“Sounds to me like he glossed over a lot of cases.”

Tate hung his head and covered his face with his hands. “I was dreading the news but needed the closure. I can’t imagine how Birdie’s going to feel when she finds out the bones don’t match Jeremy’s.”

“I’ll tell her myself. No point in putting yourself through that again.” Blanca pushed back from her chair and crossed to Tate’s side of the table.

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