Flashback (Kendra Michaels #11)

“You have no idea what they’d found?”

“I’m afraid not. No idea. After they went missing, I immediately thought of their case files. I talked to the police, but like you said, they didn’t think that was an avenue worth exploring. That’s when I spoke to Paula about it. She took their files and looked them over.”

“Yes, she told me. She didn’t see anything.”

“She told me that, too. It’s too bad. We thought there might be some hint there of what new lead they’d found.”

Kendra nodded. Better not to tell her those case files might have been what got Paula Chase killed. “How often do you talk to them?”

“At least once every few days. They were here a lot after my husband passed away, but not so much lately. Life gets in the way, you know?”

“I know.” Kendra made a mental note to call her own mother later. “Listen, do you happen to have keys to their homes?”

Marlee hesitated before replying. “Sure. We look after each other’s places when we’re out of town. Pick up mail, water plants, that kind of thing. Why?”

“I assume the police have looked their homes over, but I wondered if you might take me there.”

Marlee was clearly mystified by the request. “Why? I’ve been to both of their places myself, and I didn’t see anything out of order. Neither did the police.”

“I know. I’d just like to see for myself. And I’d appreciate it if you would go with me in case I have any questions.”

Marlee checked her watch. “Well, I’m free until dinnertime. We could do it now.”

Kendra stood. “I was hoping you would say that. I’ll follow you.”

It took only fifteen minutes for Kendra and Marlee to reach Chloe Morgan’s Pacific Beach residence, a one-story house just a few blocks from the community’s boardwalk and popular surfing spots.

Kendra walked around the sporty red Audi parked in the driveway next to the house. “This is Chloe’s car?”

“Yes. It’s been here since she went missing.”

“Keys?”

“In her purse, on the foyer table. Along with her wallet, cash, ATM and credit cards. No activity on any of them.”

Marlee led Kendra to the front door and let her into the house. It was immaculate, and many of the walls featured framed art prints of surfers and beach scenes. Two colorful surfboards hung on the wall over the living room sofa.

“Chloe surfs?” Kendra asked.

“Oh, yes. Since college. After several hours of writing software, she grabs a board and goes to the beach to clear her head. It’s why she lives here.”

“These are her only two boards?”

“She has another in her garage. It’s in there, I checked. She didn’t drown, Dr. Michaels.”

Kendra nodded. Marlee had obviously considered all the possibilities. Kendra turned and glanced around the living room. Like Marlee, she’d packed her home with family photographs. An area above a low bookshelf was dedicated to her mother, and also included several shots of her sister and Marlee. She looked away. “Does Chloe work at home often?”

“Yes. Her company doesn’t really care where she does her coding, as long as she’s productive. She goes up to La Jolla for meetings, but most of her work is done here. I’ll show you her office.”

Marlee led her into a small room in the back of the house. The walls were dark, and most of the illumination was provided by lengths of neon tubing on the walls and ceiling. Track-mounted window shades sealed off any trace of sunlight. A long desk, free of papers or any other clutter, faced the door.

“Wow,” Kendra said. “It’s like a cave.”

“That’s the way she likes to work. She says it helps her focus, but you can see why she likes to get out in the sun during her breaks.”

“Do you know what she’s been doing at work?”

“Yes, she’s lead coder on a new scheduling system for the University of California schools. But like I said, she’s been distracted lately. Chloe is the best at what she does, but she’s been so preoccupied with her mother’s case that I’ve been afraid she might lose her job.”