Page 17 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

Despite what he had said, her eyes lit with hope.

“Perhaps you could tell me what you knew that the police didn’t put any stock in. What they might have overlooked.”

Mrs. Harrison nodded. “They always thought she had just run off with a boy. But after she broke up with Silas that January, a few months before she went missing, she’d sworn off relationships. At least, for a while. Usually, she called from summer camp to tell me about a crush.”

The grieving mother smiled slightly, as if remembering fond memories.

Ramon asked, “Did the police speak with this Silas?”

She nodded. “He didn’t know anything, so it was a waste of time.”

Ramon caught something in her tone. “Was there someone else who did know something? Perhaps Chelsea’s father?”

According to county records, Mrs. Harrison was still married. So where was the husband, who she stated was absent?

Mrs. Harrison rolled her eyes. “Chelsea’s father didn’t know anything. That waste of space only cared about himself.”

“I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with this alone.” Ramon tried to soften his tone. “That must have been very hard.”

“You have no idea.” She didn’t elaborate on that, and he didn’t ask her about it.

“Did Chelsea have anyone else in her life who might have any information about what happened to her?”

“The night she went missing, she was supposed to meet her best friend at the theater. Apparently, the girl waited ten minutes, bought her ticket, and went in alone to see the movie. Chelsea never made it. The police confirmed that she left work, but she and her car both vanished. No one ever found the car either.”

That was interesting. Instead of being snatched somewhere, both the girl and the car seemed to have gone missing at the same time. Or perhaps the kidnappers had done something to her car so that she was forced to pull over. They could have taken her and ditched the car somewhere no one would ever find it. Which meant there could be more than one kidnapper.

So, either Zeyla was wrong about her Count of Shadows theory or that mysterious man was working with an accomplice. Or he had people working for him.

“Her best friend, Shauna,” Mrs. Harrison spat the words. “She had to know more than she said.”

“Is she still around now?” There did seem to be a strong past tense in the way she’d said that.

A tiny smirk crossed Mrs. Harrison’s face. “She left a few months after, and the police couldn’t find her when they had more questions. But she packed a bag and left a note. She was so distraught over what happened to Chelsea that she had to leave town.”

“Where do you think her friend went? Perhaps we can track her down and speak with her.” Ramon shifted on the seat, feeling an odd note in the air.

Mrs. Harrison’s face blanked. “I’m sure she’s in the same place as my husband. Burning in hell because they should have protected Chelsea, but they only thought about themselves.”

Zeyla cleared her throat.

Ramon didn’t look at her, not entirely sure what to make of this woman and the malice in her eyes. “Is there anything else that you think we should know about what happened to Chelsea?”

Mrs. Harrison’s expression shifted again, becoming the epitome of politeness. “I can’t think of anything. But do let me know if you find her.” She did the hand-on-the-chest thing again. “I’ll try not to get my hopes up.”

Ramon stood. “I’m sure if you do, it will be understandable.”

Zeyla moved to the door.

Ramon said, “Thank you for your time, Mrs. Harrison.”

She didn’t show them to the door, so he closed it behind him. As soon as he did, Zeyla said, “Wow, there is something deeply disturbed about that woman.”

Ramon glanced back, hoping Mrs. Harrison didn’t hear the comment that Zeyla didn’t even try to disguise. “Maybe we could talk about this in the car instead of on her doorstep.”

“If I didn’t know the kid looked so similar to all the other missing women, I would be wondering if Mrs. Harrison killed her daughter out of jealousy or something.” Zeyla climbed in the car.

Ramon didn’t disagree but made a point not to accuse people of heinous crimes without actual evidence. He turned on the car. “I think we should dig a little more into her life and see if there isn’t something she’s hiding. Do our due diligence.”