Page 57 of The Shop on Hidden Lane

“Yes.” Diane looked around, surveying the sparkling fairyland garden. “We’ll see how long it lasts this time.”

She started to give Bruce a goodbye pat. He made the mistake of grinning, showing off his fangs. Diane changed her mind. Bruce looked disappointed.

“It’s getting late, so I’m going back to the inn for a nightcap and bed,” Diane said. “It was a pleasure to meet you both, and Bruce, too, of course. I’m sure I’ll see you around the inn.”

“Do you plan to attend the auction?” Luke asked.

“Definitely. I’ve got my eye on that gorgeous vase. Wish me luck.”

“What about the sculpture titledSuccubus?” Sophy said, trying to sound casual.

“What a monstrosity.” Diane shuddered. “That was the one installation I thought was an utter failure. Someone said the artist was probably attempting to convey female power, but it looked like a Halloween costume or the villain in a low-rent horror film. All that sculpture needs is a bloody knife. I doubt if anyone will be bidding on it at the auction. Enjoy the honeymoon suite.”

Sophy watched the woman walk away along one of the illuminated paths. “She saw Bea and Deke. I was right. Theywerein the suite.”

“Did you doubt your reading?”

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m conjuring the visions,” she admitted. “I’m always relieved when the police find hard evidence at the scene of the crime that verifies my read.”

“Believe me, I understand the need for confirmation,” Luke said.

The grim intensity of the words made her look at him. But he went on before she could ask any questions.

“We know for sure that Deke and Bea were in the suite and we know they disappeared sometime during their first night at the inn.”

“Now what?”

“They’re still here,” Luke said, very certain.

She stared at him, stunned. “What makes you sure of that?”

“Simple psychology. No psychic talent needed. This place is a fortress. As far as anyone knows, Hatch never leaves the compound. This is where he feels secure. Where he hides his secrets.We know Deke and Bea were here. If they left under their own power they would have contacted us. That did not happen, so we have to assume they never got out of the compound.”

Sophy stared at him, unable to breathe. “Oh, my God, are you saying they are dead?”

“I think it’s more likely they are in hiding around here.”

“What makes you think that?” She was grasping at straws but she needed reassurance.

“If they were dead, whoever was responsible would have arranged for the bodies to be found. There would also have been a good cover story to explain why the son of the CEO of one of the most successful security firms in the country died under mysterious circumstances. Trust me, no one wants the Wells family breathing down their necks.”

“I see what you mean. If Bea was murdered, only Chloe and I would care. But a missing or dead Wells would draw a lot of attention.”

“You’re wrong, Sophy.”

The edge on the words startled her. She looked at him and saw that his amber eyes looked a lot more feral than usual.

“What do you mean?” she said.

“If anything happened to you or Bea or your sister, the Wells family would come looking for answers.”

A shivery chill whispered through her. “Because of the pact.”

“The pact is what connected the families back at the start, but now it’s personal.”

She wasn’t sure how to interpret that statement. Maybe she was afraid to read too much into it. Regardless, they were in this together.

She looked around, taking in the brightly lit scene. “How do we even begin to search this place? It’s not like we’re the police or the FBI. We can’t get search warrants and go door-to-door.”