Page 91 of Tide and Seek

“By the way, Luke’s not home,” I said.“He’s out looking for Royce.”

That seemed to throw him.“Luke’s helping you?”

“Yes, he’s out on the beach right now, searching.”

Ethan grunted.“That’s surprising.”

Is it?

“I just thought you should know because you said you were here to drop off ant poison.Maybe just leave the bug stuff on his porch.”

Ethan shook his head.“No can do.This stuff is dangerous and too expensive.I don’t want it getting stolen and then Luke throws a fit.”He gave a tight smile.“You know how Luke can be.”

Yes, I knew exactly how Luke could be.Only, at the moment, he was being a decent human and helping me out, while Ethan was not.“You want me to give it to him?Then you’d have proof you dropped it off.”

His eyes flickered.“Nah.I appreciate the offer, but I’ll just swing by later.”He nodded to me, did a U-turn, and then drove out of the colony.

Frowning after him, I watched him speed down the highway away from Ocean Whisper Estates.“Seriously?It’s just ant poison, not gold bullion.”

When I got back to my house, I felt lost.I had no idea what to do next.I only knew in my gut that something was very wrong.I once more mulled calling Hartley, since he was the lead on the break-in/murder investigation.But his day job was handling homicides, and I worried he wouldn’t really care about something like Royce being missing for a few hours.

I sat at the dining room table, trying to decide if maybe calling Deputy Gonzalez was the smarter move.I tried to force my racing thoughts into some kind of logical order, but my emotions kept getting in the way.

My gaze drifted across the polished wood surface of the table, cataloging everything that didn’t make sense in a sort of hazy panic.Royce’s abandoned cell phone.Royce’s coffee mug from this morning, still on the table.Royce was meticulous about rinsing his cups and dishes.One of the dining room chairs was pulled away from the table and turned sideways.Why?

That’s when I saw it.

A small object under the edge of that chair, barely visible against the dark hardwood floor.At first glance it looked like nothing—a bit of orange plastic, the kind of packaging debris that could have come from anywhere.The mail, a product wrapper, something innocuous.

But my pulse jumped because I knew exactly what it was.

I pushed back from the table and crossed to the other chair, crouching down to get a better look without touching it.My hands were shaking as I leaned closer.

A needle cap.The bright orange safety cap from a syringe.

To anyone else, it would look like nothing more than a stray piece of plastic, the kind of thing you’d sweep up and forget about.

But I knew better.

That particular shade of orange, that exact size and shape.I knew it was a syringe cap.No mistaking it.And there was no reason for one to be here.

My stomach dropped.

If there was a syringe involved, Royce hadn’t just walked out of here.He hadn’t gone for a spontaneous walk on the beach or decided to visit a neighbor.Someone had injected him with something.Someone had done something to him, right here in my house, while I was at C.J.’s yoga studio talking about meditation and green tea.

My mind was already racing through the horrifying possibilities, each one worse than the last.What had they injected him with?Where had they taken him?How long ago had this happened?Was he even still alive?That last thought took the wind out of me.I had to brace myself on the floor because I felt lightheaded.

No.I couldn’t let myself think that way.

Royce had to be okay.

I pulled out my phone with trembling fingers.Calling Deputy Gonzalez was probably a smarter move than calling Hartley.Gonzalez liked Royce and he’d been very helpful to us during our time here.If I was going to have any help from law enforcement, odds were Gonzalez was my best bet.

I dialed the Lost Hills Station, and after a transfer, Gonzalez picked up.

“Deputy Gonzalez speaking.”

“Hi, Deputy Gonzalez, it’s Dr.Thornton.”