Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (118 page)

William’s
jaw
worked
as
he
read
the
text.
Before
he
could
answer,
Luke
took
the
phone
from
him
and
passed
it
back
to
Aggie.
“I
think
that
puts
William
in
an
awkward
position.
Call.”

She
didn’t
hesitate.
Turning
away,
Aggie
punched
in
the
numbers
that
Tina
had
provided.
Luke
gave
William
an
apologetic
look.
“I
know
it’s
probably
early,
but
it
fits
the
criteria
and
it’ll
give
her
something
to
do.
They
can
decide
if
it
warrants
it.
Has
anyone
gone
to
talk
to
Geraldine
yet?”

“The
grandmother?”

Luke
nodded.
“I
doubt
she
took
Ellie
home,
but
maybe
there’s
a
maid
or
a
gardener
or
some
kind
of
house
help
around.
I
understand
they’re
quite
wealthy.”

“And
what
would
this
house
help
tell
us?”

“Where
to
find
them?”

“You
think
she
has
Ellie?”
William’s
voice
grew
tense
as
he
slipped
back
into
interrogator
mode.

“You
have
another
suspect?”

“Luke,
what
did
Megan
tell
you?”

“That
Ellie
was
gone.
She
asked
where
I’ve
been
all
day,
what
Ellie
had
talked
about
recently,
if
I
knew
any
reason
the
girl
would
run
away.
That
kind
of
thing.
Why?”

“Did
she
tell
you,”
William
asked
quietly,
“what
witnesses
saw?”

“No.
There
were
witnesses?
That’s
good,
right?”

William
kept
a
tight
rein
on
his
expression
as
he
said.
“Well,
it’s
good
for
us,
but
it’s
not
quite as
good
for
you.”

“Me,
why?”

“Luke,
two
independent
witnesses
from
opposite
sides
of
the
street
saw
you
drive
up
in
your
truck,
speak
to
Ellie,
and
while
she
climbed
in
your
truck,
you
got
out
and
put
her
bicycle
in
the
back.”

“I—what?
How—that’s
not
possible.
My
truck
was
never
gone
from
the
house
in
Brunswick
.
I
was
out
there
unloading
stuff
when
they
called.
I’ve
been
unloading
for
the
last
hour.
Before
that,
I
was
ripping
stuff
out
of
the
basement
so
I
could
bring
in
the
flooring.
No
one
could
have
taken
my
truck.
I
would
have
noticed.
”

“You
didn’t
hear
me,”
William
insisted.
“They
saw
you
get
out
of
your
truck.
You.”

The
sheriff
pulled
up
before
Luke
could
respond.
While
William
caught
Sheriff
Forbes
up
on
the
information
they
had,
Luke
ran
to
Aggie,
wrapping
his
arms
around
her.
“I
just
heard,”
he
whispered
somewhere
in
the
vicinity
of
her
ear.

“Heard
what.”

“That
she
left
in
a
truck
that
looked
like
mine.”
He
steeled
himself
for
any
kind
of
hesitation
or
rejection.
It
would
only
be
natural,
even
if
she
knew
deep
down
he
couldn’t
do
such
a
thing.