Dan put a hand to his lips as a seal and watched her as she sipped from her glass, clearly taking time to choose her words.

“Do you remember the case of three missing women several months ago?” she asked. “Grandmother, mother, and daughter?”

He frowned. “I think so, vaguely. I remember you were interested in it. Weren’t they found?” His eyes widened incredulously as he connected with what she was saying.

“It’s them,” she confirmed.

“How do you know?”

“Because when I realized things weren’t quite . . . as they should be with Claudia, I was reminded of the missing family, so I decided to pull up some police and press shots from the time of the search. Claudia and Jasmine have changed their hair color, but it’s definitely them.”

Dan sat quite still. He wasn’t sure what to say, or even what to think.

“It turns out,” Andee continued, “that Claudia’s husband is Marcus Huxley-Browne, the financier who went down for insider trading.”

Recalling the case, Dan said, “I didn’t read much about it, but. . . . Are you saying Claudia was involved in some way?”

Andee got up to put more ice in her glass. “I did wonder it at first,” she confessed, “but after a little more digging around I discovered something else about Huxley-Browne. He has a history as an abuser.”

Dan’s distaste showed. “So it could be she’s trying to escape him?” he prompted. “Isn’t he in prison?”

“Yes, but there’s no knowing what sort of reach he has. If he’s as controlling as most abusers there’s a good chance he already has someone looking for her. Hence the change of name and flight to the other side of the country.”

Graeme said, “The police must know where she is because they called off the search, but how much protection that gives her . . .” He shrugged, obviously having no idea.

Having none either, Dan said to Andee, “I’m guessing you haven’t mentioned anything to Claudia about this?”

She shook her head. “I’m taking the view that if she wants me to know she’ll tell me.”

He nodded in agreement and took a sip of his drink. “And meantime, we do what?” he asked.

Andee sighed. “There’s nothing we can do apart from carry on being her friend—and respecting the decisions she’s made to protect herself and her family.”

Chapter Fifteen

Dan wasn’t himself when he came today. He’s been off before, but I could tell this time that something was eating him up, and I don’t think it had anything to do with me. Don’t worry, I get that I’m not the center of his world.