As I pulled away slowly, I whispered, “Yes, I’ll help you find her.”

Chapter 15

We spent hours talking about the house. How we would move the flow of traffic through the home, what rooms we should include on the tour and how much parking we could accommodate. We talked about the mantelpieces that were finally delivered and when we would begin reconstruction on the kitchen house. We didn’t kiss again, but we held hands and watched the stars. Eventually, I looked at my watch. “Oh my goodness, it’s after midnight!”

“I’d better get you home. I had no idea it was so late. Hold on just a minute.” After he left, I walked along the boat and watched the moonlight dance off the water. This had been the perfect date—stars, water and Ashland’s sensual kiss. I ignored the nagging, suspicious voice that said he was just using me. That he really did want me to treasure-hunt for him. Shut up! Is it so hard to believe he likes me?

In a half hour, we were driving back across the causeway. Jazz played quietly on the radio. “Thank you for a lovely evening, Ashland. It was breathtaking to see those stars falling.”

“The evening isn’t over yet, is it?” he asked me playfully. I blushed, glad that he couldn’t see me in the dark. I didn’t know how to answer him.

We exited off the interstate and on to Government Street. I was taking mental notes, learning how the city was laid out. Government would take us right to my apartment. From the exit, I looked down over the city and easily spotted Seven Sisters lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Ashland? Who’s working at the house tonight? TD or Hollis Matthews, maybe?”

“Nobody that I know of. Nobody’s supposed to be, anyway.”

“Well, someone left some lights on. Can we stop by real quick, just to check it out? We just got that shipment of Pena ceiling medallions in, and I would hate for anything to come up missing.”

“Yes, we’d better.” We turned on the private road, surprised to see three cars lined up in the driveway. I recognized one of them.

“What the hell?” Ashland was clearly not amused.

“Hold on, that’s Mia’s car. I didn’t give her permission to be here. What in the world is going on?” Maybe she came to see the mausoleum in the middle of the night, but I wished she had told me she was going to be here.

It was eerily quiet, and fog was rolling up from off the river. The house sparkled with light against the murky backdrop of mist.

Before I could say anything, Ashland was on his phone. “Matthews? Call me when you get this message.” He then called the police, who told him to wait for an officer to arrive.

Ashland and I looked at one another, and it was clear neither of us wanted to wait. We got out of the car and headed for the house. The path to the front door was much easier to navigate now that the azaleas had been cut back and thinned. But the sidewalk was broken in some places, and I nearly tripped over a crack. Ashland reached out to steady me and didn’t let go. The satyr leered at us as we passed, his tongue poking out perpetually, mocking the unwanted visitors to his lost garden. I shivered.