Erica nodded at her car, which was the dirty one. “Like I told you on the phone, I got back here about two hours ago. I spent several days with my parents in Minnesota, but I drove all day to spend Christmas with Gordon and Jay. But Gordon’s not here. As you can see, his car is still in the garage, but I’ve searched the entire house, and I can’t find him anywhere.”

“It’s a little early to push the panic button,” I told her. “Isn’t it possible he spent Christmas Eve with one of the other lawyers?”

“You mean, is he shacking up with a woman on the team because I was away?” she asked in a chilly voice. “If that’s what you’re thinking, then no. Most of the other members of the legal team went home for Christmas. I called the ones who stayed in the area. He’s not with them. And he has no friends among the locals. Plus, Gordon knew I was coming back tonight. He said he would stay up and work until I got home.”

“When did you last talk to him?”

“Sunday afternoon. He didn’t have any plans to leave the house over the Christmas weekend. I tried calling again last night, but I didn’t reach him. Then I tried again before I left this morning and I stopped to call from the road, too. There was no answer. Trust me, Deputy, this is not like Gordon.”

“Did you talk to his son?” I asked.

“Of course. Jay hasn’t seen Gordon since breakfast on Sunday.”

“Did he say whether his father was home the whole time?”

“That’s what he told me. He never saw the car leave.”

“He and Gordon have been home together for two days, and Jay didn’t see him or talk to him?”

Erica rolled her eyes. “Their relationship is . . . difficult.”

“Did you search the entire house? It’s a big place.”

“I did. I checked in all the usual spaces where we spend time. I also called to him on the intercom, which is wired to every room. When he didn’t answer, I got worried, so I checked each room methodically. Every room, closet, bathroom. He’s not in the house.”

When Erica Brink said she’d done something methodically, I believed her.

“The most likely explanation is still that he’s with someone else in town,” I said. “If you haven’t heard from him by morning—”

She cut me off midsentence. “I am concerned, Deputy. I don’t want to wait until morning. Gordon is not with anyone. Last week, I was the target of a humiliating assault, and now I get back home to find my husband missing. He’s the lead defense attorney in a lawsuit that has generated countless threats from people in this area. I want to find him right now.”