started questioning him. It would look bad to his clients.”
Skyler nodded. “It’s possible today’s trip to the police station will get him to leave Gigi alone, but they have a much longer history. And if he needs money, that could turn into a dangerous situation. If he has a desperate need for cash, then he doesn’t have time to finesse himself into another relationship with someone who has tons of money to burn. That leaves Gigi as his best option. He knows her and knows if he can wear her down, he’ll get what he needs.”
“That sounds like a decent theory,” Sebastian said, slipping back into his seat. “I’ve got one of my best guys working on him. And another working to find out how Mystical Finds of Avalon obtained Carolyn’s ring. I’m not sure there’s anything else to do until we hear back from one or both of them.”
Gigi sat back in her chair, feeling like they’d done everything they could for the moment but also like they were missing something vital. But no matter how hard she tried to run through it all in her head, she came up blank. There was nothing to do now but wait.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Anything?” Gigi asked Sebastian as they strolled Main Street. They’d just met up for dinner after Gigi spent the day stocking Skyler’s boutique with her skin care line. The soft opening was just three days away, and she wanted to make sure she’d made enough product to not only fill the shelves, but to have extra on hand to restock. It turned out she had a decent amount, but she wanted to make more just to be on the safe side.
Sebastian blew out a frustrated breath. “I can’t get ahold of Gage, the PI who’s researching Mystical Finds of Avalon. Last I heard from him, he did confirm that Emerson Sanders is the owner. But it appears that particular business was shuttered over five years ago. Gage was going to dig deeper and call me this morning. There’s been radio silence, and honestly, I’m getting really concerned about him. He never goes off grid without warning.”
“Did you hear from John?” Gigi’s stomach had been in knots ever since the morning after James had attacked her. She hadn’t heard anything from him, which might mean he actually was laying low because they went to the police, but that intuition of hers just would not shut up. Something was very wrong. She just didn’t know what.
“Yes. He said James is having money issues. His credit is in the toilet. He doesn’t know why, but he’s still trying to work it out. He also said that other than going to his job at the advertising firm, he hasn’t left his house all week.”
That was good. At least he wasn’t out terrorizing anyone else. “I know that should reassure me, but it just doesn’t. Something is up. I can feel it.”
He took her hand and raised it and brushed his lips over her knuckles. “Intuition is a powerful tool. But it’s hard to take action on a feeling.”
He seemed just as frustrated as she felt.
Gigi let out a sigh. “I’m not going to be able to relax at a restaurant. What do you say we get takeout and head to the beach?”
“Sounds good.” After getting sandwiches at the Earthly Spirits Deli, they headed down toward the water. There were a few people walking the shoreline, but since it was a weekday, they had most of the beach to themselves. Instantly, as Gigi stepped onto the sand, she felt some of the tension drain from her.
“The beach is where you recharge, isn’t it?” Sebastian said.
She nodded. “It’s that obvious?”
“Yes.” He smiled down at her. “The tension just seems to drain from your entire body when you’re down here. The transformation happens almost immediately.”
“You never noticed when we were kids?” she asked. “This isn’t new.”
“No, but you carry more with you now, so I think that’s why I can see it now but didn’t then.” He frowned. “Did we never go to the beach after your mom disappeared?”
She shook her head. “No. I couldn’t. Not for a long time. It was too hard. The beach was where Mom and I really talked. We’d take walks in the evenings, and that’s when we communicated. After she disappeared, I just couldn’t. It hurt too much. It took me many years to get back to loving the beach.”
Sebastian stopped in one of the coves that protected them from the