someone else.” His cheeks flushed. “And I love her. We want to get married . . .”
Now she got the picture. “But you think you can’t move on, not until you know for certain what happened to Kennedy?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “What if she’s still out there, hoping that I’ll find her? Waiting for me?” And the guilt was there, creeping into his voice. “And I’m here . . . with someone else? Planning a new life? A life that—” He broke off, but he didn’t have to say the words.
Victoria understood. A life that should have been hers.
“We’ll do our best,” Wade said. “But as Gabe told you, we can’t guarantee that we’ll find Kennedy. We’ll reexamine the case, look at it with fresh eyes, but if there isn’t anything to discover . . .” He shook his head a bit sadly. “You have to realize that Kennedy may never come home. You may never get the closure that you seek.”
“And that’s the hardest part,” Lucas said as his lips curved down. “Not knowing. Is she dead? Is she alive? Did some sick bastard take her from me? Or did she . . . did she just choose to vanish? That’s what some of the cops thought, you see. That the ear buds weren’t proof she’d been taken. They said she could’ve just dropped them. That she could’ve just decided she didn’t want marriage or a life with me.” He shrugged. “So she just vanished. Without any of the clothes in her closet. Without her money. Without anything.” His laughter was bitter. “That was such bullshit. I know she didn’t leave me. Kennedy wouldn’t have done that. I knew her.”
Silence.
Lucas’s phone began to ring. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced down at the screen. “It’s Connie. I’m sorry, I have to take this . . .” He turned and paced a few feet away.
Victoria focused on Wade. “I’m guessing Connie is the new lady in his life.”
Wade’s considering gaze was on the other man. “I think he knows that Kennedy was cheating on him. He didn’t believe her excuses. There was another guy.” Now his stare turned to her. “We need to find that other man.”
“You think he took Kennedy?”
“I think some men can’t let go of a woman.” His gaze darkened as he stared at her.
Her breath came a little faster. “You mean Lucas,” she whispered. Five years—and he still hadn’t let Kennedy go, not fully. But was that love? If he was holding on because he wanted to help her, because—
“He’s lying to us.” Wade’s soft voice barely reached her ears. “I don’t trust him.”
What? He didn’t trust the man who’d hired them? That made zero sense to her. Why would Lucas hire them if he was hiding something?
But she didn’t get to question Wade because Lucas was closing in. He’d put the phone back in his pocket and was striding toward them. “Sorry,” he murmured. “Connie wants to set up the appointment with the caterer.”
Wade’s brows climbed. “A caterer . . . for your wedding?”
The flush on Lucas’s cheeks deepened. “Connie doesn’t understand. She thinks that Kennedy is gone, but I . . . I have to be sure.”
Now Wade whistled. “Does your fiancée know that you hired us?”
Lucas shook his head.
Wade seemed to absorb that new piece of info. Then he said, “Do you usually keep secrets from the women you’re planning to marry?”
Lucas glanced away. “Only when I think those secrets might hurt them . . .”
Wade was silent for a beat of time, then said, “Thanks for the information this morning. Dr. Palmer and I will keep you updated on anything we find, but should you need to contact us—”
“I’ve got your numbers,” Lucas said quickly.
“And we’re staying in town,” Victoria added, rattling off the name of the B&B that LOST had booked for them. “If you think of anything else that might be able to help our case, please let us know.”
Lucas nodded. “I—I will. And thank you. Thank you for coming here.” His gaze turned distant. “Thank you for looking for my Kennedy.”
Sympathy stirred within Victoria because she could hear the pain in his voice, but when she cut a quick glance at Wade, she saw him staring at Lucas with . . .
Suspicion.
“WHY WOULD HE lie to us?” Victoria demanded.
Wade had wondered when she’d ask that question. They’d left Lucas behind—less than an hour ago—and were now on the campus of Worthington University. Kennedy had been a senior