“Shit,” Welles muttered, chastised. He tucked a lock of hair that had escaped his man-bun behind his ear. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I told him, even though it really wasn’t. Nothing about the past twenty-four hours was anything resembling fine.
“I talked to Hightower a few minutes ago,” Graham said.
My heart leapt at the mention of Cade. (Had I mentioned how screwed I was?)
“Did he give an update?” Gwen pestered. “Are the police having any better luck?”
“No update. No ransom note. No viable tips. No nothing. So far, they have jack. Same goes for the FBI,” Graham said bluntly. “Tomorrow morning, Georgia is going to make a statement for the press. Plead for the safe return of her son. Rarely works, but it’s worth a shot. At this point, anything is worth a shot.”
Graham’s sharp green stare cut to me. There was something working in the depths of his eyes. A question he didn’t ask, though I got the feeling he wanted to. I felt the intensity of his gaze like a physical weight against my skin and wondered how Gwen hadn’t developed a case of scoliosis in their short time dating.
His eyes finally moved away.
I took a shaky breath.
“Told Hightower I’d get Imogen home safe and sound,” Graham explained. “Welles will bring her.”
I looked at Welles. “You will?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Nope.”
Forcing myself to look away from his bright, hazel-gold eyes, I turned to Gwen. “Are you opening the store tomorrow?”
She shrugged. “I guess it depends what happens with the search. It feels weird to go back to business as usual when Rory is missing…”
I worried my bottom lip with my teeth. On Sundays, The Gallows had abbreviated hours, opening late (noon) and shuttering early (four). Mondays, we didn’t open at all.
“Just call me, whatever you decide,” I told her. “If you want me here, I’ll be here.”
“Will do,” she said, giving me a quick hug goodbye.
Florence wandered over and did the same. “See you later, superstar.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Superstar?” Sawyer asked. Besides his name, it was the only word he’d uttered since his arrival.
“Imogen here is famous,” Flo informed him happily. “She was a child star.”
Sawyer’s lips twitched. “Was she, now?”
He didn’t say it like a question. He said it like an inside joke — one Flo wasn’t in on.
He already knew.
“You already knew!” Flo accused, coming to the same conclusion.
Gwen looked up at Graham. “Didyouknow Imogen was famous?”
Graham nodded.
“What?You knew?” A thick vein of accusation ran through her words. “How could you know?”