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"Mama, what's going on?"
"Have you heard from Gracie Layne?"
"Not for a few days. Why?"
"She had a second interview with the DHS yesterday morning. I expected she'd call me when it was over to tell me how it went, but I never heard anything. I figured maybe it ran late and she had to rush to make her flight. I've sent texts and emails and left voice messages. She's not answering."
"Maybe it didn't go well, and she doesn't want to talk about it."
"Could be, but she's usually good about checking in when she travels."
I didn't miss the barb intended to remind me that I didn't bother checking in myself. Gracie Layne was sometimes a little scattered, but with our concerns about the DHS link, I couldn't just ignore this. "Send me any info you have about her travel plans. I'll see if I can get in touch with her."
"Since I have you on the phone, where are you?"
"I'm in Texas at the moment. Let me know if you hear from her, and I'll do the same." I had stepped out onto Cassie back patio to make the call. As I looked around I realized I was looking at a shooting range. It certainly wasn't typical patio decor. I'd started to think maybe I could trust Cassie, but the shooting range struck me as a hint I shouldn't ignore.
I called Gracie Layne, but it went straight to voice mail. I left a message and sent a text.
"Is everything OK?" Cassie asked when I walked back inside.
"I think so. Is that a shooting range out back?"
"Sorry. I should have warned you. I guess it seems odd to most people. I was a competitive shooter before getting involved with BITES and since hunting is now part of my job, I like to keep my skills polished."
I checked over my notes, asked Cassie a couple of questions, and was ready to leave, but I couldn't. Cassie promised to send me Mr. Meacham's contact info as we walked toward the door. I might be making a big mistake, but my instincts were telling me Gracie Layne was in danger, and Cassie might be able to help.
"I'm sorry," I said, stepping back from the door she'd opened. "That phone call was about my sister. She's finishing up a degree in data analytics. She had an initial interview with DHS several days ago. My mom just called to say that Gracie went for her second interview yesterday, and no one's heard from her. I realize this sounds crazy, but it's not like my sister not to report in when she's traveling. I know BITES is a small part of DHS but is it possible that you know anyone in HR who could find out who her interview was with, so we can check with them?"
"Slow down. I'll be happy to help, but you need to go through it again. I'm not sure I understand."
I dropped my bag in a chair, and took a seat at the counter, while Cassie made tea. I went through the explanation again as calmly as I could.
"So, your sister went for an interview with DHS and no one's heard from her since?"
"That's the gist of it. Mama left messages on email, voicemail, and text. I just did the same after I got the call. There's no response."
"Do you know what DHS office she was interviewing with?"
I pulled up the email Mama sent. "She was flying into Spokane."
"If you know any of her friends, check with them or have your mom do it. Let me call some people I know in DHS to see if we can get some information. Make yourself comfortable. I'm going to go upstairs to our office in the loft." She pointed straight up. "Come on up when you've exhausted your options."
I called Mama, and we came up with a list of people she could check with. "I'm trying to get some information from DHS about who she was interviewing with. Did she mention a name?"
"No. I sent you all the information she gave me."
I could hear Cassie talking upstairs. She leaned over the railing. "Maggie is your sister's last name Jarvis?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't even think of that. Her last name is Mason. Jarvis is my married name."
I hated all the lies, and I knew Chance would be pissed that I made the decision to involve someone I barely knew, but I couldn't walk away from the only DHS person I knew.
I walked up to the loft and found a nicely appointed office with a large whiteboard and two executive size desks.
"Excuse the mess," Cassie said after she ended a call. "This is where Jared and I work when we're home. Are you sure she was flying into Spokane?"
I pulled up Mama's email. "Yes. I have her itinerary with flight numbers."
"Can you email me that info? Mr. Meacham is very well connected. He can find out if she was on the flights."
"That would be wonderful. Thank you. I'm sorry to ask you to do all this."
"I don't want to scare you, but the people I've spoken to so far aren't aware of any DHS office in Spokane other than the local office. It seems unlikely they'd hire someone with a degree in data analytics. Most of that kind of work would be done at DHS headquarters in Washington DC."
"Fudge."
"I have one more call to make, and then we'll talk," she said, punching in a number on her phone. "Hi, Bertram. I'm surprised you answered. I thought you'd be busy planning your retirement." After a brief pause, she continued, "I still can imagine BITES without you and Hank. I'm happy for you and Jerry, but your departure will be the end of an era."
There were gaps in the conversation as she listened. "I'm trying to get some information for a friend," she said, smiling at me. "Her sister is missing. She flew to Spokane for an interview with DHS."
After a very brief explanation, she agreed to send Gracie Layne's itinerary. After she ended the call, she headed for the stairs. "I need some coffee. Let's go back downstairs, and I'll fill you in."