A Spirited Gift

It seemed likely to me that Sandi somehow got away from the group to look for her ring when the rest of us left the ballroom. When I presented that theory to Matthew, he broke down. “We went upstairs for a while. She thought it was funny being up there—doing it—you know? While everyone else was downstairs scared of the storm.”

“Wasn’t she scared of the storm?” I asked him. “Weren’t you scared?”

“I was terrified.” He glanced away, clearly scared now. “I didn’t want to go up there, but she insisted.”

And of course, he didn’t mind helping her out. He didn’t have to explain any more than that. She probably just didn’t come right back down after they were finished—and when she did come down, she went to find her ring.

I scrutinized Matthew with his wild hair and narrow face—what did Sandi see in him worth losing her job and her family? He was young, that was true. Maybe in his early to late twenties. Sandi was in her early forties. Maybe that was his charm.

He was lucky Sandi’s husband—a very large ex-marine from Charleston—wasn’t here to help look for her. I didn’t want to know how nervous Matthew would be in that case.

Nancy, Marissa and I walked up the dark stairs to the third floor—Matthew closely in tow where I could keep an eye on him. There were only small emergency lights to guide the way. We were kind of bunched together as we felt our way down the long hall.

I glanced out of the window on the third-floor landing. The dark, angry sea was detailed by moonlight as it slapped at the shore. Despite the bright moonlight, I wished it was morning. I wished someone besides me was leading this effort to look for Sandi too. But I was stuck with the night and the responsibility, at least for a while.

Matthew led us to Sandi’s room, but there was no answer when I knocked. Marissa unlocked the door—which said something to me about Sandi and Matthew’s relationship. He didn’t have a key.

Impatiently, I pushed into the large room, but there was no sign of Sandi. The bed was tumbled, pillows and blankets everywhere. Matthew hung his head when I looked at him. Marissa took a step back from him as though she was afraid of being too near.

Clothes were strewn around as though the storm had swept through the room. Sandi’s pocketbook with her driver’s license, credit cards and pictures of her family was still on her bedside table. She couldn’t be far away.

“Could she be in your

room?” Nancy asked Matthew in a none-too-delicate tone.

“I suppose so,” he said. “She was in here when I left to go downstairs. I don’t know why she’d be in my room. It’s really small. She forgot to book it for me until right at the last minute.”

“Let’s take a look,” I suggested. “Maybe she wanted to surprise you.”

“Believe me—this trip has been one big surprise,” he commented in a bitter voice as he led the way down the hall. He opened the door as we got there. The room was empty.

“You weren’t kidding about this being small,” Nancy said. “I don’t know if I could fit on that bed.”

“It’s meant for a child,” Marissa explained. “It’s all we had left. I’m sorry. Mayor Foxx said it would be fine.”

“She would,” Matthew said. He glared at Marissa.

I could imagine Sandi hadn’t planned for him to spend much time here. I looked around the room anyway. It was as neat as Sandi’s was messy.

“She isn’t here,” he said in an obvious way. “I don’t know where she is.”

“But you seem to be the last person who saw her.” I didn’t add “alive,” but I tried to sound as intimidating as Chief Michaels would have in this situation. As I finished surveying the room, I noticed something on top of the tiny dresser—the other part of the broken key chain.

I felt the anger and frustration again—stronger this time—when I picked it up. But while the key belonged to Matthew, the energy left in the key chain was from Sandi. She’d thrown the key ring at him and the dolphin fob had shattered against the hitching post.

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything,” he said, twisting his watch.

“You were breaking up with her, weren’t you?” It was just a guess, but an educated one. Why else would Sandi be that angry and frustrated with him?

I could see from the look on his face that I was right. I put the key chain in my pocket. I might need it later.

“She was so demanding,” he said. “You just don’t know what it was like. I told her I’d do this conference with her but I was leaving when we got back. She thought coming here together would make some big difference.”

“Demanding?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

“She wanted to get married, okay?” He shook his head, his dark hair flopping around on his forehead. “I told her I wasn’t ready. She promised to help me get a good job with the government. Instead, I ended up being her lover and errand boy.”

“She was going to leave her kids and that gorgeous hunk of husband for you?” Nancy asked exactly what I was thinking.

“That’s what she told me,” he answered. “I don’t know why. I didn’t encourage her. I never thought it was that serious. I have plans of my own.”