Free Enemies Closer by Ava Parker Page A

it be?”
    Ben shrugged. “The staff is stealing, or giving away too many freebies.”
    “Or?”
    “Embezzlement,” he said simply.
    Clara’s mouth fell open. “Well, it can’t be that.”
    Ben nodded but didn’t say anything. Finally he looked at his watch, a stainless steel Rolex diver’s classic. Clara smiled to herself. She loved a strong wrist and a heavy watch. “I have a meeting in twenty-five minutes that I can’t miss, but after that I’ll take off for the day. What’s your plan?”
    Ignoring the hint that Ben wanted to help her search for Madeline, Clara told him, “I want to talk to the manager who was working the night you and Maddy had dinner.”
    “Harry.”
    “You know him?”
    “Only to say hello to. He came over to the table that night to flirt with your sister,” he said, smiling.
    “Was he interested in her?”
    “I didn’t have that impression, but he could have been. I think Maddy said he’s dating someone from Dovetail.”
    Clara thought about that. “I guess I’ll ask him.”
    Ben said quickly, “Don’t get yourself into trouble, Clara. Maybe you should tell the cops and let them ask. Especially about the finances. When money is involved, people get desperate.”
    “I’ll let you tell the cops,” she replied. “I’m sure they’ll get in touch with you, but you might want to call them first.” She pulled out her cell and sent a text to Ben’s phone with Judy Carlisle’s contact information. “I’m going to keep asking questions until I find my sister and bring her home.” He didn’t argue and she said, “One more question – why did she leave early?”
    If he was surprised that she already knew some of the details of their dinner, Ben didn’t show it. “She got a text message. We had just ordered coffee and dessert and Maddy checked her phone. Then she excused herself to use the restroom. When she came back she didn’t even sit down. Just took her purse, told me she was really sorry but had to leave. I asked her what was up, but she said she’d tell me later and ran out before I could say anything else. It was pretty weird, but I checked on her later and she said she was fine.”
    “You checked on her?”
    “After I left Gigi’s I sent her a text. I was walking home and ran into a friend who’d just been stood up. I told him I’d just been left at the table with dessert melting before my eyes. We got a drink and commiserated, and while we were at the bar I got a reply from Maddy saying that she was fine and really sorry. Dinner was on her next time. I wondered, but I wasn’t really worried. I figured she’d tell me…” He trailed off. “I can’t believe this.”
    Clara wondered if Maddy was really okay when she sent the text, or if she was already in trouble, and from the look on his face, Ben was wondering the same thing. She had to find out who her sister talked to that night.
    “Any idea who sent the text?”
    “None, but the police can probably check her phone records. Whoever it was, it got Maddy in gear. She couldn’t get out of the restaurant fast enough. I might have been annoyed, but she’s so unerringly polite I knew it had to be important.” He checked his watch again. “I have to get going.”
    She waved at the waiter to bring the check and opened her purse to find her wallet, but before she pulled it out Ben handed the waiter a credit card.
    “I’ve got it.”
    “Oh,” she said. “Well, thanks.”
    “So,” he said tentatively, “I’m going to my meeting, then I’ll talk to these detectives. Then where can I find you?” When she didn’t answer right away, he said, “Look, you’re going to need some local help to figure out what happened. I know the city and I know more about Maddy’s everyday life than you do. And, I know a little about what’s been troubling her.”
    Clara knew that he was right. Standing, she said, “Call me after you speak with the detectives. If they green-light you, I’d love to have your