“No problem,” Reid said.
Ruby glanced from her to Reid with a frown. “You said you had more questions?”
“Has anyone from Homeland Security or the FBI contacted you?”
Ruby tucked an errant brown curl behind her ear and nodded. “Several people came by yesterday, but I didn’t have much more to add than what I’d told you. It was all in the email.”
“Did they ask about Keith’s friends?”
“Yes, and I told them about his bunkmate and the others he’d mentioned on the rig.”
“Who was his bunkmate? I’d like to talk to him.”
“His name is Walter. I don’t remember his last name.”
Jane set down her coffee and leaned forward. “I got to wondering if he would have talked to his friends here on land. And what about a girlfriend? Maybe he’s talked about this with people he’s comfortable with.”
Ruby inclined her head toward the coffee counter. “That redhead there is Bonnie Webb. They dated about a year, but Keith said she didn’t like the way he was gone so long at a time and broke up with him. They broke up about a month ago.”
Jane swiveled to gaze at Bonnie. She’d worked here several months now and was always cheerful and outgoing. She appeared to be in her early twenties, and while she had a cute build, she always dressed modestly in jeans and a T-shirt that covered her curves. Her vibrant red hair drew anyone’s attention. She always noticed Jane in the line and had her black coffee poured and ready to go.
“I think I’ll see if she can take a break and join us for a few minutes. There’s no line, and three people are behind the counter.”
Bonnie looked up with a smile when Jane approached the counter. “Need a refill, Chief?”
“Actually, I wondered if you’d have time to answer a few questions about Keith McDonald?”
Bonnie’s brown eyes clouded, and Jane noticed the red rims around them. She’d probably heard of Keith’s disappearance.
Bonnie glanced behind her at the two young men. “I’m going to take a break, guys. I’ll be at the table with the chief if it gets crazy.” She came around the espresso machines and exited the counter area.
“Are you sure Ruby will want me there? She didn’t say anything to me when she got here.” Bonnie’s voice choked off.
“Ruby’s having a hard time.”
Bonnie paused when they reached the table. “Um, where do you want me to sit?”
Ruby patted the chair Jane had vacated. “Sit here by me, Bonnie. Did you hear about Keith?”
Bonnie sank bonelessly into the chair and burst into tears. Ruby reached over and gripped Bonnie’s hands in hers while she cried too. Jane’s impulse was to embrace them both, but they weren’t close enough for that kind of gesture. Her eyes burned at their pain, and she wished she could ease it somehow. Keith had to be dead by now. Regret resided in Reid’s eyes too.
Bonnie reached for a napkin and blotted her eyes. “I wanted to get him back.” Her voice wobbled. “I tried calling him and texting him for the past week, but he never answered. I was sure he would have realized it was a mistake by now. He said he wanted me to have time to date around rather than waiting on him, but I already knew I didn’t want to date other guys.”
Reid handed her another napkin. “Wait a minute. Are you saying he broke up with you? You didn’t break up with him?”
Bonnie crumpled the napkin in her hand and shook her head. “I loved him. I wanted to marry him.”
Ruby let go of Bonnie and sat back in her chair. “Keith told me you broke up with him—that you couldn’t handle his long absences.”
Bonnie lifted her reddened eyes and locked her gaze on Jane. “That’s not true. It wasn’t my idea at all. Now that he’s missing, I think he was afraid I’d get hurt by whoever is behind all this. He made an excuse to break up to keep me out of it.”
Jane pulled out her notepad. “Have you met other men Keith worked with?”
Bonnie glanced at Ruby, then back to Jane. “Um, just that English guy he bunked with. He gave Keith a fat manila envelope and told him not to show it to anyone. We were at my apartment, and when Keith walked him out, he warned Keith to keep an eye on me. It was kind of creepy.”
Reid made a sound, but Jane held up her hand to silence him. “Why would he warn Keith like that?”
“Keith was tight-lipped about it, but I think it was to keep Keith from talking about what he’d overheard.”
“Do you still have the manila envelope?” Jane asked.
“No, Keith took it with him, and he didn’t tell me what was in it.”
“Do you remember the guy’s name or what he looked like?” Reid’s voice was tight, and he shot a warning look at Jane.
“He was Keith’s bunkmate. He’s a really big guy with a gold tooth and tattoos.”
Reid leaned forward. “Dex!”
Jane stared at him. “You know this guy?”
Reid’s brown eyes narrowed. “He’s a deck pusher on the rig and showed me around yesterday. Let’s see if we can find out when he’s coming ashore. He knows a lot more than he let on to me. He didn’t say a word about being Keith’s bunkmate.”
And Reid’s aggrieved tone indicated he didn’t like Dex’s subterfuge one bit. Jane was going to have to work with him on this a lot more closely than she’d like.
* * *
Jane was going to be madder than a wet cat.
Reid rose with his empty cup, then held out his hand for Jane’s cup. She handed it to him. Pelican Brews picked up with lunch business, and Bonnie had to get back to work. Ruby excused herself as well to go back to the school.
He let his gaze linger on the beautiful planes of Jane’s angular features as he took the coffee cup. The humidity released the curl in her light-brown hair, and her eyes were more green than hazel today. He wanted to linger on those lips he still dreamed of kissing again, but she’d be furious if she knew what he was thinking.
He gestured to the daily menu on the chalkboard. “Any food to take with us? The paninis smell good.”
“I’m not hungry, thanks. Go ahead if you want something.”
“I’m good.” He led the way to the door.
Outside, he turned toward the trash receptacle, and the gulls hanging around gave him arrogant stares from their black eyes. They didn’t even fly away when he approached.
He tossed the cups. “We need to find out when Dex is coming ashore. And where he lives.”
“I was going to see Steve Price today anyway. He’s the shore manager, and he’ll know.”
He swung back toward her. “Mind if I tag along?” He expected a glare and an emphatic no, but she assessed him for a long moment.
“Okay. He might be swayed to be more honest by the fact you’re with the media.”
He hid his jubilation and followed her and Parker across the street and into the sunshine. A muscle car roared past, and he missed what she’d said. “Sorry?”
Her gaze locked with his. “Let me ask the questions. And don’t think this means anything has changed between us.”
He gave a jerky nod. “Understood.”
He wanted to ask if she’d ever forgive him, but the words got tangled with regret. Before he could say anything else, she swung away from him and stalked toward her SUV in the police station’s parking lot. He followed, admiring the strong curves of her legs in the khaki skirt she wore.