Dawn in Eclipse Bay

don’t find that type of thing a real turn-on.”
    “I can see where the lingerie and heels might be a little off-putting. What happens now?”
    “I’ll be leaving town in a couple of days. I plan to go to Seattle and regroup. I’ve got contacts there. But I didn’t come here to whine today. Well, maybe just a little.”
    “Why did you come here?”
    Claire put down her cup. “Marilyn has always been a little overcontrolling and a bit paranoid. I never worried about it too much. You expect that in a strong candidate. But I have to tell you that after those crazy accusations about Trevor and me, I’m starting to wonder if maybe she’s gone off the deep end. If that’s the case, I think you should be careful.”
    “Me? Why should I worry?”
    “Because I’ve noticed that she’s become a little fixated on your relationship with Gabe Madison. Maybe it’s because she’s divorced now. But I think there’s more to it than that.”
    The phone rang. On the off chance that it might be Nella reporting back with the all-clear, Lillian lunged for it.
    She heard the muffled noise of a car in motion.
    “Hello?”
    “Witley is gone.” Gabe’s voice was very even. Too even. “He told some friends that he was taking a vacation. He’s not at his house. No one has seen him for a few days. Heard from your investigator yet?”
    “No.” Lillian clutched the phone very tightly. “Where are you?”
    “We’re on our way back to Eclipse Bay. It’s almost four o’clock. We should get there around seven.”
    “I’ll hold dinner for you both.”
    “Now that we know for sure that Witley has disappeared, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be there alone. We don’t know where he is or what he’s doing.”
    “I’ll be fine until seven tonight, for heaven’s sake. Claire Jensen is here with me now, as a matter of fact, so I’m not alone.”
    There was a murmur of conversation in the background. Lillian realized that Mitchell was speaking to Gabe.
    Gabe spoke into the phone again. “Mitchell wants to send Bryce over to baby-sit until we get back.”
    “That’s not necessary.” Lillian checked her watch. “Look, I’m going stir-crazy here. I need to run into town and pick up some groceries for dinner. I’ll leave the house right after Claire. I’ll do the shopping and then I’ll stop and see A.Z. at the hospital. That will keep me busy and I won’t be alone. Call me at the hospital when you get into town and I’ll meet you back here at the cottage. That way I won’t be alone for any extended period of time.”
    Gabe hesitated. “All right. But don’t take any long walks on the beach by yourself, okay?”
    “I thought you didn’t want to scare me.”
    “I’ve changed my mind. I figure if you’re scared, you’ll be careful.”
    “Don’t worry, I won’t wander off by myself.”
    “Good. See you soon.”
    Lillian ended the call and put down the phone.
    Claire gave her a quizzical look. “Something wrong?”
    “To tell you the truth, I don’t really know. There have been a couple of small incidents lately. Someone broke in here the other day while I was at the old Buckley place with Gabe.”
    Claire frowned and slowly lowered her cup. “Anything taken?”
    “No. Sean Valentine thinks it’s the same guy who tried to burglarize A.Z.’s place.”
    “I heard about that. It’s all over town. They’re saying it was a transient.”
    “I know. But the thing that’s worrisome is that there was another possible break-in at my apartment in Portland. Nothing taken there, either. Gabe leaped to the conclusion that the culprit might be a guy named Witley.”
    “Who’s he?”
    “A former boyfriend of one of my clients.”
    “But why on earth would he break into your apartment and this place?”
    “The theory is that he blames me for ruining his relationship with his girlfriend.”
    “You mean because you matched her with someone else?”
    “Yes.”
    “Uh-oh. Are we talking stalker here?”
    “It looks like a possibility. A remote one, I hope. You know, a friend told me I was courting a lawsuit in the matchmaking business. But I never considered this kind of thing.”
    “We worry about stalkers when we plan security for candidates. There are always a few nutcases running around. But I must admit, I never thought about it in your line of work.”
    “My former line.”
    Claire blew out a deep breath. “And I thought I had problems.”
    “A matchmaker’s life is never