Tansy smiled at Ruby. “Maybe you could show me your bedroom? I’d like to speak with you privately a few minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Ruby answered politely, but she shot a questioning look at her father.

Drake scowled, and his security guards gaped at her request. “Why? There’s nothing more Ruby can tell you on the matter.”

She pretended not to notice his displeasure and turned up the wattage on her smile as she beckoned Ruby to show the way. “A little woman to woman talk. That’s all.”

Drake obviously didn’t like it. Not a bit. But she was his best option to find Daphne and he knew it.

“Go on, then,” he said brusquely.

Tansy followed Ruby’s quick footsteps down the hall to the last bedroom on the left. “This is it,” Ruby said, going to one of the two beds and plopping down on the mattress.

She’d expected lots of pink and pastel lacey linens, but the room was painted crimson and the bedspreads and pillows were gold accented with forest green. The furniture was dark mahogany, and a giant chandelier hung from the ceiling. It looked like a room fit for royal princesses. In the corner was a steel cage where a hamster raced on a toy wheel. “Squiggles?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Damn if Ruby didn’t make her feel old. “Just call me Tansy.”

“Yes, m—I mean, yes Miss Tansy.” Her eyes assessed Tansy with some trepidation. “I overheard the guards talking. Is it true that you’re a witch?”

Word sure got around fast.

“Just Tansy will do. No miss or ma’am. And yes, I’m a witch. And an old friend of your dad’s. Just wanted to ask you a couple questions about your sister. It might help me find her quicker. Whatever you say will stay between us.”

Ruby flushed, then lifted a hand to her face and chewed on a nail.

“How long had Daphne been seeing Adam?”

She shrugged and played with the braided tassel on one of the bed pillows. “I don’t know.”

“A few days? Weeks? Maybe from the very beginning when he first came to work here?”

“Maybe from the start.” Ruby glanced over her shoulder to the door.

“Are you afraid of your father?”

“No.”

“Not even a little?”

“Well, okay. Maybe a little.”

Drake might be reserved and intimidating, but Tansy felt certain he cared deeply for the twins, even if he wasn’t openly affectionate. But she had to be sure. She never accepted payment on a locator spell, or provided full information on a missing person’s whereabouts, until satisfied that the person searching for them had their best interest at heart. Tansy had turned down many a controlling husband searching for a runaway spouse that didn’t want to be found. She honored the missing person’s will in choosing their best path. And sometimes that meant staying lost to those they wanted to escape.

“Has he ever mistreated you or Daphne?”

“No, m—Tansy. Papa wouldn’t do that. It’s just sometimes . . .”

“Go on,” she said gently.

“He’s kinda strict. You know? Like, he makes us have guards with us when we go anywhere, not that we go out that often. And if we invite girlfriends over, he runs a security check on them first. It’s so embarrassing.”

Yikes. Overprotective, much? But, then again, she wasn’t anywhere close to being a billionaire. Such measures might be perfectly reasonable, especially in light of Daphne’s disappearance.

“He wants to keep y’all safe, but I can see how that would be awkward for you.” She switched tactics. “What did you think of Adam?”

“You promise not to tell Papa?”

“Promise.”

“At first, I liked him. Daphne swore me to secrecy, and it was all exciting. They’d sneak away to kiss and send each other texts—which they always made sure to delete later. But then . . . it wasn’t fun anymore. Daphne felt guilty about all the sneaking around and even tried to break up with him once. Adam wouldn’t hear of it. I think he was obsessed with her.”

Or obsessed with finding a way to steal Drake’s money. “And what about the last couple of days? Was Daphne secretive or was there any other change in her behavior?

“A little bit. When I came in the room she’d shut down her computer and say she was too tired to talk when we’d go to bed at night.” Ruby’s eyes misted. “We always talked before sleeping. Especially after Mom died.”

“That must be so hard for the two of you,” Tansy said softly. “I’m glad you have each other.”

“We used to have each other. Now she’s gone.”

“I’ll do my best to find her, honey.” She sat up straighter. “Now. Show me which dresser belongs to Daphne.”

Ruby pointed to the one on the far-left corner and Tansy headed over. An ornate silver-plated brush held a small tangle of red tresses which she removed. A sharp pain of loneliness sparked her fingertips at the contact—as though the strands were strings of fire that burned tender flesh. Poor, lost Daphne. She’d been an easy pick for any man offering a bit of affection and comfort. Tansy tucked the stray locks in her pocket before turning her attention to Daphne’s other personal affects. Tansy laid down the brush, squirted a bit of the girl’s perfume on her wrists, and picked up a photo of a woman with red hair, freckles and a proud grin. She held two toddlers in her arms. “Your mother?” Tansy asked.

Ruby nodded. “What are you doing with Daphne’s hair?” Her eyes widened, and she asked breathlessly, “Are you going to do a spell? Can I watch?”

“Yes, I’m going to do a spell, but I prefer to do this one privately.” At Ruby’s crestfallen expression, Tansy added, “But I’ll be glad to come back sometime and do another one for you. Like a small glamour spell.”

If Drake permitted, of course. Much would depend on how quickly she helped locate his daughter. And if they didn’t find here . . . well, Drake would hardly be glad to see her again.

“Will you gaze into a crystal ball?” Ruby asked eagerly. “Or maybe stir something in a bubbling cauldron?”

“Sure.” Tansy saw that she’d have to add a little razzle-dazzle to her workaday spells in order to not disappoint Ruby.

“Maybe just a little bitty teeny spell for right now?” Ruby pleaded.

Tansy placed both of Ruby’s hands in her own, and silently chanted.

Pretty, pretty fingernails

Healthy, pink and strong

No more biting and chewing

Become now lovely and long.

Ruby gasped and jerked her hands away. “That tingles . . . what . . . oh, my nails! They’re beautiful. Thank you.” She held them out in front of her, admiring the change. “Will they stay this way now?”

“As long as you take care of them.”

“Are you done?” Drake appeared in the doorway, wearing his usual mask of irritation.

Tansy smiled at Ruby and gave her a little nod, letting her know that what was said between them stayed between them.

“Done,” she answered.

“Don’t go anywhere, not even the grounds, without taking a guard with you,” Drake warned Ruby.

“Yes, sir. I’ll be careful.”

Tansy marched out of the room and into the hallway, Drake close at her heels. “I need a room where I can sit by myself a few minutes.”

He sighed. “If you must.”

“While I’m doing this, fetch some personal effects of the kidnapper. Best to know what we’re dealing with.”

His impatience was palpable, but she let it roll off her like water on a duck. If Daphne were hers, she’d also be in a fever to race to her side. He led her to a small library filled with shelves of old leather-bound books and a leather recliner with a small table housing an atlas globe and a Tiffany lamp.

“I suppose you’ll want candles,” he said crisply, striding over to a credenza.

“That would be helpful.”

She settled in the chair as he produced a Gothic-looking candle stand and a brass lighter. He set the items on the table and quirked a brow. “Anything else? Eye of newt, or salamander tongue, perhaps?”

“Pieces of dragon scale or a bit of dragon talon would do nicely, thank you.”

His jaw slackened, and uncertainty danced in his dark eyes. “You’re not serious—are you?”

She kept her face straight, although amusement bubbled in her chest. “That and the live, beating heart of a dragon to throw into my cauldron would work quite nicely.”

She expected, if not a laugh, then a rueful smile. Instead, Drake surprised her. “If it would bring back my daughter . . . I’ll leave you to it then.”

Any part of a dragon produced powerful magic, it was so rare and imbued with the strength of the fire element. But she’d only been teasing Drake. Tansy blinked back an unexpected moistening of her eyes. Drake was a hard man with a thick armor of reserve, but when he loved, he loved deeply. If only he’d loved her enough way back when.

Stop this foolishness.

She was hardly the type of woman to indulge in regrets. Her empathy for the missing Daphne had dampened her normal spirits, that’s all. Resolutely, Tansy flipped on the lighter and lit the candles. They weren’t a necessity, but staring into a flame always helped her focus and calmed her energy to better connect with the missing. Tansy held her wrists to her nose and breathed in Daphne’s perfume. The scent was light but surprisingly sophisticated for a teenager—baby talc blended with a sweet, creamy vanilla followed by middle notes of violet and pepper, and ending with a bottom note of white musk.

Her heart pinched with a fierce loneliness such as she’d never experienced—and she was well-acquainted with the occasional sorrows of a solitary life. Daphne still mourned, that was evident. Tansy held the red locks between her palms. Betrayal . . . regret . . . guilt . . . disappointment . . . her soul read each of Daphne’s emotions. Tansy felt as though she could reach out and touch the missing girl. Whoever had her, held Daphne against her will. The child had fallen for a smooth talker alright.

Daphne needed her.

A light knock sounded at the door and Drake entered, holding a handful of papers. “It appears that Wingate thoroughly cleaned out his office. I pulled these papers from a file. Can you work with his signature?”

“Maybe.” Tansy ran an index finger over the man’s precise penmanship. “Hmm . . . not getting a whole lot. Just a general impression that he’s cold and a stickler for details. Doubtful he experienced strong emotions signing business papers.”

Drake slapped the rest of the papers against his thighs. “Damn. That wasn’t helpful.”

“I never promised it would be. I offer no guarantees in my line of work.”

“Of course, you don’t,” he muttered, heading for the door. “Let’s go.”

“Where? I thought we agreed there was nothing more to be done until nighttime.”

“Soon as my staff finishes stuffing cash bags, we’re going to Ahern Creek.”

“But—”

“We’re not going to confront them yet. Just get a feel of the land.”

“Could be risky if they spot us.”

“Then we’ll be careful.”

Drake stopped abruptly, facing her and Tansy gasped. His dark eyes smoldered like banked embers and wisps of red fire licked inside the black pupils. “I can’t sit around and wait while my daughter’s held captive.”

“Okay. Take it easy. We’ll do a quick drive by. But we’re not going in your Hummer. Too ostentatious. You’d stick out too much. We’ll go in my truck.”

He didn’t like it, but gave a curt nod of consent. “I suppose you’re right,” he added ungraciously.

“I usually am,” she agreed. Just wait until Drake learned he wasn’t going to be the driver either.