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out.”
    “And nobody said anything at work about it?”
    “Who would?”
    “Co-workers, maybe this Gabe guy. He was a boyfriend, right?”
    “Gabe’s not much of a talker and he’s not exactly what I’d call the friendly type. Besides, I figured she’d finally had enough of his shit and left him. That’s not the kind of thing that a macho asshole like Gabe Harris would go around his bar advertising.”
    “So like you said, she and Gabe didn’t get along.”
    “Understatement of the year. Julie hated Gabe.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “All she talked about was leaving him. Hell, I think everybody but Gabe knew that.”
    “So what about the other stuff in the letter?” Max asked. “The cabin and the girls. The money.”
    “I don’t know anything about a cabin or any of that other stuff,” Ruby said.
    “Caldwell?”
    Ruby shook her head.
    “Josh mentioned a kid in the letter,” Max said. “Did Julie have any kids?”
    “Not that I’m aware of. I don’t know her life story, but I never saw any kids at her place and she never talked about having any in the past.”
    Max paused, thinking. “Could she have been pregnant? Maybe that’s why she left.”
    Now it was Ruby’s turn to think. “I suppose, although Gabe didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d want kids.”
    “I mean maybe the baby belonged to Josh,” Max said. He couldn’t believe how impossible the statement would have sounded a week ago. Now everything had changed.
    “Can I read that letter again?” Ruby asked.
    Max handed it to her and she reread the contents. “Maybe she was pregnant, I don’t know. I suppose the dad could have been your son, or anybody else. Julie got around, if you know what I mean.”
    “I do,” Max replied. “Did she ever talk abut Josh?”
    Ruby shook her head. “I never heard her mention his name, no. But she talked about guys from time to time. Guy’s she’d meet online or in clubs or wherever. Gabe is pretty much always at work, so she had a lot of time on her hands.” She glanced at the letter again. “Who’s Vanessa?”
    “I already talked to her,” Max said. He didn’t go into details and Ruby didn’t ask.
    Ruby handed the letter back again. “I’m worried about Julie. It’s weird for someone to just up and disappear like that.”
    “I agree,” Max said. “The entire thing is weird.”
    “I want to find out where she is,” Ruby said. “I’d just like to make sure she’s okay.”
    “I have a strong feeling that finding Julie is crucial to finding out what happened to my son,” Max said. “Maybe you and I can help each other.”
    “How so?”
    “Just keep your eyes and ears open. If you hear anything you let me know.” He removed his phone from his pocket while he drove. “What’s your number?” Ruby told him and Max tapped the number buttons on his phone. A moment later Ruby’s phone lit up and chimed with the tone of an incoming text message.
    “I just realized I don’t even know your name,” Ruby said.
    “Max.”
    Ruby tapped on her phone’s screen before turning it off. “Got it.”
    “Don’t ask questions,” Max said. “Don’t snoop around. If Josh was right about these people then something bad could be going on. You could put yourself at risk. Just listen.”
    “Sure.”
    “You don’t sound convinced.”
    “I’m not here to put on a show for you,” Ruby said. “I get it. I’m not dumb.”
    Max felt a pang of anger flare at her tone. “I didn’t say you were dumb. I don’t even know you.”
    “Well, you know me now,” Ruby said. “I’ll be fine. I won’t do anything stupid.”
    Max nodded, but he had a terrible worry in his gut that he might be putting someone else’s life at risk.

Chapter Eleven

    The following evening, Max sat in the dark spot of The Hustle’s parking lot, watching the club’s front door and thinking. He admitted he was pretty much flying blind; he had no formal training of any sort in the investigative arts or