Hanging up soon afterward, Will considered his next step. Even if Miriama had been the victim of foul play rather than an accident, it didn’t immediately follow that there was no hope of finding her alive. Her abductor could be holding her captive, might’ve incapacitated her so she couldn’t try to escape or cry out for help.

Until Will had a body or other incontrovertible evidence of her death, he’d treat her as a missing person. And all missing person investigations began with those closest to the vanished.

He’d already spoken to Matilda and Steve. It was time he sat down properly with Dr. Dominic de Souza.

After sending Anahera and the others home in the early hours of the morning, Will had driven out to the main road and waited. Dominic de Souza’s vehicle had appeared approximately -twenty--five minutes later; by then, Will had spoken to the family who’d asked the young doctor to come out to their remote property and learned it was the mother who’d made the -call—-and that she’d done it just after the six o’clock news began on TV.

Approximately fifteen minutes after Tania Meikle saw Miriama run by.

So the doctor did have a small window of time where he could’ve done something to his -girlfriend—-except that Will had spoken on the phone to Mrs. Keith earlier in the night. She’d been adamant she’d seen Dominic’s car drive by around 6:10, 6:12 at the latest. Which meant he must’ve left immediately after the call.

It further compressed his -unaccounted--for time. It took a lot longer than a few minutes to subdue or hurt a strong young woman, dump or hide her body, then change clothes to obscure any blood evidence. That’s after Dominic would’ve had to track her down. Usually, the boyfriend was the lead suspect, but Dominic’s alibi appeared solid; he’d also broken down totally when Will told him the news.

Fear and shock could be faked, but Will was no -first--year cadet. Dominic’s response had been pure, naked emotion. The other man was devastated. He also had no marks or scratches on his arms or -face—-and Miriama would’ve fought.

“I don’t know what to do,” Dominic said when he opened the clinic door to Will, the brown of his irises startling against the bloodshot whites of his eyes and his jaw dark with stubble. “Nikau says I shouldn’t be stumbling around out there, that I should sit here and think of anything Miri might’ve said that could help find her.”

Will nodded, aware Dominic wasn’t much of an outdoorsman, and with his head so screwed up right now, he’d be more liability than help. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah, sure.” Looking lost, the doctor led him inside into the examination room. Will took a seat in the patient chair, let Dominic sink into the doctor’s chair, in the hope the familiar surroundings would keep him calm.

The other man’s white shirt was wrinkled, his black pants the same. It might’ve been the same outfit he’d been wearing when Will stopped him on the road in the early morning darkness, but it was hard to -tell—-Dominic wore the same thing every day to work, almost like a uniform. “When was the last time you saw Miriama?”

“Lunch yesterday.” Dominic leaned forward to brace his forearms on his thighs, his skin holding a warm depth of color.

Evelyn Triskell -had—-unbidden—-shared that Dominic’s father was Indian, his mother Māori from one of the smaller North Island iwi. It was difficult to tell which culture held sway in Dominic; he was oddly colorless in his personality for a man who came from two such old and rich cultures.

“I went to the café,” the doctor added, “and asked Josie if I could steal Miri for an hour. It wasn’t so -busy—-it isn’t this time of -year—-and Josie had just come in after having the morning off.”

Will let Dominic ramble; at least the man was coherent this time around.

“Anyway, Josie said yes, even said it didn’t matter if we were a little late back. She was kind of teasing us about not getting caught making out.” He managed a shaky smile. “I’d prepared us a picnic basket with sandwiches and those tiny quiche things from the supermarket deli that Miri likes”—-a sudden, harsh sob before he regained control of -himself—-“and we went to the eastern beach outlook with the little seat.”

“Sounds like a nice date.”

Dominic pushed up his glasses. “I never want her to regret being with me. I always want her to feel like she’s the most wonderful thing in my life.”

“How was her mood?”

“Good. Happy. She liked the picnic and she ate three of the quiches.” Shoving his hands through the tangled black strands of his hair, he stared down at the -hard--wearing beige carpet. “She was so happy, so bright. I kissed her and she was smiling and I felt like she was making me bright like her.”

Will took in the other man’s trembling frame and put a hand on his shoulder. “Dominic, you can’t panic,” he said, knowing he was asking the near impossible. “We don’t know anything yet.”

“Right.” It was a wet sound. “Right. I have to keep telling myself that.” Raising his head, he said, “I don’t know what else I can tell you. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out something that might help.”

Will released Dominic’s shoulder. “How about her upcoming move to Wellington to study? Have you two discussed it?”