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Wondering if Norma Rose’s room was similar, Ty paused, his eyes on one particular

“There is nothing out of place here,” Norma Rose said

“Check the closet,” he said, gesturing in that direction while he approached the here an edge of the sheer net panel between two pink drapes was hitched up Spreading the drapes apart showed that the edge of the white center panel was caught in the sea down thefrom the inside would have noticed But what if it had been closed from the outside?

The as only open a couple of inches, leaving enough room to let in the breeze, but not for someone to climb out A screen covered the outside, too, but that could easily be re nuts that held the frames in place It would be simple to remove and replace from the outside

A gasp made him turn around “What did you find?”

“It’s what I didn’t find,” Norma Rose said

He crossed the room to peer in the closet It was neat and orderly, with dresses, too ers andthe floor

“There are shoes , and dresses” Norma Rose hurried across the room and opened the top drawer of a tall white dresser “And underclothes”

“How can you tell?” He bit his lip, regretting his words A wos like that, which is why he’d wanted her to search

“Because Ginger just purchased theitems the other day A purple two-piece suit and a red-and-white polka-dot dress, both withcoatrack held several purses “Two purses—no, three—are ain, she nodded “Her red pleated dress is gone, too, and—”

Ty held up a hand “Suffice to say clothes are ”

She spun around, heading for the door “We have to call the sheriff”

Reaching the door first, Ty stopped her “Is there any chance one of your other sisters s?”

“No Though they try, Ginger is shorter than Josie or Twyla, and her skirts are much too shor— Never mind” She shook her head “She wouldn’t have loaned brand-new clothes to anyone”

He bit back a grin In other words, Nors “Okay,” he said “Then we have a pretty good idea that she wasn’t kidnapped”

“Hoe know that?”

“Do you honestly think kidnappers would have let her pack first?”

Her blush , because she spun around so he wouldn’t see it “Then we have to call the sheriff,” she repeated

“Let’s see what else we can find first,” he said “Give us a bit more to tell him”

“But she ht—”

“Whether we call the sheriff now, or an hour fro to make that much difference,” he said “Except draw attention that neither your father, nor the resort, needs right now”

He’d hit a nerve, that was evident by the way she stiffened She sighed and turned to face hiht”

Ty couldn’t withhold a chuckle She frowned “That,” he said, trying to stop another chuckle, “had to hurt”

With brows knitted together so tightly that wrinkles formed, she asked, “What?”

“You, telling ht” He let out a lohistle “That had to hurt” Leaning left and right as if exa?”

Her face scrunched before she let out a puff of air and a full grin appeared “No, I’” She patted her cheeks, as if that would re around This is serious”

“You’re right,” he said “This is serious”

Ty glanced around the roo “Kidnappers would have left a note, too” Taking Noro see if we can figure out how she climbed out the ”

She’d taken a step, but now stopped, looking across the room “How do you know she climbed out the ?”

“The curtain’s caught in it”

“No, it’s not”

He swiveled around and pulled her in that direction At the , he pulled back the drapes and pointed to where the sheer panel was caught in the corner between the upper and lower glass panes “See If someone on the inside had pulled it closed, they’d have noticed this But so to close it from the outside, especially while it was dark, wouldn’t have”

“Ginger htfully, “but I can’t iine she’d have replaced the screen”