When Last Seen

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR WHEN LAST SEEN “The dynamics between Hunter and Tate - true friends and colleagues without being lovers - forms the heart of this intricate, riveting tale of a missing child, family jealousy, business skullduggery, and the deepest sort of betrayal. Hunter and Tate are a duo to root for. I'm looking forward to their next outing.” —Vicki Delany, national bestselling author “Once again, Brenda Chapman serves up a compelling array of complex characters, disturbing situations and twisty plotlines. What’s not to love?” —Mary Jane Maffini, Author of the Charlotte Adams and Camilla MacPhee mysteries "A wonderful book, beautifully written and engrossing. I was drawn in and carried along from the first chapter right through to the last page." —Alex Brett, Author of the Morgan O’Brien mysteries PRAISE FOR BLIND DATE “...a well-crafted page-turner that explores the evil lurking in the shadows of the nation's capital." -- Ottawa Citizen "Never at a loss to weave a spellbinding story, Chapman has seamlessly made the transition from portraying police detectives to depicting an amateur sleuth in over her head ... The result is a credible, well-crafted story that will keep readers turning the page, and when finished, thirsting for more. Highly recommended.” -- Ottawa Review of Books "Blind Date will hook you from its early pages and reel you in, holding on until its final page." -- Glebe Report “When I settled back with Blind Date by acclaimed author Brenda Chapman, I only meant to read the opening chapters, but I ended up reading late into the night. It was that good.” -- Dietrich Kalteis, Under an Outlaw Moon “Exceptional start to a new series. Chapman's prose is clean and clutter-free, the action well-paced, and the twists and turns keep coming from beginning to end.” -- Judy Penz Sheluk, The Marketville Mysteries “An amazing story that grabs you on the first page and doesn’t let go until the end. Ella Tate and Liam Hunter make a great crime fighting duo. And Tony was quite a surprise. A very satisfying read.” Five Stars. — Patricia Bradley, USA Today best-selling author WHEN LAST SEEN A HUNTER AND TATE MYSTERY BOOK 2 BRENDA CHAPMAN Copyright © Brenda Chapman, 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise (except for brief passages for purpose of review) without the prior permission of Brenda Chapman or Ivy Bay Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright. This is a work of fiction. Names and events described herein are products of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Title: When Last Seen / Brenda Chapman Names: Chapman, Brenda, 1955 – author Description: Series statement: A Hunter and Tate mystery - #2 Edited by Allister Thompson. Cover Design by Laura Boyle Published by Ivy Bay Press, First Edition March 2023 ISBN Trade Paperback: 978-0-9784284-4-0; ISBN ePub: 978-0-9784284-3-3; ISBN audiobook: 978-0-9784284-5-7 For Ted and your unwavering belief CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Acknowledgments About the Author Light thickens, and the crow Makes wing to th’ rooky wood. — Shakespeare, Macbeth CHAPTER 1 Ginger pulled back the curtain to spy on Charlie in the garden. He squatted on his haunches, petting the tabby from next door where it lay stretched out on the sun-drenched flagstones. The sight of her son’s tiny back and bony shoulder blades always made her smile while turning her wistful at the same time. He wouldn’t be her baby boy much longer. Soon he’d go to nursery school, where he’d make friends and she’d recede into the background of his world. David had already paid for the first term starting in September against her pleas to keep him home one more year. But for now, Charlie was all hers. The brilliant sunshine made his hair more golden than brown, more her colour than David’s, in the halo of light. She let the curtain fall back into place and turned to the stove as the kettle whistled. He’d be fine by himself a minute longer. She poured water over the teabag in her mug and got the apple juice out of the fridge while she waited for the tea to steep. She cut the juice with water and glanced at her cell phone lying on the counter while turning off the tap. The screen lit up as the phone pinged a message. She took a moment to check and regretted doing so right away. Another ad from the online pottery store where she’d bought her dishes. She hit Delete and read a second message from the moms’ group. Tomorrow’s session had been pushed back an hour, and they asked for confirmation that she and Charlie would be attending. She typed a quick yes and tucked the phone into her pocket. The need to pee came on suddenly, as it did these days. She sighed and hurried into the washroom next to the kitchen. She’d learned to go in record time ever since Charlie started walking, an important skill she’d used over and over the past two years. He was a busy child, inquisitive and into everything, and couldn’t be left alone for long, but at the moment he was enamoured with the neighbour’s lazy cat, which would keep his