Fatal Tide by Iris Johansen

She was talking too much. None of this was his business. It was evidence of her panicky desperation that she was babbling like this to him. “The police were very concerned. She’s a very respected citizen. Maybe they’ll have found her by the time we arrive.”
    “Possibly.”
    “She sounded— She wasn’t herself.” Her voice was shaking and she stopped to steady it. “I can’t tell you how strong she is. When I first came to her, it was like being— I’d never permitted myself to lean on anyone before. She could have let me become dependent, but she didn’t. She wouldn’t let me lean. She just gave me her hand and told me she’d always be my friend. She never broke her word.”
    “I understand the psychiatrist-patient relation can become very close.”
    “It wasn’t like that. After those first years, she was my best friend.” She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. “When she called . . . her voice . . . I think she was hurting.”
    “We don’t know. We’ll find out.” His hand closed on hers on the arm of the seat. “Don’t borrow trouble.”
    He wasn’t denying or confirming any possibility. She wouldn’t have believed him if he had. But his touch was warm and comforting and she didn’t try to withdraw her hand from his grasp. She needed comfort right now, and she’d take it where she could get it.
    God, she hoped the police had found Carolyn.

Chapter Four
    “Ms. Nemid? Mr. Kelby?” A heavyset black man in a tan suit was waiting at the hangar when they got off the jet. “I’m Detective Michael Halley. I talked to you on the phone?”
    She nodded. “Have you found Carolyn?”
    He shook his head. “Not yet. But we’re looking very hard for her.”
    Her hopes plummeted. “It’s a small island. Practically everyone knows Carolyn. Someone must have seen her or heard from her. What about Maria Perez?”
    He hesitated. “Unfortunately, we have found Ms. Perez.”
    Melis stiffened. “Unfortunately?”
    “She was discovered on the beach by a group of teenagers. Her throat had been slit.”
    Melis felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. She was vaguely aware of Kelby’s hand closing on her arm in silent support. “How . . .”
    “We don’t believe the homicide took place on the beach. There were traces of blood in the outer office, Dr. Mulan’s office, and also in the alley in back of the office building. The other tenants vacate the building at six, so the body was probably removed after dark and dumped on the beach.”
    Dumped. He made her sound like a piece of garbage, not the funny, bawdy Maria that Melis had known for years. “You’re sure it was Maria? There’s no mistake?”
    Halley shook his head. “We’ve had her roommate down to the morgue and it was a positive ID. We’d like you to come down to the station and give us a statement.”
    She nodded numbly. “I’ll do anything I can to help find Carolyn. But I don’t know why anyone would want to kill Maria.”
    “Blackmail?” Halley shrugged. “It’s a possibility. One of the file cabinets was half empty and records were stolen.”
    “What records?” Kelby asked.
    “ M through Z .” He paused. “She kept your file in the office, Ms. Nemid?”
    “Of course. It was safe. The cabinet was always locked.”
    “Evidently not that safe.” He frowned. “And I don’t like the fact that other files were stolen. From the worried phone calls we’ve been receiving, it appears Dr. Mulan has had patients in all levels of the government. It could be extremely awkward if their records are made public.”
    “Awkward?” Her numbness disappeared in a surge of anger. “It’s too bad that your politicians may be embarrassed. I don’t care if the files were stolen. Carolyn is gone, damn you. Find her.”
    “Easy, Melis.” Kelby took a step forward and nodded at a Mercedes parked by the hangar. “I have a car waiting, Detective. We’ll follow you down to the station.”
    Halley nodded. “I’m sorry.