"Only three?" Allyn looked at Ransom in disbelief. "In this city I'd think it would be three a day—minimum."
"At least," Ransom agreed. "The difference with these three—Patterson, another young man, and a woman—is that they were last seen at large social events. Patterson at the masked ball, Mr Dawson at the 'Moonlight Gala on the River', and Ms Stevens at the soirĂ©e to raise funds for a local charity."
"Dawson and Ms Steven's families aren't raising hell like Patterson?" Allyn asked.
"They're obviously worried, but they don't have Patterson's pull. Ms Steven's was working as a server at the charity fundraiser. No one saw her leave. Mr. Dawson was last seen going toward the lot where he'd parked his car. He was alone, according to witnesses, although one of them overheard him on the phone, saying he'd 'be there in ten minutes'."
"Are the society events the only thing tying the three missing people to each other?" Miranda asked.
Ransom replied, "As far as we've found out to this point."
"You cross-checked the attendee lists to see who went to all three?"
"Yes, Miranda. I do know my job," Ransom replied with some asperity.
"And?"
"These were all big parties. A lot of the same people attended all three."
"One more question." Allyn looked hard at Ransom. "As far as I know, Ellis is a human. Were the other two as well?"
"Yep. Why do you ask?"
Allyn shrugged. "Just want to make certain someone isn't targeting paranormals."
"How likely is that to happen?" Miranda said.
"It's happened in the past," Allyn told her. "Ran and I wouldn't have met otherwise."
"When?"
Allyn cocked his head, glancing at Ransom. "Fifty years ago?"
"'Bout that, yeah." Ransom smiled at Miranda. "You were just a pup then, so you wouldn't remember."
"But you're going to tell me. Right?" she replied.
"Not now," Allyn said before Ransom could start the story. "We've got other things to worry about." He shot a look at Ransom. "So three people missing…all in their twenties?"
"Yes."
"They weren't kidnapped because they're rich, if that's what happened, since you said the girl was working as a server. No school connection?"
"Nope." Ransom took out a notebook, flipping the pages to the one he wanted. "Patterson is a grad student at Loyola. Dawson goes to Tulane, and Ms Stevens was taking night classes at UNO."
"Hmm. Church? Clubs? Not nightclubs but umm…nature clubs, book clubs, biking ones?"
"No to all those. Believe me, Allyn, I've done my homework."
"There has to be something they do in common that caught their abductor's eye. I mean, other than go to society events. After all, Ms Stevens was only there to work, not to party."
Miranda tapped her fork on her plate, getting annoyed looks from her brother and Ransom. "Sorry," she said. "I was just thinking. What do they look like?"
"Stevens is blonde. Patterson has dark hair. Dawson's a redhead. None of them are overweight or anorexic. They don't wear glasses or contacts. They don't have tats or any other distinguishing marks," Ransom told her.
"Just your average twenty-somethings." She tapped the fork again. "Healthy?"
"Yes, ma'am." Ransom grinned at her. "Healthy as horses. Dawson belongs to a gym. Patterson and Ms Stevens run, according to their parents."
"So even though the two men are from wealthy families, they still keep in shape," Miranda said.
Allyn snorted. "What does money have to do with that? You and I are in great shape, Miranda, and we're richer than Croesus."
"But we have genetics on our side." She lifted an eyebrow at him. "In your case, it's a damned good thing, since your idea of exercise, except for the occasional workouts you so grudgingly do, is dancing at clubs."
Ransom chortled. "Still doing that, huh?"
"Occasionally," Allyn admitted.
"Like every other night," Miranda told Ransom. "Or more."
"And we're way off the subject," Allyn muttered, shooting his sister a sour look.
