“Yeah, he was.” He unwrapped his sandwich. “I was getting bored of watching Seinfeld, so I thought I’d give culture a shot. I’m Hayden.”
“Jonah.”
“You look like a Jonah.”
“What does a Jonah look like?”
“Like you, I suppose. Do you come to these sorts of things often?”
“My first time. I…” I stopped myself from saying I needed to get out more and meet new people. “I also wanted a bit of culture.”
He nodded and leaned back. “So, Jonah, how would you rate our first date?”
I frowned. “This isn’t a date.”
He crossed his arms, his leather jacket squeaking. “An evening out with entertainment and dinner sounds like a nice date to me.”
I shifted in my seat, wondering if that was how people flirted these days. “You’ve just learned my name.”
“And a fine name it is. But hey, no pressure if you can’t rate the date—save it for the next one.”
It was during our “second” date that I discovered he was a cop, and even worse—a detective. My first attempt at socializing in years had led me to a man whose job was to snoop. I knew I should cut it off, but I couldn’t. I also expected him to realize I was an odd bird and fade away on his own, but that didn’t happen. When I eventually allowed myself to accept that he was there to stay, it all came crashing down because of those damn videos.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me back to the present. Hayden stepped inside and shut the door behind him, cutting out the station’s hustle and bustle. He sat down, wearing a blue button-down shirt with a black tie. “Who hit you?” he asked as he placed his laptop on the desk.
“What?”
“There’s a faded bruise on your neck, and you sit more hunched than usual.”
Damn his sharp eyes.“No one hit me. It was a stupid accident at work.”
He nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t convinced. “It’s nice to see you again.”
I managed a stiff nod. “You too.”
“You cut your hair. Never thought I’d see you without those curls.”
“They’ll grow back. Why am I here?”
He adjusted his tie, a familiar sign of unease, though his face remained blank. “It’s about Nick Torres.”
That was the last thing I expected to hear. “Nick?”
“You know him.” Not a question.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s missing.”
“Missing? How long?”
“Almost a week. He went out to a party, and that was the last time he was seen. His parents are friends with the mayor, so this case is getting extra attention.”
I felt bad for barely thinking of Nick since Samuel’s visit. “I…”
“Take your time, Jonah. It’s just the two of us here, and I didn’t start the recorder.”
I glanced at the device on the table. “Why would you need to record what I say? I just slept with him a few times.” It came out all wrong. I took a breath to focus myself. “I’ve met with Nick a few times in the last month or so. I called him a few days ago, but he didn’t answer. I haven’t heard from him since.”
