“Buford says a guy showed up at the station late last night saying he was looking for his missing wife. Gave this picture.” He slides the photo across his desk.
The second I look at the photo, I know it’s her with lighter hair.
“Her name’s not Lacey. It’s Heather Manning. She married this guy, Phillip, about three years ago. He claims they had a fight a couple of nights ago and she stormed off. Said he thought she’d take a few hours to cool off and come back.”
“So why’d he wait two days to report it?”
Prez lifts a shoulder. “Said he knew that a person has to be gone at least forty-eight hours before filing a missing person’s report. Says he is concerned that something bad happened to her. That he’s worried she’s suffering a mental breakdown. Guess this isn’t the first time.”
“What’s Buford say about it?”
“He’s not wrong. Forty-eight hours is the procedure for an adult, but she walked away willingly, so there’s not a lot to go on. He didn’t tell him her whereabouts. At least not yet. Said the guy gave off weird energy, like he was nervous or lying about something. They are married as far as he can tell, but how she was dressed and where you found her…I don’t know. Shit doesn’t add up. Not completely.”
“Shit.”
“Buford also said that they’re from Atlanta. Here’s her profile.” He turns his laptop around.
There she is. Lacey with blonde hair. Her profile picture is of her and some dipshit in a suit.
Is the husband right? Did she have some kind of freak out and run off, or is the guy full of shit?
“You need to talk to her and press her for answers. Buford can hold off a little longer. Another day, maybe two at best.”
“Fuck.” I scrub a palm over my face. “I don’t want to tell her. Not until we dig into this guy a little.”
“Figured that’s what you’d say. I’ll get Rook and Gotti on it.”
“Thanks, Prez.”
“Guess you fucked her, huh?”
I can’t stop the grin tightening across my face.
“Always the crazy ones.” He laughs.
“She’s not crazy.”
“You attract crazy. Look at your sisters.”
“Hey now.”
“Do you know Candyce pulled a gun at the strip club?”
“She did what?”
“Guess you wouldn’t have heard yet.”
“Fucking Graves. I’m going to kill him.”
“He wasn’t there. Was here at church when it went down. Candyce went to Cooters and Hooters. Said she wanted a job.I don’t know what the fuck she was thinking, but she saw that Cherry Bomb chick and went after her.”
“She sent Graves nudes.”
“That idiot.”
“Tell me about it.”
“When I know more about your Heather––Lacey. Whatever you want to call her, I’ll let you know. We’re still in lockdown. We don’t know that this prick isn’t the one shooting at you.”
