Pierce wondered about that, but held his tongue. “If you think of anyone she might have pissed off, let me know.”
“There’s no one. Holy Christ, she does volunteer work at two schools and the church. She helps with the Birds of Paradise at All Christian, and most of those women are her friends.”
“Including Mavis Greenlee?”
Jamison’s head snapped up. He held up a hand as if to stop Pierce’s train of thought. “Jesus, where are you going with this?” he demanded, but he was following the same dark path of Pierce’s thoughts himself. “No … Oh, God, let’s not even go there. Okay? This is just a simple case of Naomi … my wife being waylaid … or in an accident or …” His voice broke, but he cleared his throat and visibly pulled himself together. “She’s just missing, and it hasn’t beenthat long … so don’t go off the deep end on me.” But he’d paled, his concern that something deadly had occurred written all over him.
A dog barked from the distance, and another joined in. Jamison glanced out the window again, to a spot lower on the hill, where behind a copse of pine, a building was visible. The kennels.
“Hell. I forgot to feed them,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Naomi usually does it. Takes her morning walk and feeds and lets out the dogs before she gets the girls ready for school. They’re on a schedule, and they know when breakfast is late. I’d better go down there.” He turned back to Pierce. “Thanks for checking this out,” he said. “And keeping it between us. I appreciate it.”
“No worries.”
“I just … I just hope … that she shows up. Soon.”
“Me, too,” Pierce said, and he meant it. Boy, did he mean it.
But he had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling.
Chapter 28
“So what did you learn from Jamison?” Nikki asked. She was upstairs, getting ready for the day, two dogs lying near her feet, Chloe, still in pajamas, in their bed, with toys and books spread over the rumpled duvet. The little girl looked up at the sight of her dad and lifted her arms.
“Can’t talk about it now,” Pierce said to Nikki before picking up Chloe and then, as she laughed, tossing her back onto the bed.
“Again!” she ordered.
He snatched her up, then gently flipped her onto the bed again.
“Again!” Giggling, she was on her feet, bouncing atop the mattress.
“You’ve started something now,” Nikki observed. Her hair was wet, her reddish curls untamed.
“One more time.” He obliged his daughter, then before she could make any further demands, he headed into the bathroom.
Nikki followed. “Something’s up.”
“I have to go into the station.” He began stripping off his clothes.
“More, Daddy!” came the command from the bedroom.
“I’ll fill you in later,” he said to Nikki, kicking his jeans toward the closet and reaching into the shower. The spray was still cool.
“You were called at home.”
“Later,” he repeated, stepping under the water, sucking in his breath as the cold needles hit his chest.
On the way home, he’d phoned the major hospitals again, but no one matching Naomi’s description had been admitted or come through the ER. He’d also checked with the station as well as the state police. There were no reports of crashed vehicles.
“Why did Jamison call you and what did he say when you got to his house?” she asked again, more insistently. He’d have to talk to her, but just couldn’t. Not yet. She’d have too many questions and he didn’t have answers. Nonetheless he couldn’t put her off forever. She wouldn’t stand for it. Torn, he adjusted the water temperature and rinsed off. “What was so important that he called you at home and you raced over to his place?”
“Can’t talk about it now. Potentially a missing person.”
“And it couldn’t wait. Why?”
“Personal connection.” He inwardly cringed. Him being enigmatic would only fire her curiosity. Finally the water was hot and steam was beginning to rise, obscuring Nikki’s image.
“How personal?”
