Chapter 88
MY MIND WOULDN’T let go of Lizzie Nunez, standing in the street outside the ambulance doors as we drove away.
Julie had gone to day camp. Joe was at work. Martha was happily lounging on her living room dog bed. So when my phone buzzed on the coffee table, and I could see it was Cindy Thomas, I grabbed it up immediately.
The first words out of her mouth were “Eric Snaff is missing.”
Before I could ask any pertinent questions, Cindy blurted out, “That sergeant from San Julio, Stephanie Davis, called me. She wondered if I had any more contact information for him. She’s afraid he’s trying to flee.”
“When’s the last time you had contact with Eric?”
There was a hesitation. Enough that I noticed it.
Then Cindy said, “I spoke to him last night. He called me. He was shit-faced and went on a long crying jag. I didn’t understand exactly what he was saying.
He was complaining about a former coworker named Jason Cortlandt, who he thinks might’ve had something to do with Nicole’s disappearance.
” Cindy paused. “Eric almost sounded suicidal… or maybe homicidal. I’m not sure which. ”
“Is the threat serious enough that we need to warn Cortlandt?”
“I left Jason Cortlandt a voicemail but haven’t heard back,” Cindy said. “I interviewed Jason the other day. He said he was in the VA hospital having a medical procedure when Nicole disappeared. He’s given me permission to verify all of that, but I believed him.”
“Did you tell Sergeant Davis that?”
“Of course I did. But do you have any idea how we might be able to find Eric? Can you do any of your police magic?”
I told her that I was suspended. I guessed Richie hadn’t let her know that part yet.
“What? You did nothing wrong.”
“I know. But it doesn’t matter now. I’ll help you find Eric, even though I’m not supposed to be working. We can’t take my car, but how about you come over here and pick me up?”
Having a purpose to the day was like getting a shot that cured all that ailed me. I quickly slipped on a jacket. I might not have been on duty, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t help my friend. At least that was what I was going to tell my boss if things went south.