Chapter Twelve #2
Even though he knew it was probably a bad idea, Luke headed to the café. He didn’t know if he hoped Dominique would be working or if he hoped she wasn’t working the mid-shift. But it was silly to avoid the one decent place to eat in town just because he was a lovesick fool.
She was the first person he looked for when he walked through the café door. Apparently, she wasn’t working this shift for he didn’t see her anywhere.
He settled in at a two-top near the window and smiled at Glenda Wright as she appeared to take his order. “How are you this beautiful day, Officer Madison?”
“I’m doing just fine,” he replied to the older woman. “What about you?”
“Oh, I can’t complain. Now what can I get for you?”
He ordered a cheeseburger, fries and an iced tea and then stared out the window once Glenda left his table. Going over the crime scene photos that morning had reminded him of how heinous the crime against Mystique had been.
Had she been murdered by somebody who was afraid of the voodoo queen and wanted her dead? Or had it been one of the people who came to her for help?
There was no way Luke believed they had identified everyone who had visited Mystique. If they had her client book, then the investigation might have been much easier. However, without it they were just flailing in the wind.
Secrets… Mystique had dealt in secrets. She knew things about people that nobody else knew. Ultimately, was that what had gotten her killed? Had somebody been afraid that she would spill their secrets?
He continued to think about the murder as he ate his cheeseburger. Funny, it was easier to think about a crime rather than think about Dominique.
He finished eating, paid and then walked to his patrol car parked at the curb in front of the café. He was at his driver’s side door when Sunny came running out of the building.
“Officer Madison,” she called and ran toward him.
“Hey, Sunny.” He looked at her curiously as she stopped short in front of him. “What’s going on?”
“I was hoping you could tell me. Have you spoken to Dominique this morning?” she asked.
“No, I haven’t. Why?” Luke’s heartbeat began to race as a furrow of obvious concern fluttered across Sunny’s forehead.
“She was supposed to be here today to work the mid-shift, but she didn’t show up and she didn’t call in, and that’s not like her at all.”
“Maybe she’s sick? Or overslept?” Luke grasped for a logical explanation.
“To make matters even more confusing, her car is parked in the back lot.”
Luke stared at her for a long moment as his stomach churned and his brain whirled with suppositions…all of them bad. “I’ll check it out,” he finally said.
As Sunny headed back into the café, Luke raced around the building to the parking lot. He checked out all the cars and finally spied Dominique’s blue Honda parked by the dumpster.
He ran toward it, his heartbeat pounding in his head and a sense of doom crashing through him. When he reached it, he knew she’d been taken.
The air whooshed out of his lungs and he nearly fell to his knees as he saw the pink-handled knife she always carried for protection on the pavement next to the driver’s side door.
He fumbled and pulled his cell phone out to call Daniel. “She’s gone,” he said. “Dominique has been kidnapped.”
“Where are you?” Daniel asked.
“I’m next to her car in the back parking lot of the café,” Luke replied as despair nearly choked him. “She’s gone, Daniel. She’s gone.”
“Stay put. We’ll be right there.” Daniel hung up.
Luke hoped the whole police force showed up. They needed to find her. He didn’t even know how long she’d been missing. With that thought in mind, he raced over to the café’s back door. When he reached it, he asked to speak to Annie.
The older woman came to the door. “What can I do for you, Officer Madison?” She swiped a tendril of her gray hair back from her face.
“When was the last time Dominique was at work?” he asked.
“Last night. She left here a little after eight. But she didn’t show up to work the mid-shift today. Is she in some kind of trouble?”
“Yes, she’s in trouble,” Luke replied, once again a wild despair spearing through him.
Annie frowned. “Then I hope you can get her out of trouble. She’s family to us here. If I can help in any way, just let me know.”
“Thanks, Annie. We may talk to you later.”
Luke left the back door and returned to stand next to Dominique’s car. As he stared at the knife on the pavement, tears blurred his vision.
He quickly tamped back his emotion. Crying wasn’t going to get Dominique back. He needed to stay strong and focused. And where in the hell was Daniel?
Time was ticking by…precious moments they could be out there looking for her. She had to have been taken last night when she’d left the café. That meant she had already been missing for a full night and over half the day today.
He looked inside the car window but didn’t see anything. He didn’t want to open the vehicle or search it until Daniel showed up. He was afraid of disturbing any evidence that might be around.
Finally, he heard sirens in the distance. Within minutes, Daniel pulled in, followed by two more patrol cars. Daniel and Clay got out of Daniel’s car while Officers Sam Summers, Roger Teasdale and Johnny White got out of the other cars.
Luke quickly relayed what he knew to Daniel. When he was finished, he grabbed hold of Daniel’s forearm. “We have to find her, Daniel,” he said desperately.
“We will, Luke. We’ll find her,” Daniel replied.
Luke released his hold on Daniel’s arm. They had to find her, but where did they begin to look?
He watched as Daniel instructed Sam, Roger and Johnny to begin processing the car and surrounding area.
Daniel then got on the phone and instructed two other officers to go to the swamp and check out Dominique’s shanty.
“Clay and Luke, let’s head into the station,” Daniel then said.
Luke wanted to protest. He wanted to bang on doors. He wanted to tear apart every house in town and every shanty in the swamp to find her. Ultimately, he recognized they needed to go to the station and form a plan. That way they wouldn’t waste more precious time.
Once again as Luke followed behind Daniel’s car, his emotions roared to the forefront again. It didn’t matter that she didn’t love him. It didn’t matter that they would never be together. All that mattered was finding her safe and sound.
Unfortunately, there was no way to know what the kidnapper was capable of. The strangled, dead bird indicated the person was capable of a brutal act. So, it was possible Dominique’s very life was on the line.