Chapter Twenty-Seven
Charlie pulled up in front of Chuck’s Coffee Shop. It was a long shot, but maybe Jules was there. He ran to the door and tore it open. All heads inside the coffee shop turned to look at him. Charlie’s eyes scanned the small space, but Jules was nowhere to be seen.
Damn.
He went up to the barista. Charlie recognised him. It was the same guy who’d been working the night before.
“And what can I get for you today?” asked the young man. His name tag identified him as Kemberlin. Charlie had an instant feeling about the guy, so he thought he’d take advantage of it.
“Kemberlin. Great name,” Charlie said, and winked at him.
Kemberlin smiled back broadly.
Bingo.
“Thanks,” the barista said. “Most people just think it’s weird.”
“What do they know? A name like that is a sign of individuality.”
Charlie pulled out a business card and handed it to him. “I’m Charlie, by the way. Not such an original name.”
Kemberlin read the card. “You’re a private detective?”
“Yeah. We don’t all look like battered muscled brutes. You were working here last night, weren’t you?” Charlie asked.
The young man blushed. “I was. You were in here too, weren’t you?”
“You noticed,” Charlie said.
“Hard not to,” Kemberlin replied, smiling.
Good, he’s flirting with me. “I’m going to show you a picture,” Charlie said, opening up his phone and finding an image. “This girl. Her name’s Jules. She was in here yesterday with another friend who had bright green eyeshadow and blue lipstick. Do you recognise the girl in this photo?”
Kemberlin stared at the picture. “I think I remember her.”
Charlie pressed on. “And is she a regular? Do you think she’s going to come back?”
Kemberlin frowned. “Hard to say, but maybe someone else can help.”
He called over to another employee. “Gracie, do you recognise this girl? She was in yesterday.”
Gracie shrugged. “Who wants to know?”
She spoke with a tough voice. Charlie pegged Gracie as a protector of those who crossed the threshold of Chuck’s Coffee Shop.
“Charlie here,” Kemberlin said pointing to Charlie. “He’s a private detective. He was in with her yesterday.”
Kemberlin held up Charlie’s card. Gracie snatched it from his hand.
“I was hired to protect the woman in this photograph,” Charlie added. “She’s gone missing.”
“If you’re supposed to be protecting her, then why’d she go missing?” Gracie asked.
“Because I think Jules wanted to teach me a lesson and she gave me the slip.”
Gracie gave him a hard stare. “How do I know you’re not just a creepy ex-boyfriend who’s stalking her?”
“Because I’m gay,” Charlie said.
“Sweet,” Kemberlin whispered quietly.
She looked Charlie up and down. “The woman you’re looking for comes in once a week, sometimes more. Her friend is here more often, though.”
“Has she been in this morning?” Charlie asked, taking control.
Gracie shook her head. “Not today.”
“If she does come in, would you call me?” Charlie asked. “It’s essential that I find her as soon as possible. Same goes for her friend if she comes in. I don’t suppose either of you would have contact information for them?”
Gracie looked at him with contempt. “Do I look like a phone directory?”
Kemberlin grabbed the business card back from Gracie. “I’ll call you when either of them comes in.”
Charlie turned, and was about to leave, when a familiar face appeared outside. It was Abela.
He quickly opened the door. “Charlie Watts. Jules’ friend, remember?”
She looked at him for a moment before her shoulders relaxed. “Oh, yeah. I remember.”
“I’m looking for Jules,” Charlie said. “I can’t find her anywhere, and I’m afraid something might have happened to her.”
“No way,” she said.
“Yes way, and it’s got me really worried.” Charlie smiled. “I don’t suppose you’d have a way to get a hold of her? I lost my cell phone and my life was in it.”
“Sure,” she said as she sat down at one of the two available seats, at a table for four that was already occupied by a young couple engrossed in an intimate conversation.
As she routed through her purse the woman seated beside her turned and glowered. “Do you mind?”
“No. You two go ahead with…whatever.”
Abela pulled out her phone. “Sit,” she said, then gestured for Charlie to join them at the table.
Charlie obeyed.
Abela skimmed through screens full of icons before coming to her contacts list. Inside, she flipped through a number of screens. “Here,” she said passing the phone to him. “Go ahead and call her.”
Charlie pressed call and, after a momentary silence, listened to a message.
“The number you have called is no longer in service.”
Charlie frowned. “That’s strange. The number was still working last night. Do you have any other way of getting in touch with her?”
Abela sighed. “It’s not like she and I are best friends. We just sit and talk whenever we bump into each other here.”
“Lucky her,” the guy sitting across from Abela said in a tone dripping with sarcasm.
She got a cool look on her face. “Watch it, buddy, or I might have to tell your girlfriend about the times you’ve disappeared with Kemberlin into the washroom together.”
The guy’s eyes almost blew out of his head. “What? You lying—”
“Is that why you’re always bringing me here?” his girlfriend shouted, before slamming her iced mocha-whatever down on the table and storming out.
“Debbie! Wait! I can explain,” he shouted as he followed her.
Charlie leaned in. “You’ve seen him and Kemberlin sneaking off to the bathroom?”
“No. Kemberlin’s not into guys like that. You’re more his type.”
“But…”
“Those two had to go. They were killing my buzz. Now, if you’ve got no more questions, I just came in to pick up a coffee.
I’ve gotta go. We just got the latest Amplitude Digital Analytics Platform in at work and they want me up and running on it before EOD.
” She paused, as if she was waiting for a reaction.
“EOD. That’s ‘end of day’ in case you didn’t know.
” She stood, turned on her heels and headed to the counter, picking up a coffee that Gracie had poured.
“I knew that,” he said half-heartedly, getting up and following her. “Abela, this is important. If there’s anything you can tell me that would help me find her… It might be a matter of life or death.”
She paused. “One time Jules came in here with her brother. Maybe you could track her through him.”
Charlie held his breath. “Did you catch his name?”
“No. I only met him once in passing. Jules just quickly introduced him to me as her brother, and then he was on his way out the door.”
“What did he look like?” Charlie asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know…kinda cute, if you like scruffy guys. Tall…ish. Look, I really hope you find Jules, but I gotta go.”
Charlie handed her his card. “If you see or hear from Jules, call me right away. If I need to get a hold of you, what number would I reach you at?”
Abela pulled out a pen, wrote her number on the card, and handed it back to him. “I hope you find her, Charlie.”
She walked out of the coffee shop. Charlie turned back to the counter. Gracie was nowhere to be seen, but Kemberlin gave him a love-struck look. “I’ll call you if I see either of them.”
Charlie gave him a weak smile and a wave then headed back to his car. He needed to get back to the office and see what the others had found out.