Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Cliff
Tuesdays are always slow at the precinct.
It is almost time for me to get off work, and I was signing off on some case files.
I dazed off for a few minutes just thinking about the fact that in five months it would be my twentieth-class reunion.
I have gone to every one of them since graduation, hoping just to get a glance at Charlotte Mackey.
I ran into Charles and his wife, Sue, once at the ten-year reunion.
He told me that Charlotte had gotten married.
Things between him and me were not the same as they once were, but we did put the past behind us and have kept in touch through the years.
As I am sitting at my desk, one of my officers walks in and says, “Captain, you have a phone call. The guy won’t give his name but said you went to high school together and called you ‘Bullet Hands’.”
I started laughing then! The only person to call me that was Charles.
“Thank you, Officer,” I said and went to pick up my phone.
“Bullet I need your help. Charlotte is missing. I think someone took her. You have to help me find her,” Charles said into the phone with a shaking voice.
“Okay, Charles, slow down, and what do you mean Charlotte is missing? What makes you think that?” I asked.
“Sue and I were supposed to come over for dinner tonight. When we got here, Charlotte wasn’t here.
I called 911, and they said that they would file a report because it looked like she had been taken.
Her trunk was still open with three of the four bags still in the trunk, and one bag was on the ground,” Charles said, panicked.
“Okay, who took the report? Who came out to the house?” I asked.
“I don’t remember the Officer’s name, but the detective that showed up was Detective Hill,” Charles said.
“Okay, I will find her. I promise you that,” I told him.
“I will call that precinct and let them know that I am coming into town and would appreciate looking at the file. You make a list of people that I need to talk to at that damn company her husband left her. What’s that Vice President’s name again?
” I asked pissed off. I couldn’t breathe.
If anything happens to her, I don’t know what I will do.
I hadn’t seen her in years, but I never married because I knew I would never love anyone the way that I loved her.
“Okay, then are you coming over here? We are still at her house. I don’t know if someone will call wanting money or something? I just can’t leave her house,” Charles said.
“Yes, I will be there as soon as I can book a flight,” I told him as we hung up the phone.
I called Detective Hill and told him that I was coming into town and would appreciate looking at the Mackey-Fitz file with him.
Then I called Deputy Chief Reece and told him that I needed some personal time off and what was going on.
He told me to call in Seals and Bounty that they could probably fly out with him.
He said I could have the time off and that he would call Sergeant Harper to fill in with anything that couldn’t wait to be handled or signed from my desk.
I called Seals and Bounty first, and Derrick was available. He said he would meet me at Charlotte’s house to give him the address, and he would book his flight.
Then I called Sergeant Harper and had her come to my office.
When I arrived in San Diego, I went straight to the precinct that was handling her case and into Detective Hill’s office.
“Captain,” they said when they came in.
“First, Detective Hill, can I see the file? Detective Hill, I will be working this case off duty. But I have to help. I have called Seals and Bounty out of Las Vegas; they are former military who do security and private bodyguard work. Derrick Bernard is on his way and will meet us at Charlotte’s house.
I wanted to review the file before we head over to the house.
I can’t go see my best friend and know nothing of what is going on,” I told him.
“I will go over the file with you, and I understand why this is so important for you to be involved in this case,” Detective Hill said.
“It is very personal for me. Charles has been my best friend since high school, and Charlotte is his twin sister,” I replied.
“Okay, Detective Hill, let’s go over this file and what you saw. Then we will go over to the house. I just don’t want to go over there until I am caught up on what happened,” I said.
“No problem, Sir,” Detective Hill said. “Officer Victors arrived on the scene, Charles was frantic, and Sue was in shock. At first, he thought they were there when Charlotte was taken, but they weren’t.
They were just scared and really worried.
Officer Victors took their statements and took photos of the scene.
It seems that Charlotte had gotten out of the car and gone to the trunk to take out the groceries when she was taken.
She probably had a bag of groceries in her hands because there was one bag on the ground with some food poured out of it.
Whoever it was obviously came up behind her and startled her.
Not sure if he knocked her out or what, but it looked like he carried her from one car to another.
One of her shoes fell off. Officer Victors and his partner, Officer Anderson, are going through the neighborhood to see if anyone saw anything.
I will have them report to us at her house instead of here when they are done. ”
“Okay, great. Let’s go. You can radio Officer Victors on the way,” I said as I finished looking over the photos.