Lost in the Dark by Gail Chianese

Author:Gail Chianese [Chianese, Gail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gail Chianese

Nate was late. He hated being late, but crime didn’t run on a schedule. If you could call what had delayed him a crime. He shook his head as he searched the truck stop parking lot, surprised to see Ashley’s car still there. He figured she would have gone long before now, leaving him on his own. Of course, if Wyman, the bastard, hadn’t conveniently excused himself for the restroom the minute he’d spotted Mrs. Crandall come in, Nate would have been on time. It had taken Nate over a half hour to convince Mrs. Crandall that he could not arrest Mrs. Monroe’s teacup poodle for pooping in her yard. The best he could do was issue a citation.

Not that he was going to issue the local judge’s mother a ticket.

Such was life in a small town.

He put the feuding seniors out of his mind and jogged over to Ashley’s car, only to find it empty. She was probably inside the truck stop. But when he entered to look for her, Ashley was nowhere to be found. Nate made his way to the checkout and pulled up Hailey’s picture on his phone. He asked the young guy and the woman working if either remembered seeing her in the store.

“Yeah, she stops in,” the guy responded.

“Do you remember the last time you saw her?” Nate asked.

“A couple of weeks, maybe last month.” He shrugged. “I don’t really pay attention, just ring ‘em up and get my work done.”

“What about you?” Nate asked the woman, Becca.

“She was in last week, I think. She’s a regular. Picks up study snacks on her way home from work.”

“Do you remember if she said anything the last day she was in, or if she was with anyone?” Nate kept his focus on the clerk, all the while searching for Ashley. Where was she?

Becca thought about it for a moment. “I think she mentioned going to the beach. It was gorgeous out and I remember thinking I’d rather be at the beach, too. From what I saw, she was alone. I don’t remember what she bought, but I’m pretty sure it was for one person.”

“Great. Thank you, that’s helpful.” He flipped his phone to another picture, this one of him with a bunch of people at The High Tide, including Ashley. “Have either of you seen this woman with the dark hair today?”

Becca shook her head, but the guy nodded. “Yeah. She was here. About an hour ago when we did the shift change. She left out the back looking for Rachel.” At Nate’s questioning look, he explained Rachel was a coworker.

Nate thanked them both and headed for the back of the store and the rear exit. He walked out into an empty parking lot save one blue older model sedan. Further out was the lot for the truckers to park or gas up. He walked to the edge of the building to see if Ashley and the clerk were around. Nothing. As he turned back toward the entrance, a loud noise from the sedan caught his attention.

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