Blue Twilight by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page B

Jay?”
    â€œEarlier today,” he told her.
    â€œAnd you haven’t heard from her since?”
    There was the slightest delay before he said, “No. Not a word.”
    Stormy looked up at Max. Lou saw that they’d both heard the hesitation. Jason had started to say something else, then thought better of it.
    â€œI need you guys to come down here. Immediately.”
    Stormy opened her mouth, but Lou spoke first.
    â€œHave you called the police?”
    â€œHell, Lou, you know as well as I do they wouldn’t take this seriously. Not when she was out on a road trip with a friend. They’d think I was being overprotective, melodramatic, alarmist.”
    â€œAre you sure you aren’t?” Lou asked.
    Max sent him a furious scowl and mouthed “Knock it off.”
    â€œIt’s all right, Jason,” Stormy said. “Look, this is what we do for a living now. Right, Max?”
    â€œRight,” Max said. “Jason, you’re in Endover now, correct?”
    â€œYeah. The motel where I’m staying is at the north edge of town on 1-A, on the right. The North Star Motor Lodge. You can’t miss it.”
    â€œAll right.”
    Stormy had turned to the computer and was typing rapidly as Jason spoke. Lou looked at the monitor over her shoulder to see she had punched the information into an online map-making program. She hit Enter. About three seconds later the driving directions appeared, and she hit the print button. “Jay, it looks like it’s about four and a half hours from here. Allowing time for us to pack a bag or two, we can be there by 5:00 a.m.”
    â€œWait a minute, wait a minute,” Lou said. “Jason, these two have already driven close to eight hours today. And not without incident,” he said with a sharp look at Stormy and Max when he sensed they were about to object.
    Max sighed. “He’s right. We shouldn’t be driving without a few hours’ sleep.”
    She didn’t surprise him. He knew her concern for Stormy would be the one thing that would outweigh her rush to help out an old friend.
    â€œHow about we get a decent night’s sleep and leave first thing in the morning? We could still make it by noon.”
    Lou hadn’t realized he’d said “we” until he felt Max’seyes on him, and by then it was too late. Then Jason voiced the question he was already asking himself.
    â€œWhat do you mean, ‘we’? Look, Lou, I don’t want the police involved in this.”
    â€œI’m not the police. Not anymore. Retired a few months ago, kid. Any other reason you don’t want me in on this thing?”
    The suspicion and the hint of inexplicable animosity in his tone were not entirely unintended. He couldn’t seem to keep them out, and he didn’t particularly want to. This guy on the phone was sending up so many red flags, Lou could hear them flapping in the breeze.
    â€œOf course not,” Jason said. “The more help I have on this thing, the better. Noon tomorrow will be fine. Thank you, guys.”
    â€œYou’re welcome, Jason,” Maxie said.
    â€œWe’ll see you tomorrow,” Stormy added.
    Jason hung up without a goodbye. Stormy reached to hit the disconnect button, but Lou held up a hand. Sure enough, the second click came, just as it had before. They both heard it, and he saw their eyes widen. Then he nodded, and Stormy hung up.
    Stormy looked at Max, then at Lou. “Something is wrong with him.”
    â€œHis sister’s missing,” Max said. “It’s like he said, it’s amazing he can form a coherent sentence. You know how he adores her.” She snatched the pages off the printer and took a look at the driving directions.
    â€œSeemed like more than that,” Lou said.
    â€œHell, Lou, you barely know him.”
    â€œThat makes me more objective. Besides, I’m a cop, remember?”
    â€œEx-cop,” she