minutes.”
“When you finished, where’d she go?”
“After we finished, we walked out of the exam room and I remember watching her walk back toward the front desk. People who haven’t been here before get turned around in the hallways, so I usually watch them to make sure they go the right way. Which she did.”
Nothing sounded the least bit unusual. Now it seemed clear to Luke that whatever happened to her, happened after she left the clinic.
“I guess I just have to keep looking,” Luke said as he stood up. He walked over and pulled the door open. “Thanks for your time.”
“I wish there was more I could tell you.”
“There is one thing. Can you tell me how to get to the police station?”
Chapter 5
Luke was a bit confused. “RCMP?” he asked.
“I forgot you’re from the states,” Dr. Duncan said. “Here in Canada, we have the RCMP. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It’s our federal police force. You can find their office out past the grocery store about half a mile.”
Something about taking the car made him feel like he was abandoning Bonnie, so again, he walked. He found their office with no problem and when he entered the small lobby it was empty and quiet. Through an open door on the back wall he saw a long deserted hallway. He heard faint laughter and the sound of footsteps and a few seconds later, a very pregnant Native American woman in orange pants and a paisley blouse rounded the corner with her head down as she rummaged through her purse. As she got closer she stopped at one of the doors in the hallway.
“Chief, remember, I won’t be in until noon tomorrow since I’m going to the doctor in Lethbridge.”
When she started toward the waiting room she saw Luke and turned back down the hallway, and to no one in particular, said, “There’s someone at the counter.” As she walked toward Luke, she smiled and said, “Someone will be right with you,” then walked past him and out the front door.
A few seconds later, a man with a gun on his hip stepped into the hallway. He was short, robust, with gray hair and a bushy mustache. He was wearing khakis and a white short-sleeved shirt and looked to be in his late sixties or early seventies.
“Can I help you?”
Luke took a deep breath and said, “I hope so. My wife is missing.”
The man hooked his thumbs in his front belt loops and let his arms rest. He furrowed his brow and said, “What do you mean, missing?”
Luke wasn’t sure where to start, so he started talking. “We were at the clinic, and while she waited to see a doctor I ran a couple of errands. Came back about an hour later and she was gone.” He looked at his watch and said, “That was about noon and I’ve been looking all over town since then and I can’t find her. I don’t know what to do. We’re from Texas and here on vacation, it’s been over four hours and—”
“Hold on, son,” the lawman said, holding up his hands. “Come back to my office.”
Luke followed him into his office and sat across the desk from him.
“Where in Texas?”
“Lampasas. A little town northwest of Austin.”
“What are you doing here in Cardston?”
“We were over at Glacier and my wife got sick, so we came over here to the clinic. Being from Texas, I’m a little confused on what to do here in Canada.”
“I see.” The man reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a cigar. As he unwrapped the cellophane wrapper, he spoke. “It’s a little different here but not that much. I’m Ernest Oliveras, the commanding officer of this detachment, kind of like the chief of police where you’re from. You can call me Ernest.” He stuck the cigar in his mouth briefly, then pulled it out and examined it a few seconds before wrapping his index finger around it.
“Now, start from the beginning and tell me what happened since you got to Cardston.”
As Luke talked, Ernest nodded, and interrupted a few times asking for more details. After a minute Luke
“When you finished, where’d she go?”
“After we finished, we walked out of the exam room and I remember watching her walk back toward the front desk. People who haven’t been here before get turned around in the hallways, so I usually watch them to make sure they go the right way. Which she did.”
Nothing sounded the least bit unusual. Now it seemed clear to Luke that whatever happened to her, happened after she left the clinic.
“I guess I just have to keep looking,” Luke said as he stood up. He walked over and pulled the door open. “Thanks for your time.”
“I wish there was more I could tell you.”
“There is one thing. Can you tell me how to get to the police station?”
Chapter 5
Luke was a bit confused. “RCMP?” he asked.
“I forgot you’re from the states,” Dr. Duncan said. “Here in Canada, we have the RCMP. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It’s our federal police force. You can find their office out past the grocery store about half a mile.”
Something about taking the car made him feel like he was abandoning Bonnie, so again, he walked. He found their office with no problem and when he entered the small lobby it was empty and quiet. Through an open door on the back wall he saw a long deserted hallway. He heard faint laughter and the sound of footsteps and a few seconds later, a very pregnant Native American woman in orange pants and a paisley blouse rounded the corner with her head down as she rummaged through her purse. As she got closer she stopped at one of the doors in the hallway.
“Chief, remember, I won’t be in until noon tomorrow since I’m going to the doctor in Lethbridge.”
When she started toward the waiting room she saw Luke and turned back down the hallway, and to no one in particular, said, “There’s someone at the counter.” As she walked toward Luke, she smiled and said, “Someone will be right with you,” then walked past him and out the front door.
A few seconds later, a man with a gun on his hip stepped into the hallway. He was short, robust, with gray hair and a bushy mustache. He was wearing khakis and a white short-sleeved shirt and looked to be in his late sixties or early seventies.
“Can I help you?”
Luke took a deep breath and said, “I hope so. My wife is missing.”
The man hooked his thumbs in his front belt loops and let his arms rest. He furrowed his brow and said, “What do you mean, missing?”
Luke wasn’t sure where to start, so he started talking. “We were at the clinic, and while she waited to see a doctor I ran a couple of errands. Came back about an hour later and she was gone.” He looked at his watch and said, “That was about noon and I’ve been looking all over town since then and I can’t find her. I don’t know what to do. We’re from Texas and here on vacation, it’s been over four hours and—”
“Hold on, son,” the lawman said, holding up his hands. “Come back to my office.”
Luke followed him into his office and sat across the desk from him.
“Where in Texas?”
“Lampasas. A little town northwest of Austin.”
“What are you doing here in Cardston?”
“We were over at Glacier and my wife got sick, so we came over here to the clinic. Being from Texas, I’m a little confused on what to do here in Canada.”
“I see.” The man reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out a cigar. As he unwrapped the cellophane wrapper, he spoke. “It’s a little different here but not that much. I’m Ernest Oliveras, the commanding officer of this detachment, kind of like the chief of police where you’re from. You can call me Ernest.” He stuck the cigar in his mouth briefly, then pulled it out and examined it a few seconds before wrapping his index finger around it.
“Now, start from the beginning and tell me what happened since you got to Cardston.”
As Luke talked, Ernest nodded, and interrupted a few times asking for more details. After a minute Luke
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