stopped and Ernest asked a few more questions.
“You didn’t have a big fight, did you?”
Luke shook his head, “No, sir.”
“And before you came up here, things were good at home?”
“Yes sir, everything’s perfect.”
“Um hum,” he said. “You folks got a bunch of oil wells back in Texas? Lots of money?”
“No oil wells. Not much money.”
“Got any enemies back home? Anyone who’d like to get even with you for something you did to them?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Made any enemies here?”
Luke thought about that guy at the camera store, but was sure that wasn’t anything to worry about. “I don’t think so?”
Ernest leaned back and stuck the cigar in his mouth again but didn’t make any move to light it. He looked out the window and appeared deep in thought then said, “What did she have with her the last time you saw her?”
“All she had was her purse, with the normal stuff in it. You know, billfold, make up, a little cash, a cell phone. But nothing else I know of.”
“Is she on any medication?”
“Nothing much, maybe some allergy medicine, but nothing I know of. She’s real healthy.”
“Is she bipolar? Suffer from depression or anything like that?”
“No sir, about as normal as any woman can be, I guess.”
Ernest smiled and gave a silent chuckle. “I hear you. Does she have problems with her health? You know memory, fainting spells, does she get confused easy?”
“No sir. Like I said, she as healthy as a horse. Even training to run the New York Marathon in November,” Luke leaned forward. “That’s what I’m saying. She’s perfectly normal. I just can’t understand—”
“She ever do anything like this before?”
“No. Never.”
The chief asked, “Do you have any friends in Cardston or anywhere else in the area?”
Luke explained about Rita, the talk Bonnie gave at the workshop, and also about his conversation with Dr. Duncan.
“Did they see her talking to anyone else at the clinic?”
Luke shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask that question.”
“But they did say they saw her leave alone?”
“No, they didn’t say that.” Luke looked down at the floor and shook his head. “I’m not sure how well the receptionist or anyone else can see the door from where they sit. There’s a little window between them and the waiting room. When you’re in there, you can’t see the receptionist until you walk up to that window.”
“Yeah, I know how it is,” Ernest said. “I’ve been in there a hundred times myself.” He turned his wrist to see his watch. He stood up and said, “It’s been about four and a half hours. Ordinarily, we usually don’t get started on a missing person this quick, but I think we should. Let me get you a form to fill out with all the information and I’ll need a picture of her. Do you have one that’s recent?”
Luke nodded, “No, not with me.” Then he remembered he took some pictures of her the day they arrived. “Wait a minute. I took some pictures of her yesterday. If I bring in that memory card from my camera, can you print some pictures?”
“Not really. The printer we use for pictures is on the blink, so it would be best if you go to the camera shop on Main Street. They can do them while you wait.”
For the next half hour, Luke filled out forms and answered more questions.
“I’ll get those pictures made and get back here as soon as I can.”
Ernest followed Luke as he made his way to the front door. “Luke, I’m sure she’s okay. I don’t think we’ve ever had anyone kidnapped or abducted in Cardston. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for this.”
“That’s the same thing Dr. Duncan said. I hope you’re right.”
***
Luke hurried back to the car, hoping to find Bonnie there waiting. But she wasn’t. He grabbed the camera, ejected the memory card, and headed for the camera shop. Rocky Mountain Photography was a few blocks away and as soon as he stepped
“You didn’t have a big fight, did you?”
Luke shook his head, “No, sir.”
“And before you came up here, things were good at home?”
“Yes sir, everything’s perfect.”
“Um hum,” he said. “You folks got a bunch of oil wells back in Texas? Lots of money?”
“No oil wells. Not much money.”
“Got any enemies back home? Anyone who’d like to get even with you for something you did to them?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Made any enemies here?”
Luke thought about that guy at the camera store, but was sure that wasn’t anything to worry about. “I don’t think so?”
Ernest leaned back and stuck the cigar in his mouth again but didn’t make any move to light it. He looked out the window and appeared deep in thought then said, “What did she have with her the last time you saw her?”
“All she had was her purse, with the normal stuff in it. You know, billfold, make up, a little cash, a cell phone. But nothing else I know of.”
“Is she on any medication?”
“Nothing much, maybe some allergy medicine, but nothing I know of. She’s real healthy.”
“Is she bipolar? Suffer from depression or anything like that?”
“No sir, about as normal as any woman can be, I guess.”
Ernest smiled and gave a silent chuckle. “I hear you. Does she have problems with her health? You know memory, fainting spells, does she get confused easy?”
“No sir. Like I said, she as healthy as a horse. Even training to run the New York Marathon in November,” Luke leaned forward. “That’s what I’m saying. She’s perfectly normal. I just can’t understand—”
“She ever do anything like this before?”
“No. Never.”
The chief asked, “Do you have any friends in Cardston or anywhere else in the area?”
Luke explained about Rita, the talk Bonnie gave at the workshop, and also about his conversation with Dr. Duncan.
“Did they see her talking to anyone else at the clinic?”
Luke shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask that question.”
“But they did say they saw her leave alone?”
“No, they didn’t say that.” Luke looked down at the floor and shook his head. “I’m not sure how well the receptionist or anyone else can see the door from where they sit. There’s a little window between them and the waiting room. When you’re in there, you can’t see the receptionist until you walk up to that window.”
“Yeah, I know how it is,” Ernest said. “I’ve been in there a hundred times myself.” He turned his wrist to see his watch. He stood up and said, “It’s been about four and a half hours. Ordinarily, we usually don’t get started on a missing person this quick, but I think we should. Let me get you a form to fill out with all the information and I’ll need a picture of her. Do you have one that’s recent?”
Luke nodded, “No, not with me.” Then he remembered he took some pictures of her the day they arrived. “Wait a minute. I took some pictures of her yesterday. If I bring in that memory card from my camera, can you print some pictures?”
“Not really. The printer we use for pictures is on the blink, so it would be best if you go to the camera shop on Main Street. They can do them while you wait.”
For the next half hour, Luke filled out forms and answered more questions.
“I’ll get those pictures made and get back here as soon as I can.”
Ernest followed Luke as he made his way to the front door. “Luke, I’m sure she’s okay. I don’t think we’ve ever had anyone kidnapped or abducted in Cardston. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for this.”
“That’s the same thing Dr. Duncan said. I hope you’re right.”
***
Luke hurried back to the car, hoping to find Bonnie there waiting. But she wasn’t. He grabbed the camera, ejected the memory card, and headed for the camera shop. Rocky Mountain Photography was a few blocks away and as soon as he stepped
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