Bailey. But Shelly didn't know where he lives or anything."
Jordan nodded and proceeded towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Middlestead asked with a frown. When he got no answer, he followed the small woman up the stairs and into his sister's room. "I told you she wasn't here."
Ignoring him, the redhead switched on the light. Good thing she's a neat freak, she thought. On the girl's nightstand was a phone and Jordan made her way towards it. Opening the drawer, she said, "Bingo," and pulled out a school directory. She flipped through it.
Middlestead slapped his forehead. "Crap! I didn't even think of that!"
The woman shrugged and picked up the phone. "No reason you should have," she said calmly as she dialed a number. "You're too worried to think straight right now."
There was a pause while she waited for someone to answer the line. The man behind her began pacing nervously.
"...Hullo...?" asked a sleepy male voice.
"Yes. I'd like to speak with Pete Bailey."
"Wha...? Lady, it's four in the morning," the voice grumbled.
"Yeah, I know. And I'd like to know why my... sister hasn't made it home from her date with Pete." There was a pause before she added, "Unless he didn't come home, either...."
There was a rustling sound and murmured voices. "Look uh.... What's your name?"
"Jordan."
"Uh, Jordan... Look, my boy's been home since a little after one. I saw him myself. I don't know where your sister is."
"May I speak with Pete then? He can tell me where he last saw her."
There was a pause as the man processed this. "Yeah. Okay. Hold on and I'll get him." Then the sound of the phone as it was laid down.
Middlestead paced nearby. When there was no more said, he stopped and said urgently, "Well!?"
"Shhhh," Jordan waved him down with a glare. "They're waking the kid up now. It's been several hours - a few more minutes ain't gonna make a difference."
"Easy for you to say," he grumbled as he resumed his pacing.
There were more voices on the other end of the line. Finally, a young man was put on.
"Hello?" he asked tentatively.
"Pete?" Jordan paused.
Her band mate heard a distinct difference in her voice and stopped to gawk at the redhead.
"Yeah?"
"Let's get something clear right from the beginning," she said pleasantly. "If anything has happened to Sonny, either by your own hand or your own ineptitude, you are going to be in severe need of traction. You don't know me. You don't know what I look like. You'll never know if I'm across the room or right beside you. And whatever I do, keep in mind... I hold a grudge. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes." There was a slight pause before the shaky voice said with a rush, "I didn't do anything to her, I swear!"
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"Just before I came home. Quarter after one maybe? Give or take a few minutes."
Emerald eyes narrowed. "The dance didn't go that late. They would have let you out before curfew. Where did you last see her?"
There was silence.
"Keep in mind that your future of having children is on the line," Jordan growled. "Where did you last see her?"
"Up at Washington Park," he answered slowly, the information being forced from him. "There's a place near there... on a side road, ya know. Where kids... uh... hang out."
"You mean make out, don't you?" Not waiting for a response, Jordan asked, "Why'd you leave her there, Pete?"
There was the audible sound of swallowing. "We... uh... We got into an argument. She started yelling and jumped out of the car." His voice became an octave higher. "I didn't want to leave her, I swear! She just walked off! I followed her for several blocks but she wouldn't get back in the car so I could take her home!"
Doing nothing to soothe the teenager's fear, Jordan got the street name and directions from him.
"Um... Sonny doesn't have a sister," Bailey said in a shaky voice when they were finished. "Who are you?"
There was a long silence. "I could be your worst nightmare," Jordan rumbled before hanging
Jordan nodded and proceeded towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Middlestead asked with a frown. When he got no answer, he followed the small woman up the stairs and into his sister's room. "I told you she wasn't here."
Ignoring him, the redhead switched on the light. Good thing she's a neat freak, she thought. On the girl's nightstand was a phone and Jordan made her way towards it. Opening the drawer, she said, "Bingo," and pulled out a school directory. She flipped through it.
Middlestead slapped his forehead. "Crap! I didn't even think of that!"
The woman shrugged and picked up the phone. "No reason you should have," she said calmly as she dialed a number. "You're too worried to think straight right now."
There was a pause while she waited for someone to answer the line. The man behind her began pacing nervously.
"...Hullo...?" asked a sleepy male voice.
"Yes. I'd like to speak with Pete Bailey."
"Wha...? Lady, it's four in the morning," the voice grumbled.
"Yeah, I know. And I'd like to know why my... sister hasn't made it home from her date with Pete." There was a pause before she added, "Unless he didn't come home, either...."
There was a rustling sound and murmured voices. "Look uh.... What's your name?"
"Jordan."
"Uh, Jordan... Look, my boy's been home since a little after one. I saw him myself. I don't know where your sister is."
"May I speak with Pete then? He can tell me where he last saw her."
There was a pause as the man processed this. "Yeah. Okay. Hold on and I'll get him." Then the sound of the phone as it was laid down.
Middlestead paced nearby. When there was no more said, he stopped and said urgently, "Well!?"
"Shhhh," Jordan waved him down with a glare. "They're waking the kid up now. It's been several hours - a few more minutes ain't gonna make a difference."
"Easy for you to say," he grumbled as he resumed his pacing.
There were more voices on the other end of the line. Finally, a young man was put on.
"Hello?" he asked tentatively.
"Pete?" Jordan paused.
Her band mate heard a distinct difference in her voice and stopped to gawk at the redhead.
"Yeah?"
"Let's get something clear right from the beginning," she said pleasantly. "If anything has happened to Sonny, either by your own hand or your own ineptitude, you are going to be in severe need of traction. You don't know me. You don't know what I look like. You'll never know if I'm across the room or right beside you. And whatever I do, keep in mind... I hold a grudge. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes." There was a slight pause before the shaky voice said with a rush, "I didn't do anything to her, I swear!"
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"Just before I came home. Quarter after one maybe? Give or take a few minutes."
Emerald eyes narrowed. "The dance didn't go that late. They would have let you out before curfew. Where did you last see her?"
There was silence.
"Keep in mind that your future of having children is on the line," Jordan growled. "Where did you last see her?"
"Up at Washington Park," he answered slowly, the information being forced from him. "There's a place near there... on a side road, ya know. Where kids... uh... hang out."
"You mean make out, don't you?" Not waiting for a response, Jordan asked, "Why'd you leave her there, Pete?"
There was the audible sound of swallowing. "We... uh... We got into an argument. She started yelling and jumped out of the car." His voice became an octave higher. "I didn't want to leave her, I swear! She just walked off! I followed her for several blocks but she wouldn't get back in the car so I could take her home!"
Doing nothing to soothe the teenager's fear, Jordan got the street name and directions from him.
"Um... Sonny doesn't have a sister," Bailey said in a shaky voice when they were finished. "Who are you?"
There was a long silence. "I could be your worst nightmare," Jordan rumbled before hanging
Similar Books
