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Authors: SAMMI CARTER
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Jawarski.
Pine Jawarski is a detective with the Paradise Police Department. We met while he was investigating the murder of a friend, and I was trying to keep my brother out of jail. We’ve had dinner together a couple of times since then, but that’s as far as our “relationship” has progressed.
Don’t get me wrong; he’s a good guy. At least, he seems to be. Sometimes when we’re together, I think there’s something going on between us, but he’s not any more ready to find out what that something is than I am. We usually let our awareness of each other flop around in the space between us and ignore it as much as possible.
Jawarski answered on the second ring, and I have to admit that the pleasure I heard in his bass voice did a little something to me. “Abby! What are you doing calling me in the middle of a workday? Don’t tell me you finally decided to take me up on my challenge.”
He’s been trying since Christmas to get me on the slopes again, but it’s been too many years since I hurled myself down the face of a mountain, and I was never that good at it anyway. Laughing softly, I moved into the kitchen so Miles wouldn’t hear me. “Not on your life, Jawarski. Or mine.”
“So you say today, but be warned: I don’t plan to give up.”
“And I don’t plan to cave in. If I hold out long enough, the season will be over, and I’ll be off the hook.”
“Only until next year.”
That smelled of permanence, and that made me uncomfortable, so I cut the chitchat short. “Actually, Jawarski, this is a professional call. We have a situation here, and I could use your help.”
He switched gears immediately. “What’s going on? More trouble with the contest?”
“You heard about that?”
“Hasn’t everybody? Is that what’s wrong?”
“In a roundabout way, I guess. One of our contestants seems to have gone missing. Her husband is here, and he’s really upset. She left their hotel room this morning at five thirty, and he hasn’t seen her since. The police say there’s nothing they can do until she’s been missing for seventy-two hours.”
“Unless there are mitigating circumstances, they’re right.” At least Jawarski sounded regretful. “I assume this lady’s over eighteen?”
I nodded. “She’s my age.”
“And she’s mentally sound?”
“Yes, depending on who you ask.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Bad joke. Yes, she’s mentally sound.”
“Any reason to think she’s in danger?”
I caught myself hesitating and shook my head firmly. “No. Nothing like that.”
“And she’s not a danger to herself?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but can’t the patrol officers at least keep an eye out for her?”
“She’s an adult, Abby. She could be off with friends or taking in a movie, or up on the slopes. We’ve got a town full of musicians spilled over from the festival in Aspen, and all of ’em just looking for trouble. We’d need a better reason than you’ve given me to get involved.”
I could feel Miles watching me hopefully, but I didn’t let myself make eye contact. He’d read the answer in my eyes, but I wasn’t giving up yet. “What if I told you that the missing woman is the one Evie Rice accused of cheating last night?”
“Is she?” Jawarski sounded a little more interested at that. “So are you saying you think Evie did something to her?”
“No! Of course not. But Savannah isn’t particularly well-liked by anybody, so I don’t think she’s off visiting friends. I think maybe she’s been hurt. A sprained ankle or something.”
“There are a thousand other places she could be,” Jawarski said again. “Maybe she’s getting a little something on the side, and her husband doesn’t know about it. Happens all the time, you know that.”
My gaze strayed to the stairs to my apartment. If that’s where she was, she would be in danger when Karen woke up. Maybe I didn’t want Jawarski to find her, after all. “So
Pine Jawarski is a detective with the Paradise Police Department. We met while he was investigating the murder of a friend, and I was trying to keep my brother out of jail. We’ve had dinner together a couple of times since then, but that’s as far as our “relationship” has progressed.
Don’t get me wrong; he’s a good guy. At least, he seems to be. Sometimes when we’re together, I think there’s something going on between us, but he’s not any more ready to find out what that something is than I am. We usually let our awareness of each other flop around in the space between us and ignore it as much as possible.
Jawarski answered on the second ring, and I have to admit that the pleasure I heard in his bass voice did a little something to me. “Abby! What are you doing calling me in the middle of a workday? Don’t tell me you finally decided to take me up on my challenge.”
He’s been trying since Christmas to get me on the slopes again, but it’s been too many years since I hurled myself down the face of a mountain, and I was never that good at it anyway. Laughing softly, I moved into the kitchen so Miles wouldn’t hear me. “Not on your life, Jawarski. Or mine.”
“So you say today, but be warned: I don’t plan to give up.”
“And I don’t plan to cave in. If I hold out long enough, the season will be over, and I’ll be off the hook.”
“Only until next year.”
That smelled of permanence, and that made me uncomfortable, so I cut the chitchat short. “Actually, Jawarski, this is a professional call. We have a situation here, and I could use your help.”
He switched gears immediately. “What’s going on? More trouble with the contest?”
“You heard about that?”
“Hasn’t everybody? Is that what’s wrong?”
“In a roundabout way, I guess. One of our contestants seems to have gone missing. Her husband is here, and he’s really upset. She left their hotel room this morning at five thirty, and he hasn’t seen her since. The police say there’s nothing they can do until she’s been missing for seventy-two hours.”
“Unless there are mitigating circumstances, they’re right.” At least Jawarski sounded regretful. “I assume this lady’s over eighteen?”
I nodded. “She’s my age.”
“And she’s mentally sound?”
“Yes, depending on who you ask.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Bad joke. Yes, she’s mentally sound.”
“Any reason to think she’s in danger?”
I caught myself hesitating and shook my head firmly. “No. Nothing like that.”
“And she’s not a danger to herself?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but can’t the patrol officers at least keep an eye out for her?”
“She’s an adult, Abby. She could be off with friends or taking in a movie, or up on the slopes. We’ve got a town full of musicians spilled over from the festival in Aspen, and all of ’em just looking for trouble. We’d need a better reason than you’ve given me to get involved.”
I could feel Miles watching me hopefully, but I didn’t let myself make eye contact. He’d read the answer in my eyes, but I wasn’t giving up yet. “What if I told you that the missing woman is the one Evie Rice accused of cheating last night?”
“Is she?” Jawarski sounded a little more interested at that. “So are you saying you think Evie did something to her?”
“No! Of course not. But Savannah isn’t particularly well-liked by anybody, so I don’t think she’s off visiting friends. I think maybe she’s been hurt. A sprained ankle or something.”
“There are a thousand other places she could be,” Jawarski said again. “Maybe she’s getting a little something on the side, and her husband doesn’t know about it. Happens all the time, you know that.”
My gaze strayed to the stairs to my apartment. If that’s where she was, she would be in danger when Karen woke up. Maybe I didn’t want Jawarski to find her, after all. “So
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