Read Online Nothing Is Negotiable by Mark Bentsen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Bentsen
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the backseat and saw a cardboard box with their picnic supplies. He unloaded all of the paper plates, napkins and other things onto the backseat, then with a black marker, he wrote on the side of the box: Bonnie—I’m looking for you—I’ll be back about 7:00 PM—Stay Here!!! Luke.
When he got back to the police station, Ernest’s cruiser was about to pull out. Luke screeched to a stop in front of him and rushed over to his window. He thrust his arm back toward the broken window. “Now someone broke into my car.”
“What’d they take?” Ernest said.
“As far as I can tell, they only took a camera and my cell phone,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Do you think it would have something to do with Bonnie?”
Without answering, Ernest got out of his vehicle and ambled over to check out the damage. Before looking inside he walked around the car, looking it over the way a prospective buyer might. When he got to the broken window, he leaned close and looked inside. The brick sat on the console and broken glass was scattered everywhere.
“Where was the camera and the phone?”
“Right there on that seat,” he said.
“Hell, you were just inviting trouble leaving a camera out in plain view like that.”
“I know, I wasn’t thinking.” Luke bent over and looked closer at the door handle. “Would it do any good to get the fingerprints?”
“No. I doubt they even touched the door handle. I’ll make a note in your file, and if the rental company needs a police report, let me know and I’ll get you one.”
It was what he expected but he felt better at least reporting it. When he got back to the clinic, the box with his note was still there. No sign of Bonnie.
Luke quickly downed one of the now-cold burgers and when he was finished he was in no mood to sit and wait. He changed the note on the box to say he’d be back at nine, and started driving.
First he went down all of the streets north and south, then he did the same thing on the streets east and west. The town was small and in less than an hour he’d seen the entire town. He went back to his parking space across from the clinic. The street was deserted and after a few minutes he got out and paced up and down the street until finally stopping to peer across the roof of the car back toward Main Street.
He saw two, maybe three cars a minute drive past on Main, and none on the side streets. Just like any other small town, even back home in Lampasas, after the workday was over you might as well roll up the streets. Everyone’s gone home for the night.
But, he wasn’t home. And neither was Bonnie. Something was wrong. And for the first time in his life, Luke didn’t know what to do.
Chapter 6
As the starlit sky gave way to dawn, Luke leaned across the roof of the car, his thoughtless stare transfixed on the glowing horizon to the east.
He rubbed his eyes and stretched. His night had been restless. It took a while to fall asleep and he dozed for only a few hours before a barking dog woke him. That was about two in the morning. After that, he never was able to get back to sleep. His mind constantly worked through all the different things that could have happened to Bonnie. None made sense, and he came to the same conclusion each time; something was horribly wrong. He wouldn’t allow himself to consider anything beyond that.
After a long drink from a bottle of water he realized that he really needed to take a leak. Though the streets were still deserted, he wouldn’t piss right there; it would be best to find an alley. He locked the car and crossed the street to the sidewalk in front of the clinic where he walked toward the end of the block. Next to the clinic he came to an empty storefront with a For Lease sign that hung on the dirty plate glass doors. Inside the store, brown paper covered all of the windows from the ground to about six feet high, hiding whatever was inside.
He slowed when he came to an area where the tape had lost its
When he got back to the police station, Ernest’s cruiser was about to pull out. Luke screeched to a stop in front of him and rushed over to his window. He thrust his arm back toward the broken window. “Now someone broke into my car.”
“What’d they take?” Ernest said.
“As far as I can tell, they only took a camera and my cell phone,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Do you think it would have something to do with Bonnie?”
Without answering, Ernest got out of his vehicle and ambled over to check out the damage. Before looking inside he walked around the car, looking it over the way a prospective buyer might. When he got to the broken window, he leaned close and looked inside. The brick sat on the console and broken glass was scattered everywhere.
“Where was the camera and the phone?”
“Right there on that seat,” he said.
“Hell, you were just inviting trouble leaving a camera out in plain view like that.”
“I know, I wasn’t thinking.” Luke bent over and looked closer at the door handle. “Would it do any good to get the fingerprints?”
“No. I doubt they even touched the door handle. I’ll make a note in your file, and if the rental company needs a police report, let me know and I’ll get you one.”
It was what he expected but he felt better at least reporting it. When he got back to the clinic, the box with his note was still there. No sign of Bonnie.
Luke quickly downed one of the now-cold burgers and when he was finished he was in no mood to sit and wait. He changed the note on the box to say he’d be back at nine, and started driving.
First he went down all of the streets north and south, then he did the same thing on the streets east and west. The town was small and in less than an hour he’d seen the entire town. He went back to his parking space across from the clinic. The street was deserted and after a few minutes he got out and paced up and down the street until finally stopping to peer across the roof of the car back toward Main Street.
He saw two, maybe three cars a minute drive past on Main, and none on the side streets. Just like any other small town, even back home in Lampasas, after the workday was over you might as well roll up the streets. Everyone’s gone home for the night.
But, he wasn’t home. And neither was Bonnie. Something was wrong. And for the first time in his life, Luke didn’t know what to do.
Chapter 6
As the starlit sky gave way to dawn, Luke leaned across the roof of the car, his thoughtless stare transfixed on the glowing horizon to the east.
He rubbed his eyes and stretched. His night had been restless. It took a while to fall asleep and he dozed for only a few hours before a barking dog woke him. That was about two in the morning. After that, he never was able to get back to sleep. His mind constantly worked through all the different things that could have happened to Bonnie. None made sense, and he came to the same conclusion each time; something was horribly wrong. He wouldn’t allow himself to consider anything beyond that.
After a long drink from a bottle of water he realized that he really needed to take a leak. Though the streets were still deserted, he wouldn’t piss right there; it would be best to find an alley. He locked the car and crossed the street to the sidewalk in front of the clinic where he walked toward the end of the block. Next to the clinic he came to an empty storefront with a For Lease sign that hung on the dirty plate glass doors. Inside the store, brown paper covered all of the windows from the ground to about six feet high, hiding whatever was inside.
He slowed when he came to an area where the tape had lost its
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