Page 25 of Apple Martinis

“What’s going on?” He asks, looking around at the now scattered packages Piper obviously had been toting back to her condo.

“They took her...” I murmur looking down at my feet, trying to clear my thoughts.

“Piper?” at the shake of my head, he looks at everything on the ground more closely. “Who took her?” He asks, sirens coming closer.

“I don’t know.” I look at him unsure of what to do next.

Chapter 7

Rome

The cops ask me all kinds of questions, most I don’t even know the fucking answers to.

Yes, I know she’s from Savannah Tennessee. No, I don’t know who her family is or any of her friends.

My favorite one was who I was to her. It was asked in a way that clearly said the officers thought I had something to do with this.

The fuckers dragged their feet calling in a description of the van then proceeded to tell me that most cases like this, the suspects usually abandon the kidnapping vehicle and switch it out for another a few miles away.

It takes hours for them to finish up with their questions and try to collect as much evidence as they can. Not that I think there’s much evidence to get out here on the street.

They took her purse in case any DNA transferred to it because they know it would have been the closest item to her body.

As they begin to leave, I start picking up the items that fell from her bags, checking to make sure they are clean.

The few I find that are dirty, I put in a bag to take to a dry cleaner for her. I refuse to believe what I heard one of the other officers say about most of these girls never being found.

“Let me help.” August says, bending down to gather everything up.

Under some of the clothes, I find her phone and stick it into my back pocket. I know she had some friends that were supposed to be coming down soon.

Maybe I can find their number on her phone and give them a call. They probably know more of the answers to the officers' questions.

“Thanks man. I appreciate you staying with me.” I say to August who looks at me with a pissed off expression.

“Really? I thought we were close friends? What kind of friend would I be if I left you here to deal with the cops alone after your girlfriend was kidnapped.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” I say, standing up and grabbing all the bags.

“Look, this isn’t the fifties where a girl is only your girlfriend after you ask her to go steady.” He rolls his eyes.

After making sure we have everything, we start off down the street, back towards the bar. August made sure that Barr knew what was happening so he didn’t think I just left without telling him.

“Are you going back to your house?” August asks.

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