Page 47 of Another Girl Lost

“It was.” He shrugged on his shirt and began to fasten the small white buttons. “You come to that bar often?”

“First time. But I liked it a lot. Maybe we’ll see each other again outside of the office.”

“Or I can call you.”

“I like the randomness of meeting you in the bar last night.” She shoved a thick shock of short blond hair away from her face. Red finger marks rimmed her slender wrists. Now that her makeup had faded, he realized she was younger than he’d originally thought. Thirty, late twenties, maybe.

“I can’t say when I’ll be back to the bar,” he lied. “Running down the Taylor murder is going to take time.”

“Let me know if you need a hand with that?”

He sat on the edge of the bed. “Walk me through your response to the 9-1-1 call.”

“Dispatch said there was a possible body on the premises. The caller said the body was hidden in the wall near the kitchen. I keep a sledgehammer in the trunk of my car, so it was easy to break the drywall.”

“You keep a sledgehammer in your trunk?”

“It comes in handy more often than you think.”

“Okay.”

“When I showed up, the house was empty. No signs of anyone. When backup arrived, I went into the kitchen, took my jacket off, and got to work.” She smiled. “For the record, I found the body after the fourth hole. Have you listened to the 9-1-1 call?”

“I did. Sounds like a woman, and there’s lots of background noise. I put a trace on the number. It’s a disposable phone.”

“Do you know the location of the call?”

Most assumed a burner was totally anonymous. Though the caller’s name wasn’t available, the location of the call could be traced. Soon he’d also have the device’s point of purchase. “Working on that.”

A smile curved her lips. “Do you have a recording of the message on your phone?”

He opened the texted message from dispatch. He hit play.“Go to the house at 922 Hanover. There’s a body in the east wall near the kitchen.”

“Direct and to the point.” She sat up, letting the sheet drop as she stood. “Keep me in the loop.”

Hard to concentrate with two lovely breasts less than a foot from his fingertips. “Sure.”

“See you in the bar sometime?” she said.

“You know me that well?”

She slid on her blouse and faced him as she slowly buttoned it. “You’re relaxed in that bar, like it’s your second home. Bartender refilled your beer without asking.” She wrinkled her nose. “Guessing divorced recently.”

When it came to hiding his emotions, he was a skilled practitioner. The ex-wife had complained about his distance often enough. “What else do you know about me?”

She pulled up sheer panties. “You like giving orders. I would say that gives you a sense of mastery in your chaotic world.”

He blistered under her intense gaze. He’d revealed a secret part of himself to her and now wasn’t sure if that was very smart. “And?”

“I can’t tell if you have children, but I’m thinking no. I don’t get the vibe of a tortured soul missing his kid.”

“I don’t have kids or a tortured soul.”

She raised a brow. “That makes divorce easier but not painless. Been there, done that. Kicked my ex to the curb last year.”

Of course she’d had other men, but the image annoyed him. She felt like his. “Sorry to hear that.”

A shrug lifted her shoulder. “You’re married to the job, aren’t you?”

---