Page 43 of Her Only Salvation

Harold froze, and he slid the car back into park. “Okay, Mr. Montrose, you have my attention.”

***

Luke was sitting in his office, busying himself with paperwork, when his phone started ringing. He answered it on the first ring. “Detective Young. What can I do for you this evening?”

“Is Terri working tonight,” he asked impatiently.

Luke frowned. “No. She’s off tonight. What’s this all about?” he asked, sitting at attention.

“I stopped by her house the other day.”

“She’s not staying there right now,” Luke informed, getting a queasy feeling.

“I already figured that. I talked to her husband.”

Now Luke was on full alert. “Her husband? He was in the house?”

“Well, I met him outside, but it certainly seems that way. Why? Is he not supposed to be there?”

“They’re getting divorced. What do you think?”

“Well, according to Mr. Cunningham, they’re in the process of reconciling.”

Luke no longer cared about guarding his tongue. He was too worried about where this line of conversation was headed. “No. That’s the last thing Terri wants.”

“And how would you know what she wants, Mr. Reed?”

“Because I do,” was all Luke was willing to say.

“I called her residence, but there was no answer,” Detective Young informed him. “Do you know where she is?” The tone of his voice told Luke he knew well where she might be, but he was looking for confirmation.

“She’s staying with me.” Standing, Luke paced back and forth across the tiny expanse behind his desk. “What are you not telling me?”

“I don’t have time to get into it right now,” he said. “I’m pulling into the station as we speak, but I think it would be wise of you to get ahold of her, make sure everything is okay.”

“Is she in danger?” Luke asked, feeling the stirrings of panic begin to bubble up like acid in his stomach.

“I don’t know,” the detective said honestly. “Just call her, make sure everything is alright on her end, then do me a favor and call me back to let me know.”

“What is going on,” Luke growled into the phone. He was losing patience, his worry for Terri’s well-being taking his mind captive.

“All I can tell you is I’m following up on a lead. So do everyone a favor and do as I asked.” The line went dead and Luke’s hand dropped.

He was a bundle of nerves, the sensation of his world imploding pressing down around him. He couldn’t believe that after all these years someone could affect him this much, but Luke couldn’t deny the overwhelming sensation that he needed to be certain Terri was okay.

Hanging up the phone, he retrieved his cell phone, wallet, and keys from the desk drawer. On his way out the door, he started dialing his house. “Cathie,” he shouted across the bar. “I’m leaving early. You’re in charge of closing if I don’t get back before then.” Her expression was that of worry, but she just nodded and continued filling drinks.

“Ray,” he said as he got to the front door. “I need you to hold the place down. I have to take off for a while. I might not be back.” Ray knew what to do, so he wasn’t worried about leaving the club in his capable hands.

“Don’t worry about a thing, boss. I got it covered,” Ray said, holding the door open for him to pass.

The phone rang and rang as Luke jogged around to the back of the building to his car. He could have just gone out the back door where it was parked, but he had needed to tell everyone he was going, so now he was cold on top of being edgy.

He got into the car and thrust the keys into the ignition. “Come on, Terri. Pick up,” he said as he broke out into traffic. There was no answer, but he kept trying until it was clear that she wasn’t coming to the phone. Then he called the police station, asking for Detective Young. When the detective answered, he yelled at him.

“Terri’s not answering the phone. Now tell me what the hell is going on!”

“The most likely scenario, her husband knows where she is and he isn’t happy,” the detective said unpleasantly.

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