Page 25 of Too Late

Her pulse quickened. She walked closer. There was a note.

Keeping her hands in her pockets, she looked closer.

The same scrawled script as yesterday morning.

Her pulse now thundered.

Too late.

An arm wrapped around her chest as a figure came up behind her. Because of the cars overhead, she hadn’t heard them approach.

She jabbed her elbow into the person’s middle.

Something pricked her neck.

No!She felt for her key fob. The world blurred. She depressed the automatic tailgate button.Poirot, get Gabe.She wasn’t sure if the words made it to her lips, let alone far enough for the dog to hear over the traffic.

She was given no choice but to surrender to the will of her captor.

Gabe checked his watch as he waited for the front desk officer to find the file he’d requested. Eleven thirty. He should probably call Chloe and make sure she got up this morning. He shook his head. He was turning into his dad. And it would probably only get worse as he took responsibility for three children plus whatever children he and Aliza had in the future.

Something scratched at the glass of the police station front door.

Poirot?

There was no mistaking that dog with his bandaged paw.

Gabe ran to the door and opened it.

Poirot jumped on him and barked frantically. He grabbed his sleeve and tugged.

“Cool it, boy. Where’s Chloe?”

He barked.

Gabe dropped to his knees in front of the dog. “I don’t understand. How’d you get here?”

He barked twice.

Some days, Gabe wished Poirot spoke English. Whatever the answer to Gabe’s questions, he knew one thing: something was wrong.

Grabbing his cell phone, he dialed Chloe’s number. It rang and rang until it went to voice mail.

What on earth? He stood and called for Poirot to follow. They went to the front desk.

“Drop everything else. I need an immediate track on my sister’s phone.” He gave the officer Chloe’s phone number.

While he waited, he called Josh. No answer either.

Gabe slammed his fist against the front desk counter. He tried both numbers again. It wasn’t like Josh not to answer unless he was with a patient. So he called Josh’s practice’s office. The after-hours service answered.

“This is Officer Gabe Jacobs with the Knoxville PD. I’m trying to reach Dr. Schneider. It’s urgent.”

“He’s not on call today. Do you have his cell phone?”

“I do. Thank you.” He ended the call and leaned on the counter. “Where is her cell phone?”

“Looks like it’s at Riverside Landing Park, only a couple of miles from here.”

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