No Place to Vanish

by Jaden Skye

  “Did you two sleep together?” Olivia pulled out all the stops.

  “Whoa, what kind of question is that? Who are you, anyway, some kind of a nut?” Luigi was taken aback. “You think I’m going to tell you that? Hell, I don’t even know you. If I told tales out of school, you know what would happen to my reputation?”

  “This is important, Luigi, I need to know,” Olivia spoke over him.

  “Why? Who are you anyhow?” he balked.

  “Raine never came home from the bachelorette party,” Olivia stated intensely. “I’m a close friend of hers. We’re all looking for her now.”

  “Wait a minute, back up!” Luigi rubbed his face with the red handkerchief scarf that was tied around his neck. “What do you mean she never came home?”

  “There’s a search going on,” Olivia repeated.

  “Who’s searching? The cops and everything?” He seemed to be growing nervous.

  “Not the cops yet. Just family and friends for now.”

  “Listen, you get the cops on this immediately.” He seemed upset. “They know what to do when this stuff happens. It’s nothing to play around with.”

  “We’re not playing,” Olivia defended herself.

  “Sure you’re playing,” Luigi answered. “There are all kinds of freaks down here in Key West. Anything could have happened. Why the hell are you asking me?”

  “One of Raine’s friends said that you and she got it together at the party,” Olivia said.

  “So we fooled around a little, so the hell what? It happens all the time. Doesn’t mean I saw her after that.”

  “You had no contact at all with her later?” Olivia needed to be positive.

  “Nothing, none at all,” Luigi insisted. “What happens at the Sancho stays at the Sancho. I’m not exactly looking for a long-term relationship with these broads. And neither are they, most of the time.”

  “Most of the time? Was Raine? Did she want more from you?” Olivia couldn’t let it go. “Did she ask to see you again?”

  “Absolutely not,” Luigi retorted. “There wasn’t even a hint of it.” He looked so astonished at the suggestion that Olivia believed him on the spot.

  “Okay, okay,” Olivia said.

  “There’s nothing okay about it,” he retorted. “Listen, you go check out those dames who were at the party with her. Someone knows where she is right now. Don’t let them fool you. They talk to each other about everything.”

  “Maybe,” Olivia replied.

  “No maybes about it, honey.” Luigi swooped over closer to Olivia then. “It’s definite. Now I’m even remembering there was one dame who kept shadowing Raine wherever she went that night. We needed time together alone and couldn’t get rid of her. It’s coming back to me, her name was Nessa. She had to see every little thing Raine was doing. Finally, we lost her. But it took some time.”

  Olivia would have to talk to all the women carefully, especially Nessa. But she was also fascinated to realize that it seemed Pietra had been right. It was clear that Raine and Luigi had hooked up. Was Raine just looking for thrills for the night or was there something much darker going on in her life? Right now, it was definitely starting to seem like there was trouble way beyond what anyone knew.

  *

  After leaving the bar, Olivia immediately put a call in to Sean.

  “Where are you? What’s happening?” He was completely on edge. “Pietra told me you drove back down to Key West.”

  “Yes, I did,” replied Olivia, “and I didn’t want to call you until I had something definite to say.”

  “So what do you have?” Sean’s voice grew higher.

  “Sit down a minute,” Olivia replied.

  “I’m standing and it’s fine,” Sean replied. “Did you find out where she is, what happened to her?”

  Olivia couldn’t bring herself to tell Sean about Luigi yet, certainly not over the phone.

  “Not exactly,” said Olivia, “but we’ve got to bring in the police immediately. Can you fly down to Key West as soon as possible?”

  He cleared his throat.

  “Why?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath.

  “I don’t think Raine’s coming home so fast.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Before Olivia met up with Sean the next morning, she told him to go straight to the police station. She’d meet him there. Olivia wanted to first go there alone, and see if Wayne or Lorna were there. She wanted to talk to them about Raine before Sean arrived on the scene. Wayne and Lorna had been the primary detectives she’d worked with on Todd’s case and were usually there at this hour of the morning.

  After a quick breakfast, Olivia drove to the familiar building. She parked outside and walked through the main doors. To her delight, when Olivia walked in, she recognized the officer at the front desk, Gabe.

  “Hi, Gabe,” said Olivia with a smile.

  “Olivia! This is the last thing I expected today,” Gabe replied, coming out from behind the desk to greet her.

  Olivia felt strangely relieved to be back there. It felt like she’d never left, as though her work with the department was ongoing.

  “What brings you back here so soon?” Gabe asked. “I thought you were back home by now, getting settled.”

  “Lots of reasons,” said Olivia. “But I was wondering if Wayne or Lorna happened to be in? I need to talk to them.”

  “Sure they’re here, they’re here every day,” Gabe answered. “Hold on a minute and I’ll tell them you’re visiting.”

  Gabe picked up the phone and Olivia’s heart started beating faster. How strange it would be to see both of them so soon. She wondered what they would make of her visit. Olivia certainly never expected to be back here so soon.

  To Olivia’s delight, before she knew it, Wayne was walking down the hallway intently, coming toward her. Dressed in his usual khaki pants, breezy and handsome with his sandy hair ruffled, he looked puzzled. Olivia was surprised at how good it was to see him.

  “Hi, how are you? What are you doing here?” Wayne asked, concerned.

  Olivia smiled. “A lot has happened since I’ve seen you.”

  “What’s wrong?” Wayne became flustered.

  Olivia breathed deeply, happy for the opportunity to talk to him again. “There’s trouble again,” she murmured.

  “With who? Todd’s family? Are they bothering you?” Wayne looked upset. “I’ve heard through the grapevine that they’re not adjusting to Todd’s death at all.”

  “No, it has nothing to do with Todd at all,” Olivia answered as they both paused for a moment. It was a brand new playing field and she had to get used to it. Olivia was here in a completely different capacity now.

  “Who’s the trouble with?” Wayne looked perturbed.

  “Can we go and talk in your office?” asked Olivia.

  “Sure,” said Wayne as they both quickly turned and walked down the hallway into the office Wayne shared with Lorna.

  “Lorna will be back in a minute, what’s going on?” Wayne asked again. “We all thought you were doing fine back up in New York.”

  “I thought so too,” said Olivia as Wayne sat behind his desk and she took a chair opposite him. “I actually did return to work for a little while.”

  “And?” Wayne asked, as the door opened and Lorna, dressed in her usual pants and crisp shirt, walked in.

  “Olivia?” Lorna exclaimed, looking confused.

  “She just arrived,” Wayne reported. “I haven’t heard what’s going on yet. Sit down.”

  Lorna threw Wayne an odd glance, grabbed a wooden chair, and plopped herself down on it.

  “Okay, let’s have it,” she said to Olivia. “What’s wrong now?”

  Olivia shivered a moment. Lorna seemed tougher and more abrasive than she’d remembered. Lorna seemed irritated to see Olivia now, as well.

  “I received a call from a friend’s husband when I was in New York,” Olivia started. “My friend’s name is Raine Merkin, and she lives in M
iami.”

  Wayne nodded, as if to say, I’m listening, go ahead! Lorna showed no reaction.

  “Raine went to a routine bachelorette party in Key West a few days ago,” Olivia proceeded. “She never returned home.”

  “Wait a minute, what are you saying exactly?” Wayne looked perturbed.

  “Repeat that,” Lorna echoed.

  “Raine’s husband, Sean, called and asked me to come down to Florida to help him find out where she is,” Olivia repeated slowly. “He’s worried something may have happened to her.”

  “That’s a tall order,” Wayne breathed.

  “Why did he call you and not us?” Lorna wasn’t going along with it.

  “He heard about the work I did finding Todd’s killer,” said Olivia, hoping Lorna would not be offended.

  “You mean he heard that it was because of you that Todd’s case busted wide open,” Wayne said, getting up from behind the desk.

  “Something like that,” said Olivia.

  “Okay, so he heard it,” Lorna conceded. “How long has Raine been gone?”

  “About three or four days,” Olivia realized.

  “Why hasn’t he come here and talked to us by now?” Lorna asked immediately and Wayne nodding, seeming to agree.

  “Sean hasn’t been sure Raine’s missing,” said Olivia. “He didn’t want to create a public stir, or unwanted publicity. Actually, he keeps thinking Raine will return any second.”

  “But she hasn’t, has she?” Lorna stood up now, too.

  “That’s not unusual,” Wayne intercepted. “Many family members think that.”

  “Who is this guy anyway?” Lorna paid no attention to Wayne, cut him off.

  “You’ll actually meet him yourself in a few minutes,” said Olivia then. “Sean’s on his way down to the police station right now as we speak.”

  “He sent you ahead of him to tell us about this?” Wayne was displeased.

  “Not exactly.” Olivia was beginning to feel flustered. “Sean first asked me to talk to Raine’s friends at the party to see if anyone knew where she was.”

  “That’s our job.” Lorna was disgruntled. “First you go to law enforcement.”

  “Did you talk to her friends yet?” Wayne interrupted in a calmer tone.

  “I started to.” Olivia felt reassured by Wayne’s presence. “I talked to one friend, Pietra, who told me to come down to the Sancho, where the party was held.”

  “That’s a well-known place for bachelorette parties,” Wayne murmured.

  “And did you go to the Sancho?” Lorna was grilling Olivia now.

  “Yes, I did. In fact, I spoke to someone there,” Olivia answered matter-of-factly, not wanting to get into the whole story yet.

  “Did you tell Sean what you found out so far?” Wayne sensed Olivia’s hesitation.

  “I told him I definitely thought something was wrong and that we should go to the police immediately,” Olivia replied.

  “What made you think that?” Lorna was all over it.

  “Raine’s been gone too long,” Olivia replied, vaguely. She had no intention of going into details with Lorna.

  “But what exactly did you find at the Sancho that made you think something was wrong?” Lorna examined Olivia closely.

  “That place looks good on the outside, but is grubby as hell,” Wayne said under his breath.

  “Time is of the essence when someone goes missing,” Lorna repeated. “Everyone knows that.”

  “Sean hasn’t been able to face the fact that Raine’s actually missing,” Olivia repeated curtly.

  “Tell us more about Sean.” Wayne was fully engaged.

  “He’s an established business owner in Miami,” Olivia replied. “Sean’s well known; a good man, pillar of the community, involved with charities, the church, the works.”

  “That doesn’t necessarily impress me,” Lorna quipped. “The best can become the worst. We’ll have to question him thoroughly.”

  “Stop it!” Wayne wouldn’t allow Lorna to go on. “There’s no reason to point a finger at a guy who has to be in a lot of pain.”

  “I’m not pointing a finger,” Lorna snapped. “He’s the next of kin.”

  “You’ll meet Sean yourself in a few minutes.” Olivia felt the need to calm both of them down.

  “Lorna’s upset that Sean didn’t come here first,” said Wayne. “But many people don’t, for exactly the reason you mentioned. They can’t believe it’s really happening. They’re convinced a friend knows something. Or they expect their loved one to just walk in the door.”

  At that very moment there was a knock on the door. Lorna went over briskly and pulled it open. Gabe stood there beside Sean.

  “He says you’re expecting him.” Gabe pointed to Sean, who stood there looking dazed.

  “We are expecting him,” Wayne replied, waving Sean into the room as Gabe backed away.

  Wayne walked over to Sean briskly. “Good to meet you,” he said. “So sorry for the difficulty you’re in.”

  “Thank you,” said Sean, nervous and pale, as if this were the last place in the world he wanted to be. “I just flew down here this morning. What happens now?”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  What happens now is anyone’s guess, thought Olivia, terrified at the prospect of watching Sean’s life fall apart.

  “Olivia’s filled us in on the basics.” Wayne spoke to Sean directly. “Of course we need to know a lot more. Next step, we officially open a case.”

  Sean looked around the room, as if he were searching for a way out of the nightmare he’d been thrust into.

  “Please sit down,” Wayne went on.

  Sean sat down and for a moment looked as if he were about to bolt. His anxiety was definitely increasing.

  “Raine still hasn’t returned,” Sean finally said, mournfully.

  “I need the dates of the party, when she left for it, how long she’s been gone.” Wayne took it from there.

  “I have it all written down,” Sean replied, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket.

  Wayne took the paper and looked over it carefully. “I also need your wife’s photo. As soon as the case is open, we’ll put her photo up on our website and check with other vicinities to see if she’s been spotted. We also check hospitals.”

  Sean cringed. “Raine’s not in a hospital,” he gasped. “I’m sure of that.”

  “We’ll do as much as we can,” Wayne continued frankly. “We’re set up to handle all kinds of emergency situations, including kidnapping. What we do not do, however, is actively search for a person who does not want to be found.”

  “Raine wants to be found, I’m certain of it!” Sean’s eye began twitching. “Why would you even suggest she doesn’t?”

  “Wayne’s saying that in many cases, people leave intentionally,” Lorna jumped in. “They run away, start a new life.”

  “Raine did not leave intentionally!” Sean looked insulted. “I can guarantee that.”

  “Really? How?” asked Lorna.

  Wayne paid no attention to Lorna’s comment, just continued instructing Sean on protocol.

  “When a missing person’s case is reported, the first question is how long have they been missing? If you say anything less than twenty-four hours you will be instructed to go home and wait until twenty-four hours have passed. Then we file a report.”

  “It’s been much longer than that,” Sean tried to interrupt.

  “Additionally,” Wayne continued, “in order for the police to launch a missing person investigation, we have to know the person did not leave home of their own free will. If a person is missing because they wanted to leave, there will be no report or investigation in most jurisdictions.”

  “I guarantee she didn’t leave of her own accord. Raine had a great life. She was happy.” Sean’s voice grew louder. “And it’s been longer than twenty-four hours!”

  “Yes, it has, I see that,” Wayne replied.

  “A lot can happen in twenty-four hours whe
n a person is missing,” Lorna broke in. “Just because the police may not think the person is in danger, this does not mean it is true.”

  “Are you telling me that Raine is in danger?” Sean began twisting in his chair.

  “She certainly could be,” breathed Lorna. “You have to be ready for that.”

  “But I’m not,” Sean growled at her.

  “This is a complicated situation we are embarking upon.” Wayne tried to tone it down. “You need to know the facts and what to expect. After the police file a report, they will then let you know if and when your loved one is found.”

  “If and when?” Sean breathed hard.

  “We do what we can,” Lorna piped up. “But most of the time we can’t search fully enough for each person who’s gone.”

  “What do you mean you can’t search fully enough?” Sean obviously disliked Lorna.

  “We do what we can but our resources are limited,” Lorna continued. “The demands on our time are enormous. Many missing person’s cases are pursued for a while. Then they go cold, leads dry up.”

  Olivia was disturbed that Lorna was being so pessimistic.

  Sean seemed to grow more agitated. “Okay, what now?” he said.

  “You have other options as well,” Wayne quickly responded. “You can hire your own private investigators. Many do. Private investigators have all kinds of training and tactics to do a complete search. All kinds of leads are dug up and carefully followed. Massive searches are arranged, publicity planned for. They get the case out there.”

  Sean sighed. “I’m not hiring any private investigators,” he grumbled. “There are plenty of people who will help me. I’ll handle this on my own.”Top of Form

  “For starters, you’ll have to make posters and paste them around,” Wayne continued. “You’ll also have to gather volunteers to give them out and start searching for leads. The more publicity the better, of course.”

  Sean cringed. “This is going to embarrass everybody,” he muttered.

  “You’re convinced your wife is still alive?” Lorna snapped, turning on him forcefully.

  “I am,” Sean insisted. “In fact, I’m positive of it.”