No Place to Vanish

by Jaden Skye

  Olivia took a swift, painful breath. She remembered how harsh Lorna could be, pushing people to their limits to rattle them and get them to slip up.

  “Raine wasn’t depressed, impulsive, or tired of the marriage?” Lorna was going in for the kill. “She wasn’t eager to get away forever?”

  Sean looked both stunned and offended. “Raine and I have a wonderful relationship,” he insisted. “We’re happy together and always will be.”

  “There are plenty of people who will testify to that?” Lorna wanted to be sure.

  “Yes, there are,” Sean insisted.

  “Where do you think Raine is, Sean?” Wayne asked in a more soothing tone.

  “I have no idea,” Sean was swift to reply. “But we’ve barely touched the iceberg. Olivia hasn’t had a chance yet to talk to all Raine’s friends.”

  “When did it become Olivia’s job to talk to Raine’s friends?” Lorna jumped on his comment. “This is a job for professionals.”

  “Olivia will do just fine.” Sean became irritated. “In fact, Olivia and Raine were close friends in college.”

  “That doesn’t qualify Olivia to be a detective,” Lorna insisted.

  Wayne threw Lorna a strange glance. “Olivia did wonderfully in helping us find Todd’s killer,” he remarked. “I can see why Sean would turn to her now.”

  Lorna turned away from Wayne, disgruntled. “Whether or not Sean hires an investigator, he has to give us detailed information now,” Lorna proceeded. “We’ll need your wife’s photo, her age, her occupation. You said she was down here for a bachelorette party? Did she come down to Key West for any other reason?”

  “Raine is thirty-four, a wife and mother,” Sean began to reply. “She’s a freelance photographer and yes, she comes down to Key West from time to time. Some of her photos sell in a gallery here.”

  Lorna and Wayne seemed interested in that piece of information. “Give us the name of the gallery owner and we’ll talk to them,” said Wayne. “He can give us a better idea of who knew her.”

  “Raine’s a very private person,” Sean exclaimed.

  “Not anymore,” said Lorna. “Every little thing about her life is going to be scrutinized now. Anything can be a clue to find her. We’ll need to know the places she usually went to in Miami as well. Who were the people she was in touch with on a daily basis? You’re sure you know everything about her?”

  “Of course I do,” Sean answered tartly. “We’re incredibly close, discuss every little thing that’s going on.”

  “This has to be very nerve-wracking for you,” Wayne added.

  “You can say that again,” Sean agreed. “And I was hoping to keep it quiet.”

  Lorna scoffed. “If you’re lucky we can get this all over the news. You’ve got to get as many people searching for her as possible.” Lorna shot Olivia a troubled glance. “Why didn’t you tell him to get here sooner?”

  “I suggested it.” Olivia felt under the gun. “As I said, Sean wasn’t ready.”

  “Ready or not, lost time is lost time,” Lorna shot back. “You should have told us about it yourself.”

  “Olivia did just fine,” Wayne interrupted, throwing Olivia an encouraging glance. “It’s even good of her to be back here now helping after all that she’s just gone through.”

  “Yes, it is good of her.” Sean turned and looked at Olivia gratefully.

  “It’s fine, truly,” said Olivia. “There’s actually no place I’d rather be.”

  *

  Olivia sat quietly as Wayne and Lorna officially opened the case, made calls, asked Sean routine questions. How long had he known her? Who were the people she saw daily? Were there hobbies or activities she had that he may have known nothing about? Did she show any signs of being suicidal? Leave any notes?

  Sean answered each question directly, staring at the floor as he spoke.

  “We’ll open a tip line immediately,” Wayne said as they were finishing up. “Someone could have sighted her, or have some kind of lead. We also need a separate ransom line, in case she’s been taken and they want money.”

  Sean swallowed hard, looked momentarily exhausted.

  “Okay, that’s it,” said Wayne then. “Whether or not you hire an investigator, Sean, is up to you, of course. And Olivia, thanks so much again for your help. You’re no longer needed now. You can go back home again and try to unwind.”

  “Wait a minute, not so fast,” Sean objected.

  Olivia was glad Sean said something. She felt as if she’d been suddenly tossed to the curb. She didn’t want to go home. In fact, she had no intention of doing so. Raine’s situation gripped her. There was a lot she could do here and she knew it. At the very least, she could talk to Raine’s friends, help organize a search, and monitor the results carefully.

  “Olivia’s not going anywhere,” Sean continued. “I want her staying down here on the case as a private investigator.”

  Lorna gave both him and Olivia a disturbed glance. “Olivia doesn’t have the training,” Lorna quipped. “This is an emotional time for you. I’d think it over carefully.”

  To Olivia’s surprise, Sean took Lorna on. “In my book Olivia has all that she needs to do a terrific job,” he objected. “I’m hiring Olivia as my private detective right now. There’s no law against that, is there?”

  Lorna grimaced. “No, there isn’t.”

  “Now, I’d like to go to the bathroom for a minute, if you’re done,” Sean added.

  “Sure, go ahead,” Wayne answered.

  “I have to go down the hall to speak to the captain, too,” Lorna said, as she and Sean got up at the same moment and walked, shoulder to shoulder, out of the room.

  The second they left, Wayne closed his eyes. Olivia could see things had gotten rougher between him and Lorna.

  “Well, thanks very much for all your help,” Wayne said, in a few minutes. “Don’t worry, either. I’ll stay all over the case. Whether or not Sean hires an investigator, I’ll do my best for you guys. You can’t have something like this on your shoulders, Olivia. It’s time for you to start your new life, isn’t it?”

  Olivia didn’t really know what her new life was supposed to look like. She actually felt more alive down here, working on the case, than she felt back up in New York after she’d returned.

  “There’s something else I have to tell you,” Olivia replied then, almost in a whisper, leaning closer to Wayne. “I didn’t want to say it when Sean was here.”

  “What is it?” Wayne looked interested.

  “I spoke to one of the dancers at the bachelorette party,” Olivia continued. “His name is Luigi, and he was a stripper there. Raine’s friend Pietra said that he and Raine got pretty cozy that night. I wanted to find out more.”

  Wayne made an odd face. “You asked Luigi if he and Raine got together?”

  “Yes, I did,” said Olivia. “And he admitted that they fooled around. Luigi also said Raine had a friend at the party, Nessa, who kept following her around, watching every little thing she did.”

  Wayne shook his head. “I should know all that, and thanks for telling me,” he replied. “Seems like sleeping with strippers is routine these days. Raine was probably drunk or high. Or both. Who knows? People do all kinds of things under the influence.”

  “Doesn’t it mean Luigi knows where Raine might be?” Olivia was surprised that Wayne was so nonchalant about it.

  “Not necessarily,” said Wayne. “These guys fool around with tons of girls, seems to go with the job. There’s a party or two there every weekend. The real question is if your friend was on drugs, were dealers involved?”

  “They’re a rough bunch,” Olivia echoed.

  “You can say that again,” Wayne agreed. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t focus on the dealers now. What I would do is speak to Raine’s friend Nessa. Who is she and where does she live?”

  “I have no idea,” said Olivia.

  “Well, find out,” said Wayne, “and keep me in the loop closely. This i
s brand new territory for you and I don’t like seeing you putting yourself in danger again. The last thing I want is to hear that something’s happened to you, that you’ve also vanished.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  As soon as Olivia and Sean left the police station Olivia immediately asked him where Nessa lived.

  “Why Nessa?” asked Sean.

  “Her name came up a few times,” Olivia remarked circumspectly, not wanting to get into any details yet.

  “Well, you’re in luck,” Sean said, “because Nessa lives right down here in Key West. She’s a bit odd, if you asked me, she’s runs her own scuba diving school. Raine sees her on a regular basis whenever she comes down.”

  Olivia thought that was exciting. “What’s odd about running a scuba diving school?”

  Sean seemed taken aback. “Most people think it’s odd for a woman,” he commented.

  Olivia thought how beautiful it must be to spend time deep inside the ocean regularly. “Give me Nessa’s contact information,” she replied, “and I’ll get in touch with her right away.”

  “You’re good, you’re terrific.” Sean was pleased. “Nothing fazes you, absolutely nothing! You don’t miss a beat. I don’t care what those detectives at the station said. I definitely want you on the case. There’s no question about it.”

  “Thanks so much.” To Olivia’s surprise she was thoroughly delighted by the offer. “Accepted!”

  Sean smiled broadly.

  “And it’s a good idea to also get professional investigators involved,” Olivia continued. “I’ll work alongside them.”

  Sean bristled. “No, I’m not up for that,” he quickly replied. “In my book you’re more than enough.”

  Olivia understood Sean’s reluctance and didn’t want to press him further now. He’d taken a big step already today, talking to the police. Besides, Wayne assured her that he’d do all he could to help. Olivia knew that Wayne was good for his word and the thought was comforting to her now.

  “Okay, I’ll give you her contact information and you go speak to Nessa,” Sean said. “Then I’m going back to my hotel room to catch up.”

  Olivia immediately called Nessa, told her she was coming, and then drove straight to the Key West shore.

  *

  The drive down was familiar to Olivia and she enjoyed heading straight to the ocean again. The Key West shore was home to boats of all kinds, assorted eateries, and a host of scuba diving schools. Nessa’s school was called Sunset Divers. On the phone Nessa told Olivia that not only did she teach scuba diving, but arranged for both day and night dives. As Olivia drove along, she wondered if night dives could be dangerous. Was it possible that Raine had gone on one before she disappeared?

  As Olivia approached Nessa’s school, she looked out at a row of ramshackle buildings, many with diving equipment strewn around outside. It certainly was a unique business for a woman to run, Olivia thought, but why did that make Nessa odd? What was it about her that Sean recoiled from?

  Olivia turned a corner then, quickly pulled up in front of Sunset Divers, and parked the car outside.

  The minute Olivia stepped out of her car, Nessa came running out of the building, as if she were running from a fire. Dressed in denim shorts, a sloppy, oversized T-shirt, and wide-open sandals, she had long hair that was tangled and damp.

  Nessa quickly gave Olivia a quick bear hug. “Thanks for coming to see me,” she breathed. “You can’t imagine how badly I need to talk. Where is Raine? Please tell me!”

  “That’s the question, isn’t it?” Olivia responded, hoping the meeting would yield some clues. Even though Nessa was frenetic, she was warm and open. Most likely, she’d tell Olivia all she knew.

  “I’m also glad to be here,” Olivia reassured her.

  “Come on inside.” Nessa practically pulled Olivia down a ramp then and into the building.

  *

  The main room inside Nessa’s school looked straight out onto the choppy waves. It was open and surprisingly clean. The diving equipment was neatly stored on white wooden shelves and posters of divers hung on the walls. A few plants stood happily on the window sills.

  Nessa reached out for Olivia’s hands once again as she pulled her onto a wobbly wicker chair.

  “What happened, where is Raine?” Nessa repeated, her face growing flushed.

  “Just what I was going to ask you,” Olivia replied.

  “I’m beside myself, can’t sleep since I heard this crazy news,” Nessa continued.

  “You were very close to Raine?” Olivia jumped back in.

  “Not were, am! I am very close to Raine, she’s one of my best friends!” Nessa seemed shot by a bolt of electricity. “We have great times together—no holds barred. She’s down in the Keys somewhere. I’m positive of it.”

  “Why are you so positive?” Olivia could barely catch her breath around Nessa.

  “Because I’ve known Raine forever. She loves it down here. It’s exciting to her.” Nessa was babbling.

  “How about up in Miami?” Olivia drew back a moment and quieted down, hoping Nessa would do the same.

  Nessa jumped up then and walked to the other end of the room, where a big coffee pot stood filled with black coffee, next to some large orange mugs. Olivia got up as well and followed her there.

  “Of course, nothing is absolutely perfect everywhere in anyone’s life, is it?” Nessa asked as she poured the fresh coffee into two mugs. “Raine and I were such good friends because both of us get antsy and restless. Maybe even a little unhinged?”

  “Unhinged?” That didn’t sound good. “What do you mean by restless, exactly?” Olivia backtracked, thinking Nessa had the perfect job for someone who got restless, regularly diving down deep into the ocean and returning again.

  “I mean Raine was full of life.” Nessa tried to smile, but then stopped it. “She got bored with the same old routine, day after day. I’m like that, too.”

  “Was Raine just restless or was something wrong? Was she upset?” Olivia asked then, remembering their days in college. Raine always had a lively energy, but often a low period would follow a burst of excitement and fun.

  Thankfully, Nessa slowed down a moment and handed a coffee mug to Olivia. “No, you’re right,” she murmured, “I have to be honest. Raine could get upset and we have to say so. After all, we’re facing trouble now.”

  Olivia took the coffee and drank some of it. It was hot and delicious. “Please tell me more about why Raine was upset,” she replied, trying her best to stay calm.

  Nessa gulped down most of the mug quickly. “It’s definitely true, Raine wasn’t as happy as she looked. In fact, I recently told Raine a few times to go talk to someone.”

  “A therapist?” asked Olivia, surprised.

  “A counselor, a psychic, someone,” Nessa interrupted. “Raine was high a lot these days, more than usual.”

  Olivia shivered. “High on what? Pot? Cocaine?”

  Nessa bypassed the question. “Not exactly sure.”

  “Raine was a drug addict? Involved with dealers?” Olivia was insistent.

  “No, not at all.” Nessa calmed Olivia down. “Raine just needed some relief from the pain she was in. More pain that usual these days, I guess.”

  “What pain? Talk to me, Nessa!” Olivia felt herself growing cold. It sounded as if Raine had been in a state of emergency.

  “It started right after Raine had the baby,” Nessa quickly complied. “She was a different person after the birth. We were all so excited about the baby, but Raine wasn’t.”

  “What do you mean?” Olivia was horrified.

  “Raine got very depressed after the baby was born. She really didn’t want to hold her or play with her at all,” Nessa continued. “Everyone thought it would pass, but it didn’t. Sean had to hire a lot of help to care for the child. Raine even had a hard time staying home for long periods. Always running around, here and there.”

  “How awful, how sad.” Olivia found it hard to believe. The ha
ppiest time of a woman’s life didn’t turn out to be that way for Raine.

  “Postpartum depression,” Nessa murmured. “It happens to more women than you’d ever imagine.”

  “Was Raine treated for it?” Olivia was distressed.

  “No, she wasn’t.” Nessa put her coffee mug back down on the table. “In fact, nobody wanted to talk about it or call it what it was. I tried, but people ignored me. Lots of women have this, you know.”

  Olivia was taken aback by how much Nessa knew about it. “I didn’t realize that,” she said.

  “Yeah, it’s a silent thing usually,” Nessa went on. “People are usually ashamed. Some end up at my scuba diving school. Not too many, but some.”

  Olivia was aghast, suddenly realizing how many women suffered in silence and the horrible toll it had to take on their lives. Her heart hurt hearing about it; she wanted to be of help to them all.

  “I called the depression for what it was,” Nessa continued, grimly. “In fact, I even told Sean what I thought.”

  Olivia found that interesting. “What did he say?”

  “He just scoffed at me, wouldn’t listen,” Nessa answered. “This kind of thing doesn’t happen to women in Sean’s world. He kept telling Raine to try harder, look at the bright side of being a mother. She couldn’t, though, it was too much for her. Finally, Sean seemed to get used to it.”

  Olivia was startled to hear this and upset that Sean hadn’t mentioned it to her. Raine’s depression could well be connected to why she’d fooled around with the stripper. To help her feel better about herself. Or to break out of the grip of sadness that had gripped her.

  “I’m sorry to hear this, very sorry,” said Olivia. “It sounds like Raine was trying to feel better about herself again.”

  “You mean by playing around with the stripper?” Nessa brushed her moist hair off her forehead then.

  “That’s public information?” Olivia bluntly asked.

  “Of course it is,” Nessa replied. “Among the girls, anyhow. I myself watched Raine all night long, kept trying to pull her back to her senses. I couldn’t, of course. It was like watching a train wreck about to happen.”