“We’ll find her.”
“God, I hope. But—oh, hell, I can’t even think it.”
“What?” Pierce asked.
Jamison’s eyes squeezed shut, and he gave a slight shake of his head. “We’ve got a real psycho out there right now,” he admitted. “What if …”
“Don’t go there,” Pierce said and noted, along with the thick tomes of case studies and statutes, the display of Jamison’s accomplishments. Multiple framed diplomas and awards hung on the wall behind him. Framed pictures of his daughters and wife sat on his desk near a military-service award.
He said, “No one has heard from her for a couple of days. No one met her yesterday. I thought she told me she was meeting friends. But who? Or was it all a lie? God, I don’t know!” He rubbed his jaw in frustration. “And Roxanne hasn’t heard anything, either. She even called her folks, just asking if they’d contacted Naomi.” He shook his head. “Again: nothing. So now they’re probably worried sick, too.” He sat down behind his desk, seemingly lost in thought for a minute.
Pierce waited.
“So I guess I’m giving you the green light.” Jamison pulled his attention back to Pierce. “I’ll tell the brass, then I’ll have to go to Charleston to pick up the girls.” He winced at the thought. “I’ll probably work remotely as much as possible for the next couple of days or so. If I can. It’s already a zoo around here, and this will only make it worse.”
“Okay. I’m on it,” Pierce assured him and stood.
“Good.” He shook his head. “Somehow I have to hold it together. I have to. For the kids.” He let out a long breath and paused, seeming to fight some inner battle, as he stared down at the desk. Finally, he met Pierce’s gaze again. “But I am going out of my mind.”
Pierce wanted to say, “I imagine” or “I understand,” as he, too, had been in tight, worrisome situations with his wife. Nikki had been missing in the past. He had feared for her life more times than he wanted to count, but telling Jamison that he understood what his friend was going through would only come out as a platitude.
“I really need your help on this one, Pierce.”
“I’ll do everything I can. But you will have to go through all the regular channels.”
“Iknow,” Jamison snapped, his calm finally breaking. He took a deep, measured breath and added, “Sorry. I’m … well, you know.”
Pierce nodded. “I’ll talk to Missing Persons and file a report.”
“For now, I’d still like to keep the press out of it as much as possible.”
“Publicity might help. Someone might have seen her, or her car. If we could get Naomi’s picture out there, with the help of the press, there’s a good chance we might find her faster.”
Jamison grimaced at the thought of the ensuing media circus and scandal, but he couldn’t deny the bald-faced truth. “Okay.” He thought a moment. “Just give me a couple of hours to get my kids before all of this breaks wide open.”
“You got it.”
Jamison’s phone rang. He looked at it and frowned. “I’ve got to take this,” he said, and with that, the meeting was over.
However, Pierce knew his nightmare was just beginning.
Nikki checked her phone for the millionth time.
Nothing.
Damn that Pierce.
Why wasn’t he responding?
She’d called him once, and his voice mail had answered.
She’d texted twice since Lily had stormed out and Kyle had left.
Still, no response.
He’d acted weird this morning after getting the phone call from Jamison and leaving for about an hour or so. Secretive. Unlike him. And he’d been evasive when she’d tried to talk to him in the bathroom, which probably wasn’t the best idea. Still, the fact that he wasn’t answering pissed her off. Sure, he was a cop, a detective no less, and he had to keep things regarding his profession close to his vest, not do anything to compromise the investigation.
But she was his wife, and they had a deal, and now he wasn’t responding, so she had no option but to go around him.