AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Did you get together a list of possible run-ins Michelle had with abusive boyfriends or husbands?”
Idoya brightened and shuffled through some papers to triumphantly produce a scrap of paper. “There was only one. The other one I’d thought about moved to Australia six months ago.” She handed it over.
Annie glanced at it. The name wasn’t familiar. He was local so they could stop and ask a few questions. “Thank you. I’ll let you know when we find her. You don’t have to follow us for that information.”
If anything, the woman seemed more angry and upset when they left than when they’d arrived. Annie knew she was hiding something, but what?
“Where to now?” Jon asked when they were buckled in. “We still have forty-five minutes to kill.”
“Let’s chat with this guy. Eric Cunningham. He’s only a few blocks away.” She put the address in her phone and directed him to the house, a neatly kept, modest one-story.
As they got out, the man pulling weeds from the strip of garden along the front porch shaded his eyes from the sun with his hand and turned toward them. “Can I help you?” He was in his thirties with guileless blue eyes.
“Eric Cunningham?” Annie asked.
“Yes.”
She introduced herself. “I’m investigating the disappearance of Michelle Fraser, and I hear the two of you had a disagreement.”
“Michelle Fraser. I haven’t seen her in a long time. Probably at least three months. My wife came back to me in spite of her interference. We’re in counseling and working things out.”
He turned and went up the steps. Opening the door he called out, and a woman appeared. She linked arms with him and leaned against him. He spoke a few words softly, and she released him to come down the steps.
“You were asking about Michelle? Neither Eric nor I hold any animosity against her. She tried to keep me from going home, you know. She wasn’t one to give out second chances, but Eric promised no more drinking. And he’s kept his word for the past three months. We’re going to be okay.”
She glanced up at her husband, and he patted her hand. Annie hated any kind of abuse, but she’d seen men change when alcohol was involved. “Neither of you have seen Michelle in the past week or two?”
“We’ve actually been to Hawaii and got back yesterday,” Eric said. “We were there for two weeks.”
“Okay, thank you for your time,” Annie said. “And good luck to you both.”
She retreated with Jon and he shut her door. “It’s possible he could have hired someone to go after Michelle, but my gut says he didn’t have anything to do with her disappearance.”
Annie buckled her seat belt. “Let’s go to the restaurant.”
Jon reached over and took her hand. “Thank you for giving me a second chance. Not everyone would do that.” He cupped her cheek and leaned over to kiss her.
She closed her eyes and sank into his embrace. While she still didn’t know what the future held, everything in her wanted that future to include Jon.
Twenty-Five
Jon and Annie arrived at Joey’s Seafood & Grill before his prospective partner did. The aroma of seafood and steak made his mouth water. The wood floors were a nice touch with the tin ceilings. It had kept its Copper Country flavor.
The hostess seated them at a table, and Jon glanced around at the seafood decor. “I haven’t been here in ages.” He picked up the menu and flipped it open. “Back in the day, I didn’t have to worry about gluten. Well, I probably did but didn’t know it.”
Annie reached over and took his hand. “I know you’re nervous. I prayed all the way here. It will work out however it’s supposed to. If this isn’t the right team for you, you’ll know. And God will have something better if it isn’t.”
He gripped her fingers. “Thanks, love. I’ll try to keep that in mind. You look beautiful tonight. But you always do.”
She wore a light-blue dress with a V-neck that showed her arms and long neck. It swirled around her legs and ended just above the knee. Her blonde hair was curled around her heart-shaped face instead of straight like usual, and she wore a touch of makeup that enhanced her blue eyes and Scandinavian features.
She touched his navy blazer. “Thanks. You don’t clean up so badly yourself.”
Since he’d come back to the area, he hadn’t had an occasionto wear a sports jacket, and it felt foreign on his arms. Once he started working again, he would wear one more often. Or maybe he wouldn’t. When he’d met with Mike after his appointments for the day, the other surgeon had been dressed in jeans and a casual shirt.
Dr.Mike Willis and a tall brunette trailed after the hostess toward them. Her dark hair touched her shoulders, and she had the kind of expression that made you think you were best friends. Jon began to relax.
Jon sprang to his feet to shake Mike’s hand when they arrived. “Good to see you, Mike. This is Annie Pederson.”
