Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 355(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 236(@300wpm)
When I get outside, I glance back at the studio and exhale.
It feels like I never left.
It feels like this is still home.
It is all getting a little too familiar again.
I need to find Magnolia and get out of here.
Before I find it hard to ever leave again.
“SO, WHAT WE’VE GOT so far is that Magnolia has been talking to a cop, at least, we think he’s a cop. They think she has been messing with drugs but you think that’s just a cover up, her car was on the side of the road and she’s missing, and we know she was staying at The Inn but seemingly disappeared really quickly. Is that about right?” Karen asks, sipping her coffee and staring at me.
I exhale. “That’s about it so far. I just don’t know how to piece all of this together. They all say Magnolia was dealing with drugs, but that just doesn’t seem like her. She’s smart with that kind of stuff, she always has been. I know everyone said she ran off the rails and was going downhill, but it still doesn’t make a great deal of sense.”
“What if we’re looking at this all wrong?” Karen points out. “What if Magnolia was helping this cop? What if he’s not a dirty cop at all, but was in fact using her to get information on someone, and that someone found out?”
I never considered that.
“Go on,” I say, intrigued.
“Let’s say Magnolia was in with the wrong crowd for a bit, maybe she got into trouble and to avoid punishment agreed to help bring these people down. It happens quite a lot for lighter sentences. Perhaps she was getting information to the cop and someone found out and took her. It would all piece together a lot cleaner than to think he’s a dirty cop. I think it’s worth going and trying to find him and telling him who you are. If he’s dirty, it’s a risk, but if he’s clean, he might just be able to give you some information.”
She’s right, that makes a great deal of sense. If that is the case, we could be going down the wrong road and wasting time.
“If we go to the cops, do you think they’ll want to get involved?” I ask, hesitating. “If that’s the case, it’s going to cause problems for the club, and to really delve into that dark world, we need the club. It’s a really tricky situation.”
Karen nods. “I think if we just ask questions, we should be safe. We just have to be careful about how much we give away.”
“You’re right,” I nod. “Any chance you feel like a trip to the police station?”
“Yep.”
We both stand and pay for our order, leaving a tip, before walking out to her car. She drives us to the local police station and we both get out, heading inside. I’m nervous, and I feel like I could be making a big mistake here, yet I know I can’t just sit around and do nothing. The longer I wait the longer it’s going to take for Magnolia to be found. She could be in any sort of danger right now, and I can’t live with myself if something happens to her because I was too late.
“Can I help you?” an older lady asks when we step through the front doors.
“Yes, we were wondering if Constable Bennett was here, by chance?” Karen asks, her voice professional and light.
She’s so damned good at this.
“Yes, he is. Do you have an appointment with him?”
“No, we don’t, but we’d like to see him if he’s not too busy. Is that okay?”
The woman nods and tells us she’ll go and ask him. We take a seat and wait. I fidget just a little, because I’m nervous and worried I’m doing the wrong thing here.
A moment later a man in maybe his late thirties walks out. He’s really good looking, with dark blond hair, light blue eyes, and a strong jaw. He’s tall, well-built and looks like he can handle himself fairly well.
“Can I help you?” he asks, staring at Karen and me.
“Yes, hi,” Karen says, standing. “I’m Karen and this is my friend Briella. We were wondering if we could have a word with you in private. It’s quite important.”
He studies us for a moment, and then nods and we follow him to his office when he ushers us through.
His office is small, but not crampy. He sits down at his large, brown oak desk and we take a seat on the other side. I glance over at him, taking him in and wondering if he really is crooked. I mean, it’s hard to tell. He looks like a pretty nice guy, but then you can never be too sure about anyone.
“How can I help you, ladies?” he asks.