Anyone that stumbles on the quaint coastal town of Shelter Bay might call it sleepy. They may even mistake it for a place where nothing much happens.
Perhaps that's because it's a tight-knit community full of happy families and local businesses go...
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Monday went by in a chaotic blur. Once the Skagit County coroner confirmed that Cassie Lewis was our murder victim there was a huge push from the Sherriff's Office to get her name and image out to the press ASAP.
According to Detective Nelson, the public outcry in California over the mysterious disappearance of the young and beautiful tech executive was spilling onto the national stage.
My day was consumed by press briefings and official statements while coordinating with the county to ensure that we followed the proper chain of command at all times.
There wasn't even room to focus on our other work, like Mrs. Wallace's case.
By the time I got home, it was past Mickie's bedtime and I was plum-tuckered out. So, I sent Ava a text promising I'd call her on Tuesday before passing out in bed.
Then, I woke up and everything got shot to hell all over again.
"What the fuck do you mean she walked out?" I shouted into my cell phone as I jogged down the sidewalk. "How did you lose a whole person?"
After work, I stopped at The Brick to talk to Ava, only to have Monica tell me that my girlfriend fainted and was carted off in an ambulance hours before!
My panicked call to Shelter Bay Memorial Hospital wasn't going any better. I'd just been informed that Ava had somehow left Urgent Care before receiving any treatment.
"The nurses were with other patients, Sergeant," the nasally nurse repeated herself. "No one saw her walk out. We're not professional babysitters."
"I was told that her leg was bleeding pretty bad, and she possibly had a concussion!" I hammered back. "And you let a patient walk out of the hospital in that condition? I need to find her!"
I hadn't seen Ava in two days, and I needed to talk to her, immediately.
"Then I suggest you call her," the woman said witheringly.
"You don't think I tried-?" I stopped mid-question because I realized (far too late) that I was wasting my time and my breath. "Never mind, thank you for your help."
I hung up on her like an asshole and jumped in my truck to rev the engine.
My phone rang while I was peeling out of The Brick's parking lot. The digital console listed Monica on the caller ID, so I answered from my Bluetooth.
"Hey," I huffed angrily into the line.
"Noah, I am so sorry! I don't know how the miscommunication happened." Monica spoke faster than usual in a hitched voice I barely recognized. "I thought the hospital would have called you."
"No, I'm the one that should apologize to you," I sighed. "I never should have yelled at you, Monica. I lost my cool and that was uncalled for."
Actually, I'd caused one heck of a scene, ranting and raving at Monica before storming out of The Brick like a hotheaded asshole.
