The private investigator that Malcom hired to trail Jessie just sent in his report. He had caught wind of a police department in the middle of nowhere, a town called Clear water that ran the woman's plates. He was headed there now to speak with them. Malcom agreed to meet his guy there, knowing it would look better image wise if he was the one actively searching for his wife.
He was furious when he came home and she was gone as well as her belongings. She made sure not to take any electronics, so he couldn't track her the way he wanted. Her managers were hounding him about what happened. They just couldn't understand how their number one star just vanished. The press were eating it up, and the conspiracy theorists were going crazy with sacrificial talk. He needed to find that bitch of a wife of his fast. Or they would loose everything. He wasn't even sure he was entitled to any of her money or properties if she just disappeared. No body , no money that was in the prenuptial agreement. If anything suspicious were to happen, he wouldn't get a dime.
He put the coordinates to the town in his GPS it was about a 7 hour car ride from his current location. He hoped they had the answers he needed, and he wasn't wasting his time.
He checked into a hotel shortly after he arrived. His PI scheduled a meeting with the sheriff for the next morning. Stating they were on official police business pertaining the whereabouts of his wife. He had to find her soon before they lost everything. While in town, he decided to go out and try to talk to the townspeople. Hoping they had some insight the department might not know about.
He came across a small diner, a raggedy looking open sign hanging half off the building. He cringed inwardly. This place was really a dump, he thought. He slid into a booth, flagging the waitress who was flirting with another patron.
"Can I get some service over here?"
The woman frowned, whispering something to the man she was speaking to who turned around and glared at him. The woman walked over clearly with attitude . "You think cause you're in a fancy suit, you can come here and start demanding shit?"
"Well, if your attuide is anything like the food here, it leaves much to be desired." He snapped, looking her up and down as she gasped, throwing the napkins from her pouch onto the table. He pulled out his phone and showed her a picture. "Have u seen this woman?"
Traci squinted her eyes, pretending to look deep in thought. "No asshole, if you're looking for her, she must've left because of your wonderful personality. "
Malcom slammed his fist on the table, grabbing the woman's arm and yanking her forward. "You got a mouth on you. Don't speak about things you don't understand. I know she was in this dump. Answer my question, or you will be sorry."
Traci trembled at his words, and tears brimmed in her eyes as she struggled to break her arm away. "Let go of me!"
The guy who she was flirting with earlier stood from his stool and made his way over. Malcom let go, straightening his jacket as he stood. "You know what? I'm not feeling that hungry anymore."
He pushes past both of them as he left. Swiftly getting into his car, no problem. He slammed his hands on the steering wheel. Jessie always did this, pulled this anger out of him from the deepest and darkest places of his soul. This was all her fault, he needed to find her fast. He drove back to the crappy hotel and had a brief meeting with his PI about the information he found so far. He had an idea of what direction she went in and was currently calling all gas stations in the area to see if Jessie had ventured to one of them. They were closing in soon. He could feel it.
-----
The next morning, the sheriff woke up with a hangover. She immediately popped an ibuprofen as she showered, brushed her teeth, and got ready for the day. She wasn't sure what time her deputy left her place last night, but she had 5 missed calls from him, and it was only seven in the morning.
She attached her blutooth to her squad car and called him back. "Hey, sorry I missed -..."
"We have a problem, remember that woman you were housing? Well her husband and his PI are here right now waiting to speak with you. They saw us run her name through the system. " he sounded panicked, and he had every right to be.
"I'll be there in five, okay? Just take them to my office and don't let them out of your sight, okay?" She hit the gas as she sped down her dirt driveway and onto the street.
That didn't take long, jessie had been gone for 48 hours, and the man was already hot on her trail. Demi feared for the woman now more than ever. She had to find her before he did. As she pulled into the station, her deputy met her outside.
"Just to warn you, he's a grade. A asshole. Traci put in a complaint that the man assaulted her at the diner. And there was a witness." He handed her the case file that one of her officers started when he took her statement last night.
"I'll handle him. Can you run his name and get me everything you can on him? We should be able to pin him for something?" She handed the file back to him and made her way to her office, taking a deep breath before she opened the door. Plastering a fake smile on her face as she greeted both men.
"Howdy," she tilted her hat in their direction as she shook both of their hands. "What can I do for you fine fellas this mornin'?"
Her gaze fell on the man who she assumed was Jessie's husband. He was handsome she could give him that. His baby blue eyes, chiseled chin, and two thousand dollar Armani suit must have been what drew her in. It apparently did too good of a job if she could overlook his horrible personality and clear anger issues.
Before his PI could speak, Malcom leaned back in his chair, lifting his feet onto the front of her desk.
"Let's cut to the chase, Sheriff. We know that a few weeks ago you ran my wife's name through your database. Which means she was here. Yet I didn't get any call from your police department informing me that my missing wife had been spotted in this dump of a town." He picked aimlessly at the invisible lent on the arm of his suit. "This is how this is going to go. You are going to hand her over. Or I will sue you and this police department for negligence. With just a simple phone call, I can have every news station in the state of California knocking on your door."
Demi stood, jaw clenched as she shoved his feet off of her desk."I don't take kindly to threats Mr. Randolph" she walked around her desk leaning in front of it as she gave both men menacing glares. "I would be happy to interview with any of those news stations about the abused woman who came here seeking shelter from her violent husband . You see, Mr. Randolph, I know what kind of man you are. I've dealt with them far too often. But I am not one to be threatened. My officers are running your name now. As you assaulted and threatened a server at the diner yesterday. And I'm sure she isn't the first woman to report you for domestic abuse and when I find them, which I will. You will prosecuted to the highest extent of the law and buried under the jail."
Malcom shot up from where he was sitting advancing towards Demi who appeared unfazed, "You fucking bitch do you know who I am? The team of lawyers I have? Jessica is mine! She would never speak against me . You have nothing. "
"You see, that's where you are wrong. I have the obvious bruises on her body that can't be explained, and I have her fleeing your home and taking on a new identity. Any judge would clearly see that the woman is afraid for her life ."
"We aren't getting anywhere with this," The PI interjected, whose name she still didn't get. "My client just wants to know when was the last time you saw his wife."
"Your client, sir, should be informed of the VAWA Act that states crossing state lines to stalk, harasss or intimidate Jessie is a federal crime. And his so called powerful lawyers won't be able to save him from federal prison. " Both men's faces went pale. Malcom turned to his PI , whispering something Demi couldn't quite here.
"We are done here. Thank you, sheriff, for your cooperation." Both men stood and left without a single word. Demi sighed in relief, slumping into her chair as she paged for her deputy to reenter.
"How did it go?"
"Oh, he's such a charmer," She responded sarcastically, "As soon as I brought up the law, he ran like the coward he is. Did you find anything with your search?"
"His records are sealed."
"Not surprising he was bragging about his expensive lawyers." She tapped her pen on her chin thinking. "We need Jessie she is crucial for this case. Can u contact Jeff of Oregon state police. He owes me a favor. Give him Jessie's description and the make and model of her car. I have a feeling she hasn't gotten far. Her car is a gas gusslor. I'm sure she's had to stop several times so far someone has seen her."
"Got it, boss!"
And so the search begins. She just hoped she found her before Malcom did.