Page 10 (1/2)

Nick’s gaze lingered on me I mouthed, “No”

Chapter Five

I etting onand listening to other people whine on about personal shit seee waste of tiood private eyes need the skill I once mastered it as part of my mission with the Corps

Ever since my concussion, I have found itI need to cultivate that skill again if I ever hope to have a future in the inforroup therapy forces h it feels like torroup therapy So I attend with reluctance

When it was Nick’s turn to share, he intih a brief period of addiction to over-the-counter drugs He said he was off the pills and into enuine

As he spoke, I sensed a bit of anxiety There was a disar honesty in the way he revealed his insecurity about his future prospects I didn’t have to be an empath to understand that

Nick asked ave it to him with the hope that he wouldn’t turn out to be one of those douchebags who use self-help groups to meet women Time would tell

The next day, I drove to MICA to see if anyone there could provide a clue as to Melissa Blaine’s whereabouts I circled through thefor a place to park After about fivearound, a spot opened up just a block or so from the campus

There were no coffee shops with the name Blaine had supplied as Melissa’s e she didn’t work at Starbucks There were, however, a a few cafes near the school I picked one at randos across from the campus

Naturally, my first try was a bust But the second was a charm

Java Joe’s was a funky hole-in-the-wall, furnished with an overstuffed sofa and chairs, plus wooden tables and seats Art decorated the walls, no doubt the work of pro MICA students, and a bookshelf jammed with used books sat in a corner

Two people stood behind the counter—a young woister I approached the young man as unoccupied at thepinned to his shirt identified him as “Steve” I launched into the spiel I’d prepared about hoas a friend of the family and that Melissa had vanished without a trace Steve confirmed that Melissa worked there

“Do you remember the last time you saw her here?” I asked

Steve thought about it for a few seconds “Maybe a couple of weeks ago We usually work different shifts Maybe Elle’s seen her more recently”

He looked over at the drink-maker “Hey, Elle,” he called “Have you seen Melissa Blaine lately?”