Scene of the Crime: Widow Creek

She drained her coffee cup and then began a search of the desk. A stack of file folders in a plastic holder drew her attention and she pulled them out to see what they contained.

They were contracts signed by the people whose dogs Lauren was training. There was one signed by Nick, who had been bringing his dog for obedience training.

Her head filled with a vision of the man she’d met the night before. Hot body, sensual lips and a hint of compassion in his bedroom eyes—the man could definitely be an unwanted distraction if she allowed it.

She focused back on the folders, surprised to discover that one of them contained a contract for Lauren to provide the Topeka Police Department with two drug-sniffing dogs.

She leaned back in the desk chair as a surge of pride mingled with surprise. She’d known that Lauren had wanted to get into the training of working dogs, especially for law enforcement and handicapped people. From the signed contract, Lexie assumed that Lauren was truly on the way to making a name for herself, on her way to achieving her dreams.

It was almost seven when she finished in Lauren’s office and took a quick shower. She dressed in a pair of jeans and a neon pink blouse decorated with an abundance of sequins and then returned to the kitchen to pour herself another cup of coffee.

As soon as it was late enough she was heading into town. Her first stop was going to be the police station to file a missing persons report, and then she planned on talking to everyone and anyone to pin down the last time her sister had been seen.

The fear that had been inside her hadn’t dissipated, but rather thrummed like a sick energy inside her chest. Throughout the long night she’d tried calling Lauren’s cell phone over and over again but it had always gone directly to voice mail. Finally by that morning she’d gotten the message that Lauren’s voice mail was full.

Zeus walked over to her and laid his big head on her knee, gazing up at her as if asking her why his mommy wasn’t there. “I know, baby. I miss her, too.”

Zeus barked and raced away from her as a knock fell on the door. Lexie jumped out of her chair and grabbed her gun from her purse. She knew she was probably overreacting, but she had no idea what to expect, was definitely out of her comfort zone.

When she got to the front door she saw Nick standing on the porch. “What are you doing here?” she asked without preamble as she opened the screen door.

“I thought you could use a friendly face when you go into town this morning.” He stepped past her and into the foyer, then turned back to look at her expectantly.

She wouldn’t have thought it possible but the man was better looking in the light of day than he’d been the night before. Once again he wore a pair of jeans that looked custom-made for his long legs and narrow hips. His gray long-sleeved pullover clung to his broad shoulders and perfectly matched the hue of his eyes.

“That’s not necessary,” she said and tried to ignore the ridiculous flutter that went off in the pit of her stomach. This man and her reaction to him were the last things she needed right now. All she wanted, all she needed, was her sister.

“I know Sheriff Wendall. It would probably work to your benefit if I’m with you. And, if you want to ask questions of the people in Widow Creek you’ll find that they don’t take kindly to strangers.”

“Why is that?”

He looked at her in surprise. “I don’t know. I guess because we’re a small town and we’ve always looked after our own. Lexie, I was born and raised here—people know me. They trust me and that means they’ll talk to me. You’re a big-city woman with…uh…” His voice trailed off.

“A pink streak in my hair,” she jumped in to finish his sentence. “And it was purple before that.” She raised her chin as if to challenge him to say anything derogatory.

“And I’m sure it looked as charming as the pink,” he replied.

She eyed him dubiously. What was his story? Why the offer to help her? Was he just a nice guy or had his relationship with Lauren been something deeper than a friendship? She wasn’t sure she trusted him, but what he’d said about getting answers made sense. People would probably talk to him much quicker than they would to her.

“Don’t you have a wife or somebody at home who might not want you wasting your time with me?” she asked.

“No wife, no girlfriend, just livestock,” he replied. “And a little miniature schnauzer puppy who is probably chewing on my best pair of boots as we speak.” He smiled then and the warmth and attractiveness of it fired a crazy flame deep inside Lexie.

She ignored it. Any woman would have to be dead not to find Nick Walker extremely hot, but Lexie had learned about hot men and cold hearts the hard way. And, besides, she had a sister to find.

“If you want to tag along, then I’d appreciate your help,” she finally agreed. “Just let me get my purse and I’ll be ready to go.”

She went back into the guest room where she’d left her things and grabbed her purse. Before leaving the room she checked to make sure her gun was inside. Right now she believed Nick was probably okay, but in her line of work she didn’t take anything for granted. She’d travel with her gun in her purse while she was here in Widow Creek.

Minutes later they were in her car and heading into the heart of the small town. The first thing Lexie noticed when they reached Main Street was that Widow Creek was a town obviously dying a slow death.

Half of the storefronts along the two-block main drag were boarded up. The ones that were still opened looked worn and faded, as if it was nothing more than sheer hope keeping them alive.

A half a dozen cars were parked in front of the Cowboy Corral, either attesting to good food or the fact that there was no place else to go to eat and spend a little time among friends.

“The police station is up ahead,” Nick said, breaking the silence that had filled the car on the drive from Lauren’s place. Lexie wasn’t good at small talk and Nick seemed at ease with the quiet. “It’s that two-story brick building,” he said, pointing to it.

Lexie pulled into a parking spot in front of the station, cut her engine and then turned to look at the man in the passenger seat. “Before we go in there, are you sure you don’t want to tell me anything else about your relationship with Lauren?”

His dark eyebrows rose in surprise. “I already told you about my relationship with her. We had become good friends.”

“And nothing more?”

“Nothing more,” he said firmly.

“Then why are you helping me?”

“I don’t know what kind of world you live in with your FBI work, Lexie, but in my world when a friend goes missing you do whatever you can to help find her.” He opened the car door and got out.

Lexie hurriedly followed and before they got to the door she grabbed him by the arm. “I think it would be best if we don’t mention what I do for a living,” she said. It had been her experience that people didn’t talk freely to an FBI agent, that they would be more likely to talk to a worried sister. Small-town law enforcement was known to be rather hostile to FBI agents. The last thing she wanted was to upset the police chief when she needed his help. “If anybody asks, I do web design for a living.”

He nodded. “Okay, but you know it’s possible Lauren mentioned to others here in town what you do for a living. I knew.”

She considered what he said. “Then we’ll just play it by ear, but I don’t intend to volunteer any information about myself unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

As they walked through the door of the police station Lexie’s fear for her sister spiked nearly out of control. What could have happened to her? Where could she be?

Filing an official missing persons report suddenly made Lauren’s disappearance more real, far more frightening. For the first time since they’d left the house Lexie was grateful that Nick was beside her. Even though she didn’t know him well, his presence made her feel not quite so all alone.

“Hey, Carol,” he greeted the woman behind the receptionist desk.

“Nick!” The pretty blonde looked up from her computer and offered him an inviting smile that definitely spoke of feminine interest. Her gaze slid over Lexie, the calculating look of a woman checking out her competition. She obviously wasn’t concerned by what she saw. She dismissed Lexie with a flick of her false lashes.

Nick returned the smile and gestured toward the closed office door behind her desk. “Is Gary in?”

“Should be on his second donut by now,” she replied wryly. “You can go on in.”

Lexie followed behind Nick as he approached the closed office door and knocked. A deep voice indicated they could come in.

Chief of Police Gary Wendall sat at the desk, but rose as they entered. He looked to be in his early thirties, with blond military-short hair and a fit physique. “Nick, it’s been a while,” he said, and in his words Lexie thought she heard a touch of tension. The two men shook hands and then Wendall looked at Lexie.

“Chief Wendall, I’m Lexie Forbes. I’m here about my sister, Lauren Forbes.”

“Ah, our very own dog whisperer,” Wendall said with a nod. “What about her?”

“She’s missing.” Sudden emotion filled Lexie’s chest and she had to swallow hard against it.

Wendall motioned them into the chairs in front of his desk and then sat down. “What do you mean she’s missing?”