Kiss the Witch Goodbye

by Lisa Olsen

  “Thanks, I think,” he chuckled softly. “So, Miss Morgan, when was the last time you saw your brother in law?”

  “It’s Lexi,” she corrected him automatically, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought it over. “I want to say Easter, but I can’t remember if he was here. I spent most of my time with Chloe, outside. He might’ve been in the house watching sports or something. You knew him, right?” Neil had been part of that jock circle of meatheads at Harbor High. He had to have known him.

  “Yes, I did, but we lost touch in college.” Ryan seemed to realize that he’d answered a personal question, and attempted to reroute the conversation. “How would you categorize your relationship with him?”

  “Wow, that’s a loaded question,” Lexi snorted, propping her worn boots up on the edge of the coffee table and wrapping her arms around her knees. “I’m sure Allie told you, Neil and I don’t exactly get along.” She left off the part where he was a jerk and she couldn’t stand the sight of him, best to stick to the questions asked without embellishing.

  “Why not?”

  “‘Cause he’s an asshat.”

  Ryan’s pen froze above the paper, the bangs hanging in his eyes again as he looked up in surprise. “I’m sorry, he’s what?”

  “Ass-hat, just like it sounds,” Lexi supplied cheerily, he’d asked after all. “I told you, we didn’t get along,” she smiled sweetly.

  His lips quirked, as if suppressing the urge to smile, and Gabriel let out a long breath before regaining his train of thought. “Was there a particular incident that caused this rift between you, or is it a general dislike?”

  “I’d have to go with the second one. Unless you count the first time I met him as a particular incident. He’s just…” she made a face, “Allie could’ve done so much better. Like you, she should have stuck with you and then I’d be able to see my niece whenever I want.”

  This time he did smile. “Neil doesn’t let you see her whenever you want?”

  “He thinks I’m a bad influence.”

  “Are you?”

  “I guess that depends on your definition of a bad influence,” Lexi grinned wickedly. “You know, this conversation isn’t turning out so well. If you end up finding him in a ditch with his brains bashed, in you’re going to think I bumped him off,” she added, only partly teasing.

  “Is that what you think happened to him?”

  “Nah, there’s no way I’m that lucky,” she quipped. “Seriously though, he’s only been gone since yesterday? He’s probably holed up somewhere sleeping it off.”

  “Alone?”

  “Interesting question.” Lexi regarded him with a new respect, he was looking at it from all angles. There were things she knew about Neil, things she’d never told Allie because it would crush her, but there wasn’t anything she could tell him that was based in cold hard facts other than what her gift told her. “I’ll just say it’s entirely possible that he’s not alone, and leave it at that.”

  “So their marriage isn’t quite as rosy as she’d have me believe?”

  “You’d think Allie was the artist in the family from the pictures she likes to paint, wouldn’t you?” Lexi gave a tight smile. “It’s not that she’s delusional or even clueless. I think on some level she knows her marriage isn’t all its cracked up to be, but it’s easier for her to think of it as perfect, if that makes sense.”

  Gabriel nodded slowly, but she didn’t think he really understood from the look on his face. It was hard enough for Lexi to swallow and she’d had a lot more practice accepting Allie’s perspective.

  “And they’ve been married for how long?”

  “Let’s see, Chloe’s ten, so going on eleven years now. Why, are you thinking you might have a shot with her now that Neil’s out of the picture?” Again, she was only half kidding. Lexi fully expected Neil to come back when he was good and ready, but the thought crossed her mind – was the detective single and looking? There was no ring on his hand, but that didn’t mean much these days.

  “That wouldn’t be my first instinct, no,” Gabriel muttered.

  “Why did you guys break up, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “Actually, I do mind,” he replied with a slightly bewildered smile. “Miss Morgan, I’m doing my best to take a missing person’s report and I think you’ve asked almost as many questions as I have. Did you want to take over?” Gabriel thrust the notebook in her direction.

  “No, you’re doing a bang up job so far.” Lexi kept her hands neatly folded in her lap, though she was a smidge curious as to what he’d scribbled down in that little book about her family. “I noticed you called it a report though and not an investigation. Do we have to wait forty-eight hours or something until it’s considered an investigation?”

  She could see in his face that he wasn’t used to getting such direct questions in his line of work, but she couldn’t help it. “I’m sorry, I know this is old hat to you but this is my first missing person. Even if it is a tool like Neil, Allie wants him back, so…”

  This time his smile was a little easier and he tucked away the notebook with a sigh. “No, you can report someone missing at any time, it doesn’t have to be forty-eight hours from the time he’s missed. The thing is, it’s not a crime for a guy to stay away for a while or even decide not to come home ever again. Without any signs of foul play, there’s not a whole lot I can do. Normally, a call like this would get a uniform out here to ask a few questions, we’d file a report and that’s pretty much the end of it, there’s not even a follow up with a detective. The only reason I responded was because I recognized Neil’s name when the call came through and I was in the area, so I thought I’d check it out. I didn’t even remember that Allie married him.” He spread his hands. “I tried explaining that to your sister but…”

  “Yep, that doesn’t sound like news she wanted to hear.” Lexi considered alous, eyes shifting when Allison returned to the living room.

  “I don’t think any of his clothes are missing, I was careful going through everything though, just in case.” Allie addressed Lexi directly before turning to the detective. “I don’t know how to check about the bank account though, I can’t remember the online password.”

  “Oh, Allie…” Lexi groaned, how could anyone be so clueless?

  “What? Neil handles all of the finances. I can’t remember the last time I had to get into any of that stuff.”

  “If you call the bank they should be able to assist you with that,” Gabriel supplied helpfully.

  “But I don’t know the account numbers…”

  Lexi resisted the urge to facepalm, forcing a neutral smile to her face. “We’ll figure it out, Allie. I’ll help you, okay?” There had to be a paper trail around the house somewhere to dig into that stuff, and if not, calling the bank should do the trick like Detective Ryan recommended.

  Allison gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks Lexi, you’re so good at those kinds of things.”

  Lexi bit back the sarcastic retort that leapt to her lips, leaving the bland smile there while the detective got to his feet. Now that he stood she could see just how tall he was, easily over six feet which meant he’d tower over her five foot four frame, but he was well matched to Allie’s five seven height. Once again she wondered what things would’ve been like if her sister had married someone she could get along with reasonably well. But then again, it was probably for the best that her brother in law wasn’t someone she could drool over.

  Detective Ryan was all business now that Allison rejoined them, no sign of that laid back quality in the set of his impressive shoulders. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ve got the list of Neil’s friends and associates. I’ll make a few calls and see if I can come up with anything.”

  “And you’ll call me? Either way, whether you find anything or not?” Allie pressed.

  “I will,” he nodded, edging towards the door and Lexi took pity on him.

  “Okay, thanks, we’ve got it from here. I’ll see the detective ou
t and I’ll be right back, Allie,” she smiled, scooting past him to the front door before she spoke again. “Thanks again for the help, Detective. It’s really nice of you to offer to call around, but I can do that too if you’re busy.”

  “It’s no trouble, a few calls won’t take up much of my day,” he shrugged it off. “I have to say I’m surprised to see you pitching in so eagerly to track him down though.” Ryan paused on the front porch.

  “Yeah well, she’s my sister. Sure he’s an asshat, but he’s her asshat,” she said with a lopsided grin. “Besides, if he skipped out on her I want to know before he cleans out the bank account.”

  Gabriel’s smile was back as she followed him out onto the porch. Turning to lean a little closer to her, he dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know, off the record, I always thought Neil was kind of a tool too, but I think I like asshat better. Let’s hope for your sister’s sake he comes back in one piece though.”

  Lexi stared after him for a moment, at a loss for words. “Are you sure about that? That would leave Allie off the market,” she called after him.

  “She’s not my type,” he replied with a wink so fast she thought she might have imagined it. The question remained – who was his type?

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