Lights Will Guide You Home

Raelynn

On Friday morning, just as I was about to head to the shower, the doorbell rang. Who rings the doorbell at like 8 in the morning, I grumbled as I opened the door.

 A serious-looking man dressed in khaki slacks and a casual button down shirt greeted me - “Hi, I’m Detective Swann. I’m here to speak to Miss Claire Watson.” I stared at the badge he was holding out. I was completely at sea. A cop? Here? What the hell?! “Uum…” he said awkwardly as I stood there blankly, “is Miss Claire here?” he repeated himself.

 I shook myself out of my trance. “Yeah, yeah she is…just a moment, I’ll get her,” I said, ushering him in.

I entered Claire’s room to find her getting dressed for work. “Claire…there’s a cop here to see you.”

She looked up at me, midway through buttoning up her shirt. “A cop?”

 I nodded.

She looked just as bewildered as I was.. “…okay, just give me a bit.”

Five minutes later, Claire walked into the living room dressed immaculately in a cream coloured shirt and pinstriped pants.

 “Good morning, ma’am.Detective Swann.” He flashed his badge again. “You must be Claire Watson.”

 “Um yes..,” she said, smiling unsurely.

 He smiled back, “I just have a couple of questions for you, ma’am. I won’t take up too much of your time.”

 “Okay…,” said Claire, bewilderment etched on her face as she offered him a seat. I stood there, not quite knowing what to do. What was going on?  We’d never had a cop in our house before. Swann cleared his throat before he began, “Miss Claire, you are acquainted with Jerry McCoy, yes?”

 “Yeees…,” she answered, taking a seat across Agent Swann.

 Where was this going? I wondered.

 “Well ma’am, are you aware that he’s missing?”

 “Jerry’s missing? “ Her blue eyes widened in shock.

 “His family reported his disappearance last night. They haven’t heard from him for the past four days,” he said watching Claire, taking in her reaction.

 I bit my lip nervously, oh no.

 “Four days…so that’s since Thursday…” she mumbled, mentally calculating. The scene at Café de Lilo had taken place on Wednesday.

 “I take it you and Jerry are seeing each other, ma’am?”

 “Were,” she corrected him. “We were dating. We um…broke up on Wednesday.”

 “And that was the last time you saw him?”

 “Mhmm.”

 “But doesn’t he work at Watson Enterprise? Didn’t you find it odd that he didn’t turn up for work?” he asked, his gaze fixed on Claire.

 I realized I’d begun twisting my hands nervously. I slipped away to the kitchen, my mind still focused on their conversation.

 “Well, it’s kind of like this, Detective Swann – “

 “Please, call me Joseph,” I heard him say warmly.

 “Joseph,” I could picture Claire smiling at him. “Well to tell you the truth...I was kind of avoiding Jerry. I went out of my way, making sure our paths never crossed.  So I didn’t really know he hadn’t come for work.”

 “And he didn’t try and contact you after the break up?”

 “I um…blocked his number.”

 “Aah...so the relationship didn’t end well?” he asked sympathetically.

 “I caught him cheating on me and I dumped a cheesecake on his head,” I heard Claire say. I smiled, detecting a hint of pride in her voice as she said it.

 Swann laughed. “Well then I’m done ma’am. Just tell us if you hear from him.”

 Well that wasn’t gonna happen, I thought to myself as I peeked out of the kitchen to see Claire escort him out the door. Once he was gone, she shut the door and turned to face me. “Jerry’s missing?” she sounded concerned.

 “You should be happy, he’s not around to bother you anymore,” I mumbled.

 “Huh?” Claire didn’t catch what I said.

 “He got what he deserved,” I mumbled again.

 “What?” She couldn’t hear what I was saying.

 “NOTHING!” I yelled and headed for the shower.