Vicious Valentine by Patti Benning (best fiction novels to read txt) 📗

hopped out, punching in the code for the garage door. She walked inside as soon as it opened, then turned to make sure Caroline was following her. She spotted her friend frowning at the garage.

“What is it?”

“I didn’t even think to check the garage for her bike,” Caroline said. “I should have.”

“It doesn’t matter, it’s not here anyway,” Hannah said. “Come on, let’s go in.”

They went in through the garage door. Hannah went to the kitchen first, which was where they tended to spend most of their time. She supposed it shouldn’t be surprising, since she and Caroline were both chefs. It would be weird if the kitchen wasn’t their comfort zone.

“I’m not seeing anything. Did you guys clean the kitchen before you left?”

“We didn’t want to leave a mess for you. I’m not seeing anything in the living room either,” Caroline called back. “Do you think she might have left something in the guest room?”

“I’ll go check.”

Hannah hurried upstairs and pulled open the door to the guestroom Vanessa had been using. The bed was neatly made, but there was no sign of a note. She turned to go, then hesitated. Something seemed off.

It took her a moment before she realized what it was. Vanessa’s overnight bag was gone. Frowning, Hannah made her way back downstairs slowly.

“Did you find anything?” Caroline asked. Hannah had never seen her look so worried.

“No,” Hannah said. “No note or anything, I mean. But her things are gone.”

Caroline frowned. “Are you sure? Why would she just pack up and leave without telling anyone?”

“I don’t know,” Hannah said. “But I’m even more worried now. Do you think she may have gone back to the apartment?”

“I don’t know if she would be able to. And why wouldn’t she tell one of us if she did?”

“I don’t know, but it’s the only place that makes sense. I don’t see why she would pack her things up unless she was going home.”

“She did mention that she felt bad for imposing on you,” Caroline said. “I told her she was being silly, and that you didn’t mind, but she seemed really concerned about it.”

“Maybe she went to a motel,” Hannah said as she dropped down into one of the armchairs in the living room with a sigh. “That doesn’t explain why she wouldn’t just tell us, though. It’s not like her to ignore us both for so long.”

“Let’s go back to town,” Caroline said. “We can check the bar and the apartment. Even if she isn’t at either place, someone might have seen her.”

While Caroline drove back to town, Hannah called the motel and asked if Vanessa was there. The receptionist swore that no one by that name had checked in, and when Hannah pushed her, she admitted that no one at all had checked in over the past twenty-four hours. Frustrated, Hannah ended the call.

“She’s not there,” she said. “I don’t know where else she would go except for back to her apartment.”

“There is one bright point to all of this. The fact that her things are missing makes me think that she is staying away from us on purpose for some reason. If she’d been attacked or kidnapped, she wouldn’t have had time to pack her bags first.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Hannah said. “I just don’t understand why she would do this in the first place. I didn’t do anything to make her feel unwelcome, did I?”

“Not at all,” Caroline said. “I’m just as baffled by this as you are.”

Caroline pulled onto Shale’s main street and slowed the car down long before they reached Vanessa’s apartment building.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re going to pass the bar on the way to her apartment anyway, we might as well check there first. She might have stopped in for some reason.”

“All right,” Hannah said. “I still think the apartment is our best bet for finding her, but I guess stopping to check there can’t hurt.”

Caroline parked along the street and the two of them got out of the car, making a beeline for the bar. It wasn’t dark enough yet for it to be very busy inside, but there were a handful people at the bar and at the tables. Hannah looked around, hoping to spot Vanessa’s familiar dark hair, but if she was there, she wasn’t out front.

“That guy is her boss, right?” Caroline asked, nodding to an older, balding gentleman behind the bar.

“I think so,” Hannah said, eyeing him. “I don’t really spend much time here. You’d know better than I do.”

“I think he is. I’m going to go talk to him.”

They made their way over to the bar, the man already approaching them before they even reached the counter. “What can I get you two ladies?”

“Nothing tonight,” Caroline said. “We are actually looking for a friend. Vanessa. She works evenings here a lot.”

“She took a couple days off,” he said, immediately losing interest in them. “Give her a call if you want to talk to her.”

“We were hoping she might have stopped in earlier today,” Caroline said. “You really haven’t seen her?”

“No, I haven’t,” he said. He frowned at them. “I don’t know what’s going on with her, but if she doesn’t want to see you for some reason, it might be best if you stopped looking for her.”

“We’re her friends,” Caroline began, sounding unusually frazzled. Hannah grabbed her elbow and shook her head.

“Thanks. Sorry for bothering you,” she said to the bartender as she dragged her friend away.

“He probably knows where she is,” Caroline hissed as Hannah led her toward the door. Hannah opened her mouth to reply, then froze, spotting a familiar face walking away from one of the tables.

“Caroline,” she hissed. “Helena.”

Before the other woman could spot them, Hannah dragged them to the door. Caroline spun on her heel when they were outside, glowering at the building. “Why are we out here when the woman Vanessa thinks is responsible for attacks on two men is right inside?”

“We don’t want to scare her away if she does