Rude Awakenings: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 2)

Chapter Forty-Eight: Al, Wednesday

Al received a second phone call on the workroom line that day, when normally he wouldn't get a call specifically for him all year. This time a coworker answered it first and, when she told him he had a call, remarked, "You're a popular guy today."

"Sorry, I don't have my cell, I gave it to my wife," he said sheepishly.

"Oh, did she lose hers?"

He hadn't told anyone about Rachel going missing. For all they knew, he'd just called in sick the last couple of days. "Yes," he said.

Luckily his coworker didn't ask him to explain how she'd lost her phone. He picked up the workroom line. "Hello?"

"Hey, sweetie."

"Rachel, are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Just wanted to let you know your detective friends called."

"Oh, did they."

"Yes, and they'd like to come by and have a chat."

"Oh. Did they say what they want to talk about?"

"They did not. I asked them if they could hold off until you got home. I'd really like you there."

"And I'd really like to be there."

"Good."

"You know, we should probably call Sunny, he said we should have lawyers the next time they came calling."

"Al, do you really have the energy to find a lawyer right now?"

He sighed and said, "No. Not really."

"That's what I thought. If they're okay with interviewing both of us together, it must be a friendly call."

"Yeah. You're right. Okay."

Silence for a moment. He cleared his throat and said, "Was there something else? I'll be home soon, so I guess I better--"

"Did Lauren call you?"

Her tone was more than just one of polite inquiry. He needed to be careful. "She did, in fact."

"She called your cell phone first. She wasn't aware you'd given it to me."

He swallowed hard. "She sent me an email with a photo she thought I should see."

"Yes. She sent it to me, too. I forwarded it to the detectives. Maybe that's why they want to talk. Have you seen it, yet?"

"Honestly, I didn't think I should look at it at work."

"Good call."

"Is it bad?"

"It's not good."

"I'll look at it when I'm home."

Silence. Then she asked, "Was that all you talked about?"

"Yes, because I'm not supposed to talk long on the work phone on personal calls."

"Ah. Is that a hint you need to go?"

"Unfortunately, yes, but I'll see you soon."

He hung up feeling guilty he'd ended the call so abruptly, but what else could he have told her about Lauren's call that wasn't incriminating?

When he arrived home, Parsons and Reynolds were already there. "They'd like to go home at a good time," Rachel explained.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way of that," he said.

"We just wanted to update you both on a few things," Parsons said. "First, we discovered the most recent calls Joe had on his phone were from or to the same number, twice; once close to midnight, and the other at roughly four in the morning, last Sunday, when you were reported missing." He handed Rachel a sheet of paper with a phone number on it. "Do either of you recognize this number?"