Read 14 Christmas Spirit for Free Online

enough to do it in person.  They cut off all contact with the other person and hope they get the message."
    "Do you think that's what we have here?" Jon asked.
    "I did at first."  Joe sat back and shrugged his shoulders.  "Don't anymore.  You see what I saw yet?"
    Jon flipped through the pages for a few seconds, but Darcy could see that he already knew what the Chief was talking about.
    Tapping a finger against the incident report page, Jon read aloud.  "Ex-boyfriend.  Neilson Daye.  Blair gave us his name because she thought Megan might be there.  Address and phone number are here, too, over on Birch Lane.  Low income housing apartments.  History of domestic incidents between him and Megan.  Did someone talk to Mister Daye yet?"
    "Yup," Joe said.  "I did.  Not because I think it's strange for a girl to have a boyfriend one week and a girlfriend the next, either.  I'm not like that.  I just figured I should at least give him a call and find out if he'd heard from Megan."
    "I never would have thought any different, Chief," Jon promised.  "How long did Neilson and Megan date?"
    "About eight months, according to Neilson.  Then she broke it off and immediately took up with Blair."  He shrugged again.  "Kids."
    Darcy knew anyone younger than Joe qualified as a kid, in his eyes.  Including her and Jon.  She caught Jon's smirk and knew he was thinking the same thing, too.
    "So," Jon said, "you asked Nielson if he had seen Megan now on the off chance she was leaving Blair to go back to him.  Makes sense.  What did he have to say about it?"
    "He said no. Just what I expected him to say.  Then, when I asked if a uniform officer could come over and do a follow up with him, he hung up on me."
    Darcy's eyebrow rose.  "Not exactly civic minded of him."
    "Just what I thought," Joe agreed.  "People have all sorts of things they want to hide from the police.  But when the Chief of Police himself calls you up and asks about your missing ex-girlfriend, seems to me you do everything you can to prove you're not involved."
    "Unless you are," Jon finished the thought for him.  "So how did we get this information about the ex-boyfriend?"
    "Sergeant Fitzwallis took it down from the original call.  In fact, just about all of the information in there was stuff he either got directly from the girlfriend, Blair, or stuff that he dug up before he passed the complaint on to me.  He's always been good at what he does."
    Jon shook his head in agreement.  "He does keep this place running.  Does he even take his days off anymore?"
    The Chief scratched the back of his scalp.  "Tell you the truth I don't even remember when his days off are supposed to be.  Sean just comes in to work and takes his tour at the desk.  I feel bad for the guy.  Guess I'd spend way too much time at work, too, if I lost my wife."
    Jon looked at Darcy, and she saw what he was thinking.  She tried to reassure him with her eyes that he would never lose her.  Ever.
    His eyes held hers for just a moment before turning back to Joe.  "So what's our first move here, Chief?"
    Joe folded his arms.  "I'd like to hear what you think."
    Tapping the page in the folder again Jon answered without hesitation.  "I'd like to take a couple of uniforms with me and go talk to the ex-boyfriend first.  Get a look through his apartment and be sure Megan isn't there.  Be sure he isn't hiding something else."
    The Chief nodded his approval.  "Just what I would have done.  I'll send Blake and Shane over there with you.  If it develops into something more you have my permission to call some of the other guys in.  Grace too, if you think you'll need her.  Before we go, I'd like to see you in my office.  Just you, if that's all right, Darcy?"
    Darcy was a little surprised at the Chief's request, but she told them that was fine.  Jon was an officer here, after all, and there would always be times when the department needed just him and not the two of them