Read Detective Wade Jackson Mystery - 03 - Thrilled to Death for Free Online Page A

person with a chronic disease, he would have to get over that.
    Until she’d researched it online the night before, she hadn’t known much about retroperitoneal fibrosis. Now she knew it was fickle. Some people lived long relatively normal lives, and others had surgery after surgery and still died young.
    By the time she found a place to park on Pearl Street, the sun had burned through the clouds and was shining brightly on the new leaves sprouting everywhere. Climbing the stairs to the white-brick building, Kera felt a glimmer of optimism. Spring was a time of rebirth. Jackson would be one of the lucky ones, and Danette would be fine too. Maybe she had simply taken a day to clear her head.
    Once inside police headquarters, Kera stated her business to the woman behind the plexiglass, then was escorted back into the bowels of the department. They passed a large open area crammed with desks. She wondered which one was Jackson’s. This was the first time she’d been past the plexiglass.
    In a small office down the hall, the desk clerk dropped her off. “This is Detective Zapata. He handles most of our missing people.” The detective stood and smiled broadly, white teeth gleaming under his mustache. Kera liked him instantly.
    “Please have a seat,” he said. “How can I help you?”
    She eased onto the hard chair, purse in her lap, knot in her stomach. Kera wondered how many others had sat here, worried sick about someone they loved. She took a breath and told him everything that had happened since yesterday morning.
    “What was she seeing the doctor about?” Detective Zapata got right to the heart of it.
    “Dr. Callahan is a psychiatrist. I suspect, but do not know for sure, that Danette has post-partum depression.”
    “Have you tried contacting the father of the baby?”
    “My son is the father. He died in Iraq before Micah was born.” She could say it now without losing control.
    “I’m sorry to hear that.” The detective gave her a sincere look of sympathy. After a moment, he said, “Does Danette use drugs?”
    “No.”
    “Does she have a boyfriend?”
    “She was seeing a guy named Chad. Tall and dark with a soul patch. That’s all I know. Detective Jackson may have found out more by now.”
    Zapata raised his thick dark eyebrows. “Jackson is already investigating?”
    “He looked into a few things yesterday.”
    The detective gave her a look she couldn’t read. “Have you considered the possibility that Danette doesn’t want to be found?”
    “Of course, but what if something happened to her? I want you to investigate.”
    “We’ll do everything we can. Do you have a photo of Danette?”
    Kera handed him a disk with a JPEG file. “Her mother said this was taken last year.”
    “Great.” Zapata slid the disk into his computer. “If you can get the boyfriend’s last name, it would help us.”
    “I’ll try.”
    After another ten minutes of answering questions, Kera left the little office and headed toward the front of the building. A feeling that the report would be filed and forgotten settled into the pit of her stomach. Thank God she knew Jackson. He would follow up, even if he had to do it on his own time.
    In the lobby, an attractive young woman with short red hair stood in front of the window and swore. “Damn! Detective Jackson said to meet him here at ten o’clock.”
    “I can try to locate him for you,” the desk officer said, her voice muffled behind the protective shield.
    “I think I can help.” Kera turned toward the petite woman with the oversized red leather bag. “I’m Kera Kollmorgan, a friend of Jackson’s. He’s out sick this morning. I’m sure he’s sorry to have missed your appointment and you’ll hear from him soon.”
    “Sophie Speranza, Willamette News.” She offered her hand and gave Kera a quick sizing up.
    The infamous Sophie? Kera found it hard to believe Jackson had planned an interview with her. “It’s good to meet you. I’ve read your news