Anyplace But Here (Oklahoma Lovers 4)

Frozen for a moment, he just stared straight ahead, then once again raised and dropped the knocker. The door opened too fast. The woman had obviously not walked away.

“Can you please tell me where Miss Cabot is?”

“No I cannot tell you because I don’t know. She’s gone. Never came home last night and when she does show up it will be to gather her things. I don’t allow my girls to stay out all night. It’s against the rules. I run a respectable place, and I won’t have my—”

“Madam!” He shouted above her tirade, fear gripping him. “Emily never came home last night?”

“Isn’t that what I just said, young man?”

“Did you notify the police?”

“No. I’m not coddling girls who don’t behave themselves. Now if you will excuse me, I have duties to attend to.”

“Wait.” He held his hand out to stop the door from closing. “Are her things still here? Did she take them with her?”

“She took nothing. I’m going to have to go through the trouble of packing up her belongings and give them to the church for the poor.”

Hunter watched slack-jawed as the woman shut the door again. There was no doubt in his mind she didn’t wait on the other side this time. From outside he could hear her rapid footfalls as she walked away.

He turned and hurried to the automobile. Sliding in behind the wheel, he cranked the motor and shifted into gear. His mind in a whirl, he attempted to get a grip on his emotions on the short ride to the Harvey House. Had Emily been attacked? Injured in some way? Surely the girls she worked with would know what had happened. When he didn’t meet her after work, all the girls walked together to the boardinghouse.

He pounded the steering wheel. He should have met her last night. Somewhere deep inside he’d been expecting something like this.

Taking a deep breath, he struggled to calm himself. Nothing would be served by him barging into the restaurant and demanding answers.

The man who had given him a jacket to wear on his first visit to the restaurant came forward. “One for dinner, sir?”

“No. Not today. Actually, I have a question for you.”

Raised eyebrows was the only response.

“I know Miss Cabot worked last evening. I just came from the boardinghouse where the young ladies live. The woman who operates the boardinghouse just informed me that Miss Cabot did not return home last evening.”

“That is most likely true, since Miss Cabot did not finish her shift last evening, either.” The man sniffed as if whatever had happened to Emily was a mere inconvenience for him.

Hunter tried very hard not to slam the man up against the wall to get more information. “Why did she not finish her shift? Was she ill? Did someone walk her home?”

“Miss Cabot walked off the floor right in the middle of our busiest night with no word to anyone. No one saw her leave, or knows where she went. When you find her, you can tell her she’s been fired.”

Telling himself punching the obnoxious man in the nose would only serve to slow him down, he slammed out of the restaurant and headed to the police station. He filed a report, but the officer on duty who took his information hinted that it had probably been some type of lovers’ quarrel and she ran out on him.

What was especially vexing was the small amount of information he had on Emily. The officer’s smirk grew as Hunter explained that Emily was from Louisiana, had no family to speak of, never spoke of friends outside of her current job, and seemed to be running from something. Even the fact that she’d left without a word to anyone and without retrieving her possessions from the boardinghouse held no sway with the officer. Hunter was sure the report made it into the garbage pail as soon as he left.

The only thing he could do at this point was wait until the restaurant closed, then talk to the waitresses who were on duty last night. One of them had to know something.

He returned to his vehicle and laid his head against the seat cushion, blowing out a frustrated puff of air.

Emily, what happened? Did your past catch up with you?

“She’s gone.”

Jesse and Tori looked up from where they sat on the sofa in the parlor, sharing the Sunday newspaper. None of the family had arrived yet for Sunday dinner.

Hunter stood, legs braced apart, panting from anger and frustration. “Emily never arrived at the boardinghouse last night after her shift at the restaurant.” He ran his fingers through his hair and started to pace. “The very unfriendly woman there was no help, and neither was her supervisor, Mr. Tinsdale. Instead of being concerned a young woman had disappeared, they only wanted to make sure I inform Emily when I find her that she’s been fired and no longer has her lodgings.”

His insides tightened with fear. Emily was in trouble, he knew it. Why hadn’t she confided in him? Whatever it was, they could have worked together to resolve. With his Ranger’s background and contacts he could have protected her from anything she’d left behind. He should have pushed her more, watched her closer.

“What about the police?”