He did and they waited another five minutes.
“What store?” said White.
“Well, she was going to quite a few. But she usually saves the grocery shopping for last. At the Harris Teeter, just up the road. You might have passed it.”
“What kind of car does she drive?” asked Andrews.
“White Toyota Camry. She’s got a vanity plate. ‘SUNNY.’ As in Florida sunny.”
Decker looked at Andrews. “Why don’t you wait here in case she comes back. We’ll check out the Harris Teeter. Whoever sees her calls the other.” He eyed Kelly. “Got a picture of your wife handy?”
Kelly took a framed photo off the shelf and held it out. White took a picture of it with her phone.
Decker glanced at the photo. Patty Kelly was an attractive woman in her early sixties with white-blondish hair cut to the shape of her head. She had a trim figure and stood about five-five. Intriguingly, she looked familiar to him for some reason. And it was surprising that he could not pull that memory up instantly from his personal cloud.
Well, the Cognitive Institute said I was in for more changes. Maybe this is one of them.
He and White got into the rental and drove off to the Harris Teeter.
They were on the lookout for the white Camry with theSUNNYplates on the way there, but didn’t see it. Decker drove through the parking lot looking for the car, while White went inside the Harris Teeter to search for the woman.
Twenty minutes later they both had come up empty. They drove back to Kelly’s house. Steve Kelly had tried calling his wife multiple times without luck.
“Did she get any calls before she left?” asked Decker.
Kelly checked the landline, but the latest message on there was a recorded voice from the previous night announcing a great financial opportunity in gold futures if the Kellys called back right away.
“How about her cell phone?” asked White.
“I don’t know. Like I said, I was out in back doing yard work earlier. I wouldn’t have heard her phone ring from out there.” Kelly looked at them nervously. “I’m sure she’s…I mean, nothing could have happened to her, could it?”
None of them answered his question.
Decker said, “If you hear from her, will you tell her to call us?” He handed the man one of his cards.
“Right away. I’m sure she’ll be back soon. Probably be back any minute now.” As soon as he finished he looked off into the distance, his mouth agape, and his eyes slitted in worry.
As they drove away, Andrews said, “What do you think?”
“I think potential witnesses keep disappearing on us. Let’s go to a place where that can’t happen,” said Decker.
“Where’s that?” asked White.
“Alan Draymont’s home. He’s not there, but there might be something to help us.”
“But he lives back near Miami,” said Andrews. “That’s over four hours roundtrip from here.”
“You got something else to do today?” retorted Decker.
“What do you think about Mrs. Kelly?” interjected White.
“She worked with the judge, probably knew things about her nobody else would. And now she might have vanished.”
“Surely her husband would have seen someone kidnap her,” countered White.
“A phone call or text to lure her out would have done the same thing,” replied Andrews.
Decker eyed him and said, “That’s right. And if she doesn’t turn up voluntarily we have to figure out who that might have been. I’d get her phone records ASAP.”