Read Chapter 1 of Dead On Time
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Chapter 1
Whit
It was just after noon when Whit Filmore sat at his desk with his lunch and scrolled through the Happy Hearts dating app.
���Looking for a date?��� asked Anna, who walked into his office. Usually a bright and cheerful girl, she was his class assistant, working her way to her Master���s in criminology.
But with her long blonde hair looking flat as a board and deep circles under her eyes, she seemed as if another long night of studies had taken their toll.
���How do you know I���m on the dating site?��� he asked, giving her a sideward look. ���Are you psychic now?���
���You don���t have to be a psychic to be a good detective, Professor. You left the computer on while you went out to get your lunch. I saw it. Frankly, I think it���s about time you get another woman in your life. Maybe she can pick up your dry cleaning instead of me.��� She gestured to the suit hanging on the curtain rod behind him.
���Thanks, but no, thanks. Olivia is dating again, not me. You know, she must be setting some kind of a record. Maybe she���s trying to get into the Guinness book.��� The longest relationship his ex-wife ever had was theirs. Only a couple of her boyfriends lasted more than a few weeks.
���Boyfriend number five hundred and fifty-two didn���t work out, I assume?���
���No, and let���s just hope the next one is safe to be around my daughter. As soon as I have boyfriend number five hundred and fifty-three���s name, I���ll have you do another background check.���
Anna sighed. ���I swear, it doesn���t make sense how a woman like your wife gets custody of your daughter when you are a hundred times more qualified to be a parent. She doesn���t even want a kid. She just wants your money so she can party.���
���Tell me how you really feel about her.���
���Sorry if I���m out of line, but she uses poor judgment. I know what it���s like growing up with a divorced mother who was hellbent on taking my father to the cleaners. Her viciousness is what put him in an early grave. But at least my mother fought tooth and nail to make something of herself, even if it was at my expense. I just hate it for your daughter.���
���Imagine how I feel. But don���t worry. She���ll keep it up, and I���ll get Emily back. She���s nearly fifteen, and we both agreed she could make up her own mind then.���
���She could have done that at twelve.��� Anna had a good point.
���Her mother still had her claws in too tight at that point, and I knew she would go through certain changes her mother would be better equipped to handle, even though she still failed miserably at that. But I think she���s going to lose her grip soon enough. I just hope it doesn���t take something horrible to make Emily want to come live with me.��� He���d already explained to Anna a million times why he didn���t like the men in and out of his wife���s home. His daughter was nearly fifteen, just the right age for someone to take advantage.
���I know you wish it was different, but Emily is a smart girl. She���ll call you if she needs help.���
���I know you���re right, but I can���t help but worry about her. She���s growing up so fast and nearly at that age when she will probably start to hate both of her parents.���
Anna waved her hand dismissively and rolled her eyes. ���She���d never get that way with you. She���s a daddy���s girl.��� ��
���Good thing. Look at this. Olivia���s profile photo shows more cleavage than her face.���
���That���s how it���s done nowadays,��� said Anna with a shrug. ���The downward angle gets the whole package.���
Whit nearly spat his food back into its container but choked it down instead. ���I can���t deny that���s a good strategy, and at least she���s putting the breasts I paid for to use. But I���m worried about what kind of message it sends our daughter and what kind of man it���s going to attract.���
There were a few men he���d run off after finding out they had a record, and one had even been in trouble for abuse of a minor. If Olivia wasn���t going to police what was going on, he had no choice but to take responsibility for his daughter���s safety.
���I can���t believe you���re worried more about your ex-wife���s profile photo than you are about your next lecture. Did you decide which topic you���re going with?���
Whit pushed his lunch aside. The next lecture was all he had been thinking about, and the ex-wife was only a distraction from him not being able to make up his mind. ���I���ll schedule something soon, but frankly, I���m enjoying the time off to focus on teaching. I don���t know what the best direction will be. And after the whole alien abduction thing was met with criticism, maybe I should rethink my approach.��� His phone vibrated quietly in his pocket. ���Besides, I feel as if the phone could ring at any moment with another opportunity.���
It was then the vibrating turned into a ring that grew with intensity.
���Are you sure you���re not a psychic?��� asked Anna.
He knew she was only kidding, despite her own gifts. The girl was sensitive and a very strong empath like him. Both wanted nothing to do with the word psychic. Not only was it inaccurate, but it painted a certain unflattering picture.��
He shrugged and gave her a playful grin. ���I felt it vibrating in my pocket.��� He took the phone out and glanced at the screen. ���Shit. Never mind. You answer it.�����
He held the phone out, and she leaned in to see who it was.
Anna shook her head and backed away from his desk. ���No thank you, Professor. You get to deal with him on your own this time. I don���t like the vibes he gives me.��� She left the room, picking up the pace a bit the closer she got to the door.
���Chicken!��� Leave it to Special Agent Kevin Birch to turn Anna off. He hadn���t done much for Whit over the years either.
Whit answered the phone and eased back in his chair. ���How can I help you, Agent Birch?�����
���Professor Filmore, it���s good to talk to you. You know, it���s not often I get to talk to a superstar. I saw your last interview on the national news. How���s life treating you since that upsurge of publicity? Are you still riding the waves of fame?���
Birch was never going to let Whit forget he was the one who put him on the case that made him so popular.
Whit had helped him find a missing boy, a toddler whose father was a basketball superstar.
���Things are good, but I���m all done with interviews for now. And honestly, I like it much better now that things have gone back to normal. Which has me wondering what you want.���
���Hey, now is that any way to tell me you missed me?���
���I can���t say I���ve missed you at all.��� He had known the man since he went to the police academy and didn���t like him much back then either.
���Well, you���re going to be glad I called. There���s another case I need your help with. You never know what it might do for your reputation.���
Whit didn���t need a reputation makeover. He was just fine with who he was. ���Which case is it?���
He heard the man shuffling through papers. ���Probably not one you���ve heard of this time. It���s down near Kilgore and fairly new. There���s a nineteen-year-old girl missing. I���ve been down there for a month, and I���m not sure what to make of it. She seems like the party-girl type, rich and spoiled. The father is a real dick. We butted heads a few times, and I had the feeling he wasn���t happy we got involved.���
���That doesn���t make a lot of sense. You���d think he���d be really happy the case was getting attention.���
���Oh, he likes attention, but I���m not sure this is the right kind. That���s what made me think of you.���
Whit wasn���t sure if he should take that as an insult or a compliment, but one thing was clear. ���You don���t want to deal with him, and you���re pushing him off on me? What makes you think I want to deal with a man like that? If I want attitude, I���ve got a whole room full of young adults at my disposal daily.���
���Come on, Whit. I need you to give it a crack. I felt things were getting a bit too hostile and figured backing off was the right thing for me. If I send you in, maybe they���ll see a fresh pair of eyes on it and act differently. Maybe it will shift something. I don���t know. It���s worth a try to find her. Help a man out.���
Whit didn���t care about helping Birch, but he empathized with the family and put himself in their shoes. If anything ever happened to his daughter, he wouldn���t know what to do with himself. Maybe it would just take a little bit of understanding to get the job done. Something Kevin Birch often struggled with.
���Are you going to be there?��� Whit asked Birch. ���Or am I flying solo?���
���It���s probably best I don���t go back just yet. I need to let things cool off. But I���ll be around if you need me to be.���
While he hated to admit it, Whit knew he had to go. Some poor girl was lost, and he thought he really could help find her. ���Fine. I guess I can go down and take a look. But I���m bringing an assistant along, and I want the same pay as last time.���
���Fine,��� said Birch. ���You bring whoever you want, even if it���s that cute little assistant, but you���re paying for her room and board. Or will you be sharing a room?��� He had been a dick about his assistant ever since the last time he came to Whit���s office. He immediately said something to offend her, and Anna, being Anna, had put him in his place.
���It���s not like that,��� said Whit. ���It���s strictly professional. I���m almost old enough to be her father.���
���Wouldn���t stop most men,��� Birch said with a chuckle.
���Well, I���m not most men. You should know that better than anyone. Anyway, about Anna, I���ll need you to send her the details so we can make travel arrangements for tomorrow.���
He could hear the groan on the other end of the line. ���I really hoped you could get down there as soon as possible. Maybe fly into Dallas today?���
���No deal, but I���ll drive there myself, leaving immediately, but only if you pay for my gas and my assistant���s expenses. I could be there first thing in the morning at the earliest.���
���Okay. But I prefer the old days when you didn���t try to bargain with me.���
���That���s what happens when you rise to fame. You become harder to work with and more expensive. Be lucky I didn���t ask for a raise.���
���Yeah, yeah. Don���t trip over your ego, Filmore. Just get your ass down to Texas and find that missing girl.���
Whit smiled. He had wanted to take his Falcon out on the road for a while, and with him not having to pay for gas, it made the idea much sweeter. ���Where exactly are you sending us?���
���Aldridge,��� he said. ���Aldridge, Texas.�����
���Sounds like a nice place.���
���I���ve been to better,��� he said. ���Pack some light clothing and bring your bug spray. You can thank me later.���
Whit could already tell this wasn���t going to be a glamorous trip, but he really didn���t really care about that. It was the thrill of solving a case and helping a family that made it worth the trouble. ���Thanks for the advice. We���ll leave today, and we should be there in the morning.�����
���I���ll send you the directions,��� said Kevin. ���Are you sure you don���t want to fly?���
���Oh, trust me. I���m going to fly. From one gas station to the next.��� He laughed as he hung up the phone. ���Anna!�����
She stuck her head around the door. ���Where is he sending you now?���
���Aldridge, Texas,��� he said. ���It���s a missing person case. And you���re going with me.���
She stepped into the doorway and folded her arms. ���Can we get a rental?���
���What���s the point of souping up a car if I have no intention of driving it? Besides, the Feds are paying for the gas, and I���ll be in a whole lot better company if I drive my own car.���
���Sounds like fourteen hours of fun,��� she said, looking at her phone.
���My driving isn���t that bad.���
Anna gave him a pointed look. ���Yeah. I���ll bring the Red Vines and a mild sedative.���
Whit got up from his desk. ���We���ll have to grab them on the way. We leave ASAP.���
���What about your next class?��� she asked, looking at her phone again. ���It starts in fifteen minutes.���
���I���ll call Dean Proctor and explain everything, but this is why I have Professor Morgan on speed dial. He loves filling in when I have a lecture. He���ll really like an extended opportunity to teach.���
���I���ll shuffle some things around, but you do realize I have other professors who may not like me dropping everything to follow you down south.���
So far, they had understood when he needed her help, and he didn���t see why this would be any different. ���I���ll talk to them. I���m sure they���ll help you out again. Besides, this is bigger and better.���
She didn���t look so sure of it. ���Okay, but if I don���t graduate, I���m coming after you.���
���You won���t fail. You may have to catch up, but think of the experience. It���s a real missing person���s case. Aren���t you excited?��� He tried to liven up his tone, despite the fact that he was leaving much more than his class behind. He would have to go even longer without seeing Emily.
Anna took a deep breath, stepped out of her shoes to plant her feet on the cold floor, and closed her eyes. She often did this type of spontaneous meditation, so Whit was used to it. He waited a moment, and she finally shook out her hands and opened her eyes. ���Okay, you���re right. This isn���t a bad thing. It���s an experience of a lifetime. Thank you, Professor, for pointing that out.���
Whit laughed. ���That���s the spirit.���
As Anna left the office to get ready, he walked over to the window with his phone. He dialed his daughter���s number and waited for her to answer. With any luck, he���d be back soon, and they���d get to spend some time together. He just hoped she wouldn���t need him while he was gone.
