Missing Bridegroom

The community center reception hall was ablaze with a hundred tiny candles. The wedding rehearsal members were milling around waiting for the bridegroom to return. Josie checked her watch surreptitiously, once again. It had been ten minutes since Brian excused himself to take a phone call. Her fiancé was supposed to be on personal leave not taking FBI calls in the middle of their rehearsal dinner.

Slipping out the side door, Josie went to remind Brian Miller that their guests were waiting. The playground area beside the center was empty except for the colored chalk blocks of a hopscotch pattern on the concrete. A pair of car keys was lying on the ground at the roots of a rosebush next to the corner of the recreation hall.

Where on earth could he be?

The PI strolled briskly around the corner to the parking lot but there was no Federal Agent Miller anywhere in sight and his car was still in the parking lot. Taking her cell phone from her jacket pocket, Josie hit #1 on her speed dial and waited. And waited. After the tenth ring with no answer, a knot began to form in her stomach. This was not Brian’s usual behavior. If he was getting cold feet, he would have just told her, which meant something bad could be going down.