Page 68 of Strip Search

“Her boyfriend?”

“I didn't know she had a boyfriend,” the bartender said. “But maybe that's why she left without giving notice. She seemed the type to let a man call the shots for her.”

I could see Jackie's shoulders slumping and I stepped in closer for moral support.

“You don't happen to know where she went or why she left?” Jackie asked, slinging an arm around me. I gave her a quick hug.

“She said she got a new job, but she didn't tell us where.”

Jackie sighed and dug into her handbag for her card. “I'm her sister. Is there any way you can give me the address she put down on her application? I need to find her. Our mother is terribly worried about her.”

“I'm sorry. I can't.”

“What about the owner or the manager?”

“Iamthe owner.”

“I can prove that I'm her sister.”

“I can't divulge personal information. I could get in trouble.”

“She's right,” I said, when Jackie would have protested more. I’d bent the rules and it was only because Grier owed me a few favors that he did the background check on Jackie that made me comfortable giving out Lisa's address.

“Was Lisa all right? She has a bad knee.”

“Seemed fine to me.”

“Do you have any idea where I could start looking for her?” Jackie said, in a small voice. “Like I said, I came all this way.”

“Why don't you call her?” the bartender owner asked.

“She doesn't answer or call me back.”

“Take a hint,” the bartender said, not unkindly. “Now, would you like to sample some of our wines?”

“No thanks,” I said and steered Jackie back to the rental car I’d sprung for. It beat waiting on a car service or taxi and I was glad for the privacy as I helped her into the passenger seat.

She waited until I closed the door before wailing, “What do I do now?”

“I don't know, sweetheart.”

“She could be anywhere. Hell, for all I know, if she's no longer with Parker she could be heading back to New York.”

“Maybe that's what happened,” I said, stroking her hair.

“No, I'm not that lucky.”

“She's a selfish bitch,” I said and was surprised when Jackie flinched. “What?”

“There's got to be a reason why she keeps taking these jobs and then leaving after a few days or weeks.”

“Perhaps she's trying to find herself,” I said sarcastically, but Jackie was nodding her head.

“I think so too. Don't get me wrong, I think she's going about it the wrong way. But you've seen what our mother is like. I think she doesn't want to call until she's settled. My mother has a way of shitting all over new plans and dreams.”

“She gets more and more delightful the more I hear about her.”

“Lisa’s always accused me of being her stooge. I wish I had handled things better in the past so that she would trust me now. It kills me that she trusts Parker more than her family and I don't have a good feeling about him.”