Dixon's Duty by Jenna Byrnes Page A

his lover’s fault. Merely thinking of the sexy stud had Dix smiling. He did that so often these days, he could have sworn his jaw was sore from the unusual activity. Of course it could be all the blow jobs . Either way, he was a happy man.
    When his phone rang at one-thirty, he was pleased to hear Bryan’s voice on the line. “Hey handsome. I’ve been thinking about you. ‘Course, that’s nothing new.”
    “James, Sami didn’t show up for work today. I’ve been trying to call her, but it goes straight to voicemail.”
    “Is that unusual for her?”
    “Well, yeah. She always calls when something comes up. She knows we only schedule one waitress during the noon shift. I’ve been so busy, this is the first chance I’ve had to call.”
    “Have you phoned Adam? He might know where she is.”
    “No, you were the first person I thought to call.”
    “That makes me happy, but in this case, I think Adam might know more than me. I’ve talked to him a couple times already today. We got both cars fixed first thing this morning.”
    “Wow, that was fast!”
    “Yeah, he seemed to do good work, too. I’m pleased. Anyway, I’ll call the kid and get back to you. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s fine.”
    “Thanks, Dix.”
    “You bet. Talk soon.” He ended the call and punched up Adam’s number. “Hey, me again. Three times in one day, people are going to start thinking we’re best friends.”
    Adam chuckled. “After the miracle you pulled off with getting my window fixed so fast, I’ll happily call myself your friend. What’s up?”
    “Bryan just phoned, he said Sami didn’t show up for work today. Any idea where she is?”
    “What? You’re kidding me. She never misses work. I don’t have a delivery for them today, so I haven’t seen her since this morning.”
    “You saw her before work, though, and she was okay?”
    “Sure. I left about seven-thirty, same as usual. She was still in bed since there’s no school. Did he try to call her?”
    “Went straight to voicemail.”
    “Hmm. I’m not too far from there. Let me finish this delivery and I’ll swing by.”
    “Thanks, Adam. Oh, and call me back, okay? Bryan’s busy today and me…not so much.”
    “That’s a good thing, right? Will do. Bye.” He hung up.
    Dix put down the phone, wondering what could have caused Sami to miss work. He didn’t know enough about her daily routine to speculate. He stood and stretched, then walked to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.
    Back at his desk, he pushed papers around, trying to keep his mind occupied. About thirty minutes had gone by when his phone rang back, and he recognised Adam’s number. “Dixon.”
    “Dix, it’s Adam.” The words tumbled out in a rush. “Something’s wrong. Sami’s car is here, but she’s not.”
    “Okay, slow down. Could someone have picked her up? A girlfriend, someone like that? Maybe they went out for lunch.”
    “Without her purse and phone?” His voice screeched. “And her favourite pair of shoes is still by the door.”
    Dix forced himself to remain calm, refusing to let his thoughts get carried away. “She’s a woman. Surely she has more than one pair of shoes.”
    “Of course she does, she has like twenty. But only one she wears daily, and she kicks them off by the door when she gets home. She carries the one purse, and never goes anywhere without her phone.” His breathing became jagged. “That’s not the only thing. The apartment is messed up, like maybe there were signs of a struggle. I don’t know. I’m hyperventilating. I can’t think.”
    “Take it easy, Adam. Give me the address, and I’ll be right there.”
    “Three fifty-five Jacobs, apartment three. Main floor on the right.”
    “Okay, listen. I’m on my way. Don’t touch anything more than you already have. Find a place to sit and catch your breath. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
    “Thanks.”
    Dix ended the call and stood, pocketing his cell phone. He grabbed his suit coat and