Chapter Four
Police Station
"Yeah," Antonio said, answering the knock at the door, "come in."
"Hey, Antonio, you got a minute? I just heard about John. Do you have any new information?" Bo asked, entering the office.
"I wish I did. The divers are all but exhausted. They didn’t even want to call it a night, but had to because of the light. They are down there now, searching. Every second we don’t find him makes the possibility slimmer."
"Look, whatever you need, let me know. I know I’m the governor of this fine state, but John and Evangeline are my friends and if you need something, call my office. I mean it, I got to go. Keep me informed." Bo said shaking Antonio’s hand before walking out the door. The phone rang as Bo closed the door.
"Antonio here… yeah, well now we know if he is alive, why he didn’t call home… check and see how many calls he made on the cell and to who. Get back to me ASAP."
Antonio thought back to one the most memorable of his and John’s famous basketball games.
"Get the ball," John said.
"I got the ball. Now, move so I can show you my Vega triple shot. Watch me sink the ball on the first time shot."
"Just throw it and hurry up already. You got five bucks riding on this shot."
Antonio bounced the ball and shot it in the air. It bounced on the rim three times and then it sank.
"Pay me, man," he said laughing.
"How did you do that?" John asked.
"One day I’ll show you, after I get all your money."
They walked over to the bench and got their bags.
"Tonio, Evangeline said yes," John said wiping the sweat from his brow.
"She can’t be that crazy."
"Well, yeah," he said smiling. "She is."
"Man, that’s great. I wish you the best."
"You up for being my best man?"
"Yeah, I’d really be honored. Evangeline is a special woman. You are one lucky man."
"Yeah, I don’t know how I get to have it this good, but between you and me there is no one else like her."
"You just make sure you don’t forget how special she is. Times like this I miss Jamie’s mother more than I can say," Antonio said.
"How is Jamie?"
"She’s great. Man, she is my joy, my life. I’d do anything for mi hija."
"Yeah? I can’t wait for me and Van to have kids, ‘course I’m not telling her until after the wedding. Since you are the best man and all, I think Van is going to ask Jamie to be the flower girl."
"Oh, she would love that. She is at that stage where she likes to dress up. Man, I hope that doesn’t last long. Do you know how many malls I have to go to with her and her abuela?" Antonio said.
"Stop whining, you love every minute. Man, what if I mess up?"
"Mess up, how? You love her and she loves you. What’s the problem?"
"No problem. It’s just sometimes I sit and wonder what I did to get this lucky," John said.
"Don’t overanalyze it. Enjoy, and be glad you got a chance to even find someone you could spend the rest of your life with."
"I am glad. After Caitlin died, I never thought I’d find love again, but then Evangeline came along and before I knew it she had gotten under my skin. I love her more than my life. She has my heart."
"That’s exactly the way I felt about Kerri. She was my life and then she was gone and I wanted to be gone too, but I had Jamie."
"Well, Jamie will always be a connection that you have to Kerri."
"I know and I cherish it."
"I know you do. I can’t wait until Angie and I have that connection. She is everything I ever wanted," John said with a smile.
"Just remember all that you’re feeling right now, because a strong willed woman like Evangeline is bound to tick you off and you might just forget." The two men shared a laugh.
"Yeah, let’s hit the showers and get something to eat."
Antonio remembered how happy John had been. Now, he was sitting here trying to figure out how to find John and bring him home. Suddenly, he pushed his chair back, pushed the work off his desk in utter frustration and screamed, "Basta."
Standing in the doorway, failing to knock was Salina Sanchez. She was one of the agents that John had worked with while at the Bureau.
"Whatever we have to do to find John McBain, enough is never enough," she said confidently and purposely.
"Thought you’d be here yesterday."
"Buenos dias to you too, Antonio. I had to stop off on another matter. It was on the way," she said as she sauntered into his office.
"Well, I needed you a day ago. This is frustrating," he said wearily. He couldn’t believe he was glad to see her, but right now he could use all the help he could get.
"I can’t believe he just disappeared. It’s like he vanished into thin air."
"I know. He was here one moment and gone the next."
After a pot of coffee and a lot of discussion, he and Salina both sighed.
"It is not looking good. Finding the car by the river is not good," Salina said.
"No, I wish I knew what happened. I don’t want to believe the river took him away, but the more time that passes, the more it seems as if that may be the scenario."
"Look, we got to believe that something else happened. John is one smart cop. He’s a survivor. We just got to find him."
"Well, let’s review the facts and see where they lead. You game?" Antonio asked looking directly into her dark eyes.
"Yeah, let’s do it."
