Chapter Five

"Woodrow….nice to see you," said Nigel, as Woody entered the morgue around lunch time.

"Hi, Nige…"

"Sorry I don't have those reports ready for you yet…they should be done before late afternoon…."

"Fine, Nige. That's fine…" Woody glanced over to Jordan's office. It was empty and the lights were off. "Have you seen Jordan?"

"Jordan? You want to see Jordan?" Nigel asked, surprised. He was under the impression that Woody and Jordan were no longer on speaking terms…under any conditions….at any time.

"Yeah. I just need to see her…to see if she's okay."

"Well, when I saw her yesterday, she was fine…a little on the quiet side … but fine."

"Yesterday. You haven't seen her today?"

"Woody, Jordan is working the graveyard shift now. If I see her, it's late in the afternoon."

"So she's here by herself at night?"

"No. There's a skeleton crew here…pardon the pun."

"But she walks out at night by herself?" Woody asked, completely ignoring the joke and his voice rising with alarm.

"I don't know, mate. There are security guards around."

Woody ran his fingers through his hair. "Who put her on graveyard? Garret? Is this part of her probation?"

"Garret? No. Jordan volunteered for it. Said she needed the change. Just like her hair."

"Let me tell you about her hair, Nigel. Jordan didn't cut her hair. Someone else cut it. When she was leaving the other Sunday morning, someone jumped her when she got off the elevator and cut her hair off with a knife. And she's been receiving threatening mail…and there's this guy in the parking deck that we think may be following her. It's been going on for several months…"

Nigel was shocked… just as shocked as Woody had been when Lois told him. "She hasn't said a word…."

"Look…just let me know when she shows up for work…would you? You don't have to tell her I was looking for her. It may be better if you don't…" Woody wasn't sure how Jordan would take the fact that he was asking about her…

Nigel nodded. "I'll call you."

Woody waited restlessly for Nigel to call him that evening. It was nearly his quitting time…and nearly time for Jordan to begin her work day. He didn't like that she was working the graveyard shift. He wondered if possibly he had anything to do with that decision…to avoid him completely, she decided to work nights. But he had no right or place to say anything to her about it. However, as soon as Nigel called and said she was in her office, he was going to go talk to her…make sure she was safe…that she felt safe.

And apologize.

The thought that she came to his office weeks ago to try to get his help, and he brushed her off like that, was killing his conscious. Whatever disagreements they may have had, he was still a policeman. And she was still a citizen. He owed her, at the very least, the opportunity to tell him what was happening to her. But he may as well have physically shoved her out his door and told her to go to hell. So much for his self-righteous indignation. If he would have listened, it could have kept her from being attacked…kept her safe…kept that long, chestnut hair in place….

His ringing cell phone snapped him back into reality. "Hoyt," he said.

"Woody, it's Nigel. She hasn't shown up yet and it's nearly 5:30."

"She could be running late….she's been known to do that."

"Not without calling. She hasn't called."

"Have you tried her cell phone….and her apartment?"

"Yes…to both. No answer."

"Call Macy. See if she's called in sick or anything. Meanwhile, I'm on my way over."

Nigel radioed Lois…"It's Jordan. She hasn't shown up for work…and it's past time for her to start her shift. Want me to go over?"

Lois sighed. Given Woody's and Jordan's history, she didn't think it was good idea for him to get involved. But knowing Woody…. "Would it do any good for me to tell you no?" she asked.

"Probably not."

"I thought as much. Meet me there, Hoyt. But don't touch a thing until I'm in her office."

She hadn't called anyone at the morgue…not Garret, not Nigel, not Emmy…no one to let them know if she was running late. She wasn't answering her cell phone. That was sending shivers up Woody's spine. Jordan's cell phone was always on her hip unless she was in the shower or asleep. Her apartment phone was also still going unanswered.

"Has anyone seen her since she left work yesterday?" Garret asked. He was just as upset as Nigel was that Jordan hadn't told him about the cards…or the man with the sandy, brown hair in the parking deck. Lily had filled them in on her and Jordan's conversation weeks earlier…but she couldn't give a good description of the man, either.

"He was across the parking deck….average height…brown hair, brown eyes….Nothing really outstanding…he wore a green jacket with a hood. That's about all I remember," she had told Lois and Woody.

"Cards. She told me something about receiving cards from this guy…but I didn't see them. Any of you know what she was talking about?" asked Lois.

"No… but I can unlock her office and we can look," Garret said.

Jordan's office was neat…a few files stacked on her desk…her computer was off. Some pictures. Woody noticed his picture was still there. It was one they had made months before….everything happened. It was at Lily's Christmas party….under the mistletoe. Things had seemed so right then. She was looking up at him and he was looking down at her…her long chestnut hair spilling over his arms. Shaking his head, he brought himself back to reality. When he found her, they were going to have a serious talk…He was going to apologize…and then give her the first degree about being late for work and not calling in. Then he thought he just might kiss her senseless.

"I've found them," Lois said, kneeling in front of Jordan's desk, going through the bottom file drawer. "She's a good girl….kept them in the envelopes and kept the envelopes in order according to the postage cancellation stamp. I'm going to take them back to the lab and see if we can raise a print and begin DNA analysis."

"Do either of you have a key to her apartment?" Woody asked. He used to…but gave it back.

"I do," said Garret.

"Let's go over there and see if anything's out of place."

But there wasn't. At least nothing they could tell. Her guitar was there….which spoke volumes to everyone. If there was the slightest chance she had run away again, the guitar would have gone with her. "It looks like everything is fine here," Garret said, running his hand down the back of his head. "At least, as far as I can tell." Truth was, it had been such a long time that any of them had been invited to her apartment, no one was really sure…even Woody.

"Is her car still here?" asked Nigel.

They went downstairs…and sure enough…her El Camino was there….but the door was open…and her pocketbook was on the seat, along with her cell phone. Swallowing hard, Woody took his Nextel and radioed back to Lois…"It's Woody. We have signs of a struggle at Jordan's vehicle on Pearle. Can we get a unit out here to check for prints….and blood?"