Taken by Moonlight

She’d called Cassie, but her sister had seemed a bit sad, so Vivienne had tried to pry the reason for the sadness from her, and had in the process forgotten about her own issues. And now, she was remembering. She could always talk to Drew and Max about these things. Unconsciously, a smile tugged at her lips before she frowned. She hadn’t spoken to Drew in weeks. Granted, she’d been busy, but they had each other’s contact information. She wondered if Drew still wanted nothing to do with them, and the whole non-human thing. If not, she was sure her friend would like Cedar Creek. Maybe not the mating ceremony, that was a bit much, but a day or two? Conall wouldn’t deny her that. Plus, she had information about Max. She wouldn’t tell Drew everything, just that he was alive.

Reaching into her pocket, she removed her cell phone and found her friend’s number. Within moments, she was listening to the phone ring. It went to voicemail, but instead of Drew’s voice, she heard the automated machine say that the voicemail box was full. Furrowing her eyebrows, she ended the call. Drew was meticulous. She checked and emptied the voicemail box everyday. She’d done the same with their home phone, writing down messages as she cleared the inbox. It was one of the things Max had nagged her about. That she’d let her inbox get full was strange.

Vivienne called her again in an hour, but received the same message. It was Saturday, so she wasn’t at work, unless there was an art showing. With that thought in mind, she called the gallery. A woman picked up. When she inquired about her friend, she was put on hold before the manager took the call. He told her Drew hadn’t shown up for work in almost two weeks, and he was concerned. Confused, Vivienne asked if she’d taken her vacation, or if there had been an issue, but the manager was adamant that nothing had happened. He said she was there one day, and hadn’t shown up the next. As she spoke to the manager, who asked her to let him know any developments and pass onto Drew that her job was still there if she wanted it, Vivienne’s body grew cold as her thoughts swirled with the possibilities.

What-ifs began to plague her. Had something happened to Drew? Was her friend in danger? Should she have called to check on her sooner?

A full voicemail box was one thing, but disappearing from work, that was something Drew would never do. Drew would never skip work, especially not without notice. Something had happened to her friend, and Vivienne was determined to find out what.

***

A call to her mother gave her the last location to which they’d taken Drew. An hour later, Conall took her there. The woman, Drew’s aunt, gave them another address, telling them that when they found her, to tell Drew she still owed rent. It had taken Conall restraining her to keep Vivienne from attacking the woman. Her niece could very well be missing and she was only thinking of money? It was no wonder Drew hadn’t mentioned them before. Her aunt was a bitch.

They arrived at the building and piggybacked off of someone entering to get to Drew’s apartment. Vivienne knocked a few times before Conall “opened” the door. From the moment she entered, Vivienne’s fears were confirmed.

Something bad had happened to Drew. It was obvious from the sparseness of the rooms, and the tons of unopened boxes lying around, that Drew had not been here in a long time. There was a note attached to one of the boxes.

Waited for you for thirty minutes. Placed box inside and closed door.—Ikea guys.

It was dated as well. Almost two weeks ago.

“Oh my God,” Vivienne whispered. “The door was open when they got here.”

Conall took the note from her, and read it. He nodded once and went through the other rooms, finding out what Vivienne knew in her heart. Empty. They were all empty. He emerged from the bathroom with her handbag, and Vivienne went through it, finding Drew’s Blackberry. Over forty missed calls, as many voicemails and text messages.

“I should have called sooner,” Vivienne said, shaking her head and looking at the phone. “I should have called.”

Conall caught her in his arms and held her tightly against his body. “We’ll find her, Vivienne.”

Tears welled in her eyes and she pulled away, rummaging through her friend’s purse for her wallet. It was there as well. Credit cards, Social Security card, passport, driver’s license. Someone had taken her from this apartment. Drew wouldn’t go anywhere without her driver’s license. While Vivienne was likely to run out to the grocery store with no form of ID, Drew was adamant about having hers with her.

“She could be dead, Conall,” Vivienne whispered, holding the purse tightly as tears fell from her eyes. “Drew didn’t have enemies. It was Cronin. It had to be him.”