Thou Art With Me by Debbie Viguié Read Free Book Online Page A

it was going with her.
    Suddenly the pile of clothes on the bed moved. Cindy backpedaled quickly, heart pounding as someone or something seemed to be rising from their hiding place.
    Cindy felt an intense surge of relief as a tiny black head popped out of the pile of clothes. Sleepy yellow eyes blinked at her.
    “Blackie! How long have you been in there?”
    The kitten yawned and stretched before sauntering over to her. She shouldn’t have been surprised. He loved to tunnel under anything and everything he possibly could. She sat down on top of the pile of clothes and he climbed into her lap, purring his heart out.
    “You’re going to get to stay with Aunt Geanie and Uncle Joseph for a few days,” she told him. “Aunt Geanie will pick you up after work tomorrow.”
    She had to feel a little sorry for Geanie and Joseph. They had somehow become the go-to babysitters for all the kids and pets in their little circle. At least they didn’t seem to mind. Jeremiah’s dog would be going there, too. Captain and Blackie had become good friends. The big German Shepherd seemed to think that the tiny kitten was his responsibility. Joseph’s poodle was so well-mannered that she had no more than sniffed Blackie once when they were first introduced and then promptly ignored the mischievous kitten. So, no worries there. Cindy did have one other concern, though.
    “Just don’t get lost in their big house and make everyone have to go look for you,” Cindy admonished.
    Blackie closed his eyes, clearly making no promises.
     
     
    The next couple days sped by and Cindy woke Monday morning with butterflies in her stomach. She was far more nervous than she had thought she would be. She put on a new white pencil skirt that was shorter than the little black dress and paired it with a sleeveless, pink blouse of raw silk. She slid on a new pair of pink pumps. After fluffing her hair and putting on some make-up she squared her shoulders as she faced herself in the mirror.
    “You can do this,” she told her reflection. “Find the bad guys, save the day, wow the guy. You totally can do this.”
    She heard a car pull up outside. That would be Mark come to pick her up. She took a deep breath, walked into the family room, grabbed her bags and headed out.
    Jeremiah was already in the backseat and she hesitated.
    “Love birds sit together in the back,” Mark said as he helped her put her luggage in the trunk. “Just pretend I’m your chauffer.”
    “Should we call you James?” she asked, smirking.
    “Do and I’ll turn this car right around,” he threatened.
    Moments later she was in the backseat. Jeremiah quietly reached out and grabbed her hand, surprising her slightly. She gave it a squeeze, expecting him to let go, but he held on.
    “New outfit?” he asked.
    “Yes, do you like it?”
    “It’s very nice.”
    They were on the road in a minute.
    “Okay, my captain’s friend who went missing was named Malcolm Griffith. Here’s a picture,” Mark said, passing a photograph back to them.
    He was an older looking man, with salt and pepper hair but he looked extremely fit. He looked like the type who was into healthy living, jogging, and all that.
    “He went missing a week ago. He was at a health and wellness retreat by himself. Every six months or so he does one of those. Detox, destress, all that stuff,” Mark said. “He never came home, and his wife is frantic. Now the center claims to have no knowledge of what happened to him.”
    “Do we know when exactly he disappeared?” Cindy asked.
    “Not with one hundred percent certainty. He was in the habit of phoning his wife twice a day during these retreats and sending her pictures all throughout the day showing him doing whatever. On the fourth day of a seven day retreat he never checked in. That evening she called over there and was told that he was in a treatment session and couldn’t be disturbed. She got the same thing on the fifth day and on the sixth they said he wasn’t