Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Beth sat in her car in the parking lot of Finn’s, a new diner on the southern outskirts of town. She found something soothing about the new floors, walls, and decor of a place like Finn’s. Perhaps it was the diner’s contrast with the clutter of her own townhouse, or the clutter in her life. Over the last month, she’d been a disorganized mess, trying to make sense of her life, and shooting in the dark for answers to the mysteries of Sapphire Angel.
The lot was only half full, since it was already ten o’clock in the morning. Beth wasn’t a morning person, so Conner hadn’t expressed surprise when she had suggested a late breakfast. He had hesitated before agreeing, though, so a pit of nervousness roiled in her stomached as she exited her car and walked to the bright red double doors at the entrance.
She entered and took in her surroundings. The restaurant captured the ambiance of a 1950s diner, but with bright red colors dominating the decor. Red padding covered the seats and booths, squeaking whenever a patron moved. Red and white tiles overlaid the tables, adding to the vintage look.
Beth scanned the crowd and saw Conner seated at a booth in the back. As Beth glided past the tables and booths, a few twenty-something men stole glances at her. She wore Conner’s favorite skirt — long, a red pattern, and silk. It hugged her body, highlighting her lithe figure as she moved. She paired it with a black sweater and wore her hair pinned up on her head. She was oblivious to the looks following her, her mind lost with thoughts of what to say to Conner.
“Hey,” he said as he rose, and she slid into the padded seat across from him. “I already ordered you some OJ.”
“Thanks,” she said, forcing her best smile. Under the table, her hands fidgeted on her lap.
“I’m glad we can talk,” she began.
Conner held up a hand. “Let’s wait until after we order and get our food.”
Beth bit her lip and nodded. “Okay.”
Beth looked down and played with her napkin, ignoring the menu since she knew what she wanted. A few moments later a young, attractive brunette arrived to take their order, and Beth twisted her mouth in annoyance as the woman kept her eyes on Conner. Beth spoke to get the woman’s attention, ordering a cup of fruit and a bagel, while Conner asked for scrambled eggs and bacon.
There was an awkward moment of silence between Beth and Conner as the waitress headed toward the kitchen. A television in the corner played news of the Savage Gang, a gang causing chaos in cities across the nation. Beth glanced up at the television before looking down and rearranging her utensils.
“Hard to believe it’s already October,” she said.
“Yeah,” Conner replied.
After a few more awkward moments of silence, Beth’s phone rang. She grabbed her purse and dug through the disorganized contents, looking for the device.
“I’ll send it to voicemail,” she said.
“No, go ahead, take the call.”
She found the button on the side of her phone and pressed it to dismiss the call. She took the phone from the bag and set it on the table next to her utensils.
“Sorry,” she said with an uncomfortable smile.
“No problem,” Conner applied.
Her phone rang again. She gave an exasperated sigh and glanced down to see the caller’s name across the screen. Jack Benn.
Jack was a college friend of hers. He and his two roommates, Eric Stump and Ross Parker, had been inseparable throughout college, and all three had been close with Beth. The three friends now lived together in a small town in Colorado.
Before Conner could say anything, she dismissed the call again and looked up with another apologetic smile.
“You can take that, you know,” Conner said. “This place is fast, but it will still be a few minutes until our food is ready.”
“That’s okay,” she replied. “I can call him back later. It’s one of the guys from Colorado.”
“Ah, the dork brigade,” he said, a smile crossing his face. The “dork brigade” was Conner’s name for the three Colorado friends. He hadn’t met them in person, but had been present during a few of her online video chats with them. Although Conner was perhaps the most confident man she knew, she had chided him for his comments, suggesting it made him seem insecure. He had responded by assuring her that the three friends secretly drooled over her, and he had laughed when she insisted they were only friends.
As a few more uncomfortable moments of silence ticked by, Beth’s phone chimed with the arrival of a text message. She looked down at the screen to see a message from Jack.
Eric missing. Need some advice. Please call ASAP.
“Jack again?” Conner asked with a smirk on his face.
“Yes, I need to call him,” Beth replied, flustered, as she slid out of the booth. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
She hurried for the hall leading back to the restrooms. By the time she reached the end of the hall, she was already dialing Jack’s number. He answered on the first ring. She stood near the doors to the restrooms, with a view down the hall toward the rest of the diner.
“Hey Beth, thanks for getting back to me so quickly,” Jack said, his voice thick with tension. Jack was normally the easygoing one of the three Colorado friends, so Beth’s pulse quickened.
“What’s wrong, Jack? What’s going on? Where’s Eric?”
“It’s not like him at all, Beth,” Jack replied, the words rushing from his mouth. Beth stood with her phone to one ear and a finger to the other, so she could block out the noise coming from the diner. “This meeting was a big deal. And he just left his car behind. He never goes away without telling us. I can’t believe they’re not taking this seriously. That’s why we thought to call you. You’ve done a couple stories where I’m sure you really had to do some digging. So we need some pointers. And you’re dating that investigator guy. We thought you’d have a clue what we should tell them to get their attention.”
Beth raised an eyebrow as he spoke. She had never heard him like this. He was frantic, his words nearly incoherent.
“Okay Jack, take a deep breath and start from the start,” Beth said in her calmest tone. Her mind was processing the various fragments Jack had blurted out. She made a mental checklist of points to go over with him.
“Sorry,” Jack said. “We haven’t slept much, so I’m probably rambling. Ross and I were out all night and morning, looking. Ross is still downtown, looking around. I came back here to our place to double check again, to see if I missed a note or something. I’m exhausted.”
“That’s okay,” she said, her voice exuding empathy. “You said they’re not taking things seriously. Who did you mean?”
“The police,” he answered. “They told us late last night, or maybe early this morning, that he’s been gone less than 24 hours, so he doesn’t even qualify as a missing person under their guidelines. But I’m telling you, Beth — somebody snatched him. Or killed him.”
End of Chapter 5
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
.....Well, that breakfast “date” didn’t get very far, now, did it? xD
Then again, I kind of understand the situation. With everything that’s been going on regarding Eric Stump, it makes sense that Jack would be worried about the whole thing. It’s DEFINITELY Mantis. (I wanna see a Raven Vs. Mantis fight. Animal duel!!!!! 🍿)
So much for that “superhero break”. Time for some action! Let’s be real; criminals never take a break, so heroes shouldn’t, either. I wonder if Conner’s going to come along or if she’ll just leave him behind for her duties as Sapphire again, like she’s always done before. :P
Moving on!