Free Anyplace But Here (Oklahoma Lovers Series Book 5) by Callie Hutton Page B

the evening. She would have been wearing the uniform of a Harvey House waitress and in the company of a man.”
    The officer spat a stream of tobacco juice onto the floor. “And, of course, seeing as how you’re a real important ex- Texas Ranger, you believe the police have nothing else to do but watch for taxis arriving in Oklahoma City.”
    “No, of course not. I’m merely providing this information in case something happened that night that might have brought the couple to your attention.”
    “Nope.”
    “Is there a way to check the log for that night?”
    “Nope.”
    Hunter lowered his head and grinned, his hands on his hips. “All right. I understand you don’t want to help. I can appreciate that. It’s just that checking in with the local police first is how I do my job.”
    “What job? You said you were an ex- Texas Ranger.”
    “That’s correct. But I’m working a private case. I don’t want the local police hearing there’s a stranger in town asking a lot of questions without knowing who I am and why I’m here.”
    The officer studied him for a few moments, shifting the tobacco wad once more. “If you wait here, I’ll check the log for September twenty-first.”
    “Thanks.”
    Twenty minutes later, Hunter left the building frustrated. There was nothing in the police log that mentioned a problem with a man escorting a woman who didn’t seemed to want to be with him. Not that he expected it to be that easy. At least once the officer had gotten in his jabs, he’d agreed to cooperate.
    He checked his watch and decided to have a talk with the night desk clerks at as many hotels as he could cover in one evening.
    The first hotel clerk had no memory of a woman dressed in a Harvey House uniform checking in that night. Of course she could have changed clothes, but the taxi driver in Guthrie had stated he’d driven a man, and a woman in a Harvey House uniform to Oklahoma City. Most likely she was still wearing the uniform when they’d arrived here.
    He would bet whoever grabbed her hadn’t wanted to call attention to them by having her change before they checked into a hotel.
    The second, third, and fourth hotel clerks merely shook their heads when he asked the question. By that time it was well after eleven o’clock and he decided a good night’s sleep would help more than anything else at this point. He trudged back to his hotel, waving a greeting at the desk clerk whom he had already questioned before he’d gone to dinner.
    Galveston, Texas
    Maria, Emily’s maid, helped her into a dress, adjusting the shoulders, and smoothing the skirt. “You look lovely, Mrs. Smith. I’m so glad you will be visiting your friends today.”
    Emily smiled at the older woman who had been with her since she’d married Louis. As fond as Emily was of the woman, she knew Maria was bought and paid for by Louis and had reported things to him that Emily would have preferred she kept to herself. It had only taken her a few months after her marriage to realize all of the staff was under her husband’s thumb. Most likely they were threatened with unemployment if they didn’t adhere to his rules.
    “Yes, Maria. It will be nice to leave my bedroom, even if only for a few hours this afternoon.” Louis had visited her this morning and informed her he had accepted an invitation on her behalf to attend a tea at the local women’s club. He smiled as he listed the attendees on whom he wanted useful information.
    One of the women was a very nice older lady, Mrs. Fairfield, who had been nothing but kind to Emily. It angered her to have to use her friendship with the woman to pry into her private life. Emily would be searching for information Louis could use against her should she become suspicious of her investments with his firm.
    The second woman, a young wife with a new baby, had recently received a sum of money from a deceased relative, and was looking for a place to invest it. Since her husband was overseas on a lengthy