The Diner

Chapter 1-2

John returned to Mayor Dunn’s office an hour after leaving it that morning. “I take it you haven’t heard from him,” he said to the mayor’s secretary.

She shook her head. “Not a word and I’m beginning to get worried. This is not like him at all. I called his wife. Maggie’s working herself into a state. Could you…?” She looked hopefully at John.

“I’ll go talk to her. But first I’ll check around town. He might have run into someone and lost track of the time. I’ll also read him the riot act about not turning his phone on if I do find him.”

“It won’t do any good. He’s stubborn about that. But be my guest.”

John left, going out to his car after letting the dispatcher know what he was doing. His first stops were at the two restaurants he knew Mayor Dunn favored. No one at either place had seen him that morning. He also tried a few of the local, non-tourist businesses. Again, no one had seen the mayor.

His last stop was the mayor’s house. When he pulled up in front, he saw the curtain move in the front room. By the time he got up to the porch Maggie Dunn was waiting for him.

“Have you found him?” she asked frantically. “Maybe he was in an accident or…or something.”

“There haven’t been any accidents reported,” he replied, keeping his voice calm. “So at least that’s out. Unfortunately, no one’s seen him in town. Was he driving or…Never mind. You wouldn’t have asked about accidents if he’d decided to walk to work.”

“He drove. I watched his car until he turned the corner.” Her hand was shaking as she touched his arm. “Please find him, John.”

He nodded toward the swing on the porch. “Why don’t you sit? I have to ask you a couple of questions.”

With obvious reluctance she did, brushing back a stand of graying hair that had fallen over her forehead. “What do you want to know?” she said tremulously.

After pulling over one of the rattan chairs and sitting, he replied, “Did you two have an argument of any kind?”

“No! We don’t do that…too often. When we do, we settle it quickly.” She twisted her hands in her lap. “We’ve been married long enough to know most of our arguments are over silly things and easily solved.”

Smiling, he patted her arm. “Very wise of you. All right. As far as you know, has he had any falling-outs with someone? Maybe over a ruling he and the city council made or a law he’s pushing for that someone might object to?”

She frowned thoughtfully. “Not that he said. He doesn’t always get along with everyone, but then who does? Still, as far as I know, there isn’t anyone who would want to harm him, if that’s what you’re implying.” She chewed the corner of her lip.

“It’s always a consideration when a person seems to be missing. Not of course that he really is,” he reassured her. “I’m sure he’s just off doing something very mundane that he’d forgotten about until this morning. He’ll probably show up any second now, wondering why anyone was worried about him in the first place.”

“Maybe,” she said hesitantly. “Still, it’s not like him to do this without at least letting his secretary know he was running late.”

“According to her, he doesn’t use his cell until after he’s gotten there. And then only because it’s a necessity for the job. But you know that.”

Maggie barely smiled as she replied, “He hates them. Says when he’s not working there’s no reason to let anyone and everyone bother him.”

John chuckled. “I know the feeling. Okay, Maggie, I’ll go see if I can find out where he’s landed. If he does call you, or show up back here, let me know, please.”

“I will, after I read him the riot act for worrying me and everyone else.” When he stood, she looked up at him. “Please find him.”

“I’m going to do my best,” he replied firmly. “After all, he can’t have vanished off the face of the earth.”

* * * *

“Did you hear?” Cody said the moment Noah opened his apartment door to let his friend in. “The mayor is missing.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep. At least according to what I heard from some of the customers who came into the store. He never showed up at work and his wife is frantic.”

Noah shook his head. “Weird. Maybe he decided to go fishing or something and forgot to tell anyone. He is getting old and old people do forget things sometimes.”

Cody followed him into the kitchen, taking a beer when Noah offered it. “I don’t think that’s something he’d forget to tell at least his wife. Besides, he’d have had to pack his fishing gear and she’d have seen him do it. Right?”

“I guess.” Noah leaned against the counter, popping his beer open and taking a drink. “Since you’ve been collecting rumors,” he said with a laugh, “have you heard anything about who bought the old bakery and why?”

Cody snapped his fingers. “Yeah. Mr. Jenson said he walked by it this afternoon and peered inside. He told me it looks like it’s being worked on.” He grinned broadly. “He saw a bunch of tables and chairs stacked in one corner. And, where the bakery kitchen was? Whoever’s doing the work cut a hole in the wall between it and the main room, like for handing out orders, so maybe, just maybe, it is going to be a diner.”

“Wow, they’re working fast. But don’t get your hopes up. It could still be yet another tourist restaurant.”

“Yeah I guess.” Cody sighed, taking a drink of beer. “But tourist ones are all chichi and…well, you know. They don’t let the people see what’s going on in the kitchen like diners do. Do they?”

“Not around here, that’s for sure. So we can only hope whoever bought it saw a need for some place for the locals to hang out, besides Mike’s Bar.”

Cody nodded. “Please God you’re right.” He took another drink of beer. “I guess I should get back upstairs. I have a friend coming over and I think she’d really like me to be there when she arrives. After all, I am fixing dinner for her.”

Noah laughed. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.”

* * * *

The man unlocked the back door of the old bakery after making certain no one was watching and stepped inside. Taking off his wide-brimmed hat, he set it carefully on the table next to the door. Then he stood, arms folded over his chest, surveying what had been accomplished so far.

“It’s coming along well,” he murmured. “Soon…”

Moving silently into the main room, he set to work.