CHAPTER 26In his effort to find Janine, Stratford staked out Jake’s Jazz Bar on Monday night without even catching a glimpse of her. It would be unusual, he figured, that a bartender would miss out on two consecutive nights of work, so there would be a very good chance she’d be at the bar on Tuesday. He was wrong. There was no sign of her the next night either, so he decided to inquire with the bartender on duty.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked.
“I’m looking for my friend Janine,” Stratford answered.
“She’s on vacation.”
“Any idea when she’ll be back?”
“Nope. Didn’t say where she was going or when she’d be back.”
That sealed the deal. He’d have to go over to her apartment right away to see what he could find out. It was after one a.m. when he arrived at her place in Cicero.
