When it comes to my job, no two days are the same. My name is Jamie Rush, and I’m a skip tracer. My work involves finding people who (usually) don’t wish to be found. Sometimes they disappear through no choice of their own. Now and then, I’ll also help someone disappear. Sometimes a woman can have a very good reason for needing to be off the grid, and if I can help her, I’m happy to do so at no charge. I figure I’ll make up the difference doing surveillance in a divorce case or on a debt skip. My partner and close friend, Cookie Hinojosa, tells me I take on too many freebie cases, but when I look at how he spends his time, he’s as bad as I am. It’s one of the things I love most about him.

I live in Port Alene, Texas. Port A, as the locals call it, is a coastal town located about a half hour from Corpus Christi. I love living by the Gulf coast. For the first time in my life, I live somewhere that feels like home. My nomadic childhood meant living in several different cities and towns, and there’s truly no place like Port Alene. Island time takes center stage here. It’s a way of life as well as the name of my favorite coffee shop in town. It means life moves at a slower pace. Fortunately, this extends to my skips. They usually get comfortable here in this small slice of beach heaven, and sooner or later, they relax, which makes them easier to find. You’d be amazed at how many of them are so careful to pay in cash but can’t help but post photos of their impressive catch on Facebook. Some days it’s just too easy.

But then there are those cases that haunt you, follow you around like a jealous boyfriend. People who do this work know what I’m talking about. I’m in the middle of one now, and I couldn’t get away from it even if I wanted to. Cookie likes to remind me that this work isn’t personal, that we can’t take on the burdens of our clients as though they were our own. I have trouble keeping that kind of distance. I think this is part of what makes me good at my job. Cookie says it puts me at risk. Maybe we’re both right.

I live in the loft apartment of Hemingway’s Pier, which is Port Alene’s most beloved locals pub. Marty Scout owns the place as well as serving as head bartender and my backup dog sitter. He often asks to take my English bulldog, Deuce, for the day because he’s great for tips. Marty has a big grey beard, neatly trimmed, bright green eyes and a smile that shows up as sure as the tide. He has a way about him. You’ll divulge things to him you wouldn’t say to a close friend. I know that’s a stereotype with bartenders, but he proves the cliché true. Talking about him makes me wonder if I should start using him for interviews. I’m sure he’d be brilliant at it.

I do have a few routines in my day. I don’t need an alarm clock because I have Deuce waking me up each morning to go out. I then take him with me to the Taqueria San Juan drive through for breakfast tacos and coffee. Bean and cheese are my favorite, but the bacon and egg are a close second. The tortillas are made from scratch each day. Eating one feels like a warm hug from your grandmother. No lie. I order extra for Cookie on most days since our mornings are spent working in my loft office. We spend the early hours reviewing our case notes and then doing some social media mining or interviews. Deuce is our secret weapon in interviews. People drop their guard once they see his sweet, wrinkly mug. Sometimes I take him on surveillance jobs but only if they aren’t for too long. Our afternoons are focused on whatever is most pressing for our current clients. Sometimes Cookie and I need to split up and other times we work together. He talks a lot during surveillance. He says it’s to keep me from falling asleep but I think it’s because he’s between girlfriends, which is fine with me. I have yet to meet a woman who is good enough for him.

I suppose part of what draws me to this work is that I understand that life is messy and unfair, and we often don’t get answers to important questions. Skip tracing is my way of giving my clients an answer, even if it isn’t the one they want. This line of work has taught me that few things are worse than not knowing what happened to a loved one. I know this first hand. This work gives me purpose, keeps me hopeful that, now and then, I’ll be the one to deliver good news.

You can read more about Jamie in Daughters Of Bad Men, the first book in the NEW “Jamie Rush” mystery series and the author’s first full-length novel.

Jamie Rush understands what it takes to disappear because her parents taught her that long ago. Leveraging her knowledge of why and how people run from their own lives, Jamie has built a business based on bringing those in hiding back to answer for their actions. She takes pride in using her somewhat shady skills to work both inside and outside the law.

When her estranged brother, Brian, calls and says his daughter is missing, Jamie initially turns down the case. Kristen has always been a bit wild, frequently dropping off the grid then showing up a few days later. But Brian swears this time is different, and even though Jamie vowed years ago to keep her conniving sibling at arm’s length, she can’t walk away if Kristen could be in real trouble.

As Jamie begins digging into Kristen’s life, she uncovers her niece’s most guarded secrets. Uncovering the truth will put a target on Jamie’s back and endanger the lives of those she loves.

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Meet the author
Laura Oles isn’t quite sure where she’s from. As an Air Force kid, she started school in the Philippines and ended up Texas, attending a different school almost every year in between.

Laura spent two decades as a photo industry journalist covering technology and trends. She has been widely published in numerous photography magazines and served as a columnist for several publications.

Laura’s short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including Murder On Wheels, which won the Silver Falchion Award in 2016. Her short story, “Island Time,” is included in Malice Domestic’s Mystery Most Geographical anthology.

Her debut mystery, Daughters Of Bad Men, is an Agatha nominee for Best First Novel and a Claymore Award finalist. She is also a Writers’ League of Texas Award Finalist. Laura is a member of Austin Mystery Writers, Sisters in Crime and Writers’ League of Texas.

Laura and her husband are outnumbered by their three children– a daughter and identical twin sons who don’t think they look alike. She’s always ready for a road trip and searches out indie bookstores whenever she travels. Visit Laura at lauraoles.com.

All comments are welcomed.