Escape to Morning by Susan May Warren

guess not. Do you have the number?”
    Fadden turned, picked up a report on Mary’s desk, read the number off.
    Dannette pulled a pen out of her jacket and wrote it on her hand. “Thanks. Can you buzz me in?”
    He didn’t even try to hide his scowl as he let her into the offices.
    She strode down the hall to the coffee room and dialed out.
    Fadden was probably right. She was letting her SAR sixth sense push her into people’s lives.
    Except a disconnect tone played in her ear, along with a computerized voice that informed her that the number was out of service. She checked the number, dialed again.
    â€œI think she was afraid,” said the old woman again in her head.
    Dannette hung up the phone, feeling shaky. She returned to the reception area. “Mary, what was that number again?”
    Mary handed Dannette the report, and as she read it her chest tightened. “I think this girl is in trouble,” she said softly.
    When Mary raised her gaze, Dannette saw concern in her expression. Whether for Dannette or the lost girl, Dannette didn’t know. “I’ll bet that if Sheriff Fadden sends a cruiser to this address, they’ll find an empty field,” Dannette said as she handed Mary the report. “And the phone number is a dead end.”
    Mary studied the report as Dannette beelined to Fadden’s office. He was on the phone, leaning back in his chair, laughing. His smile dimmed when she knocked on the open door. He covered the phone receiver with his hand. “What?”
    Dannette hesitated only a moment. “It’s a decoy. This girl is out there, and she’s in trouble. The phone number is bogus, and I’ll lay odds the address is also. Was it a man or a woman on the telephone who filed the report?”
    One dark eyebrow angled down. “I’ll call you back,” Fadden said into the telephone and hung up. He buzzed Mary. “Do you remember the gender of the person who filed the missing person’s report?”
    â€œMale.”
    â€œTwo men pulled up and she ran.” “I’m not feeling good about this, Sheriff,” Dannette said.
    Fadden wore his default exasperated expression. “When do you feel good about anything, Miss Lundeen? Isn’t that your modus operandi—jump to conclusions?”
    He left the other half of his accusation dangling … conclusions that could cost the sheriff ’s department hard-earned cash.
    She tried to ignore his jab. “I just think that we should take this seriously.”
    â€œListen, they gave her description. It matches the description from the couple who filed the report. And they said they found her.” He held out his hands as if in surrender. “She’s not missing.”
    â€œDoesn’t it bother you in the least that we can’t confirm this?”
    He shook his head, dismissal in his eyes. “I think we’re done here.”
    â€œNo!” Dannette winced at the panic in her voice. “Just let me call in Kelly.”
    Fadden’s dark eyes fired, and for a moment she thought she actually saw his skin ripple. She stiffened as he angled his head slightly and drilled her with a look that she could have felt in Kentucky.
    â€œYou might want to keep in mind, Miss Lundeen,” he said, keeping his voice low, “that you are here by invitation. My invitation. And since you’ve arrived, you’ve managed to dig a tidy hole in my SAR budget—”
    â€œBut we needed the scents, the dummies—”
    He held up his hand. “Drop this before we drop you. You are not to go digging around and igniting panic. This is a small town, with small-town resources.” He stood and his rolling chair slammed against the wall.
    Dannette tried not to flinch.
    â€œWe not only have no proof. On the contrary , she’s been found. You go out there, Lundeen, and I guarantee you that I’ll be on the telephone to ARDA, making sure you