have to worry about their children walking home from school alone, always concerned and on guard, thinking their children may be snatched from the street? Most of us live here because we don’t want all that stuff that happens in the big city. We don’t want to have to worry about locking the door and keeping it locked during the day.”
“I get that, Clinton, and maybe I’m too jaded, but let me tell you something: Trinity all but vanished into thin air. She disappeared from this school, and nobody saw anything. What that tells me is that folks around here are too lax,” he said. It came out a little sharply, and he noted the fear that flickered across Clinton’s face. Good. He was scared, and he should have been==especially at the thought of his own child growing up in this community. Logan swept his hand out to the people gathered. “Let’s get started! We don’t have any time to waste.”
He spent the next ten minutes going over the map and search grids with the team leaders. Everyone had their radios and backpacks with supplies, and they dispersed out the door. Logan caught Julia lingering, holding her daughter’s hand and barely holding it together. He could see her wide eyes, people stopping and talking to her, and she nodded each time. He made his way through the bodies to Julia, and she looked right at him, as if she had already known he was there.
He slid his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go. I’ll take you home. I have to go back to the station. Do you have someone you can call for Dawn? You two shouldn’t be alone, and I would prefer someone was there with you.”
She touched her forehead as if she had forgotten something. “I need to call their father and let him know. Oh, he’s going to blame me.”
Logan didn’t miss how stressed she had become. “Give me his number. I’ll call him.”
She looked to him, started to shake her head.
“Look, this is about Trinity,” Logan said. “I’ll talk to him after I take you home, and then I need to start searching. I’ll ask Rose to come over and stay with you.”
She only nodded, but then she said, “No, you need Rose at the station to help you. I’ll call Ruth Lewis. She has a shop next to mine, and she lives not far from me. She already offered.”
“Call her now. Ask her to meet us,” Logan added, watching Julia as she scrambled with a shaky hand, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. She put her hand on her forehead as she pressed the phone to her ear. Dawn was standing there, wide eyed and lost. He’d seen that shell-shocked look before, way too many times, and it wasn’t fair for a child to wear it. He leaned down as Julia talked on the phone, and he slid his fingers over her cheek. Dawn stepped closer to him as if looking for a safe space. He reached for her again, and she quickly slipped her tiny hand in his. He could feel how fragile she was.
“She’ll meet us at my house,” Julia said.
“Good. Let’s go.” Logan led them both out of the gym. The men and women who were part of the search and rescue team also followed. He had them in his Jeep and at her house right as a blond woman arrived, stepping out of a small red Honda.
“Hello, we haven’t met yet, Sheriff. Ruth Lewis—I own the beauty salon on Main Street.”
He shut the door to the Jeep. “Logan Wilde,” he said. “Listen, Ruth, if for some reason you hear anything, you call Rose at the station.”
“Absolutely, Sheriff,” Ruth said. She waited for Julia to approach, then reached down for Dawn’s hand. “Come on, honey. Why don’t you take me inside and show me all your dolls?”
Julia rummaged in her bag for her keys, but Logan could see she was one step from losing it. He didn’t hesitate to move closer, and she went right into his arms, clutching his shirtfront, trembling. He could tell she was fighting to hold it together. He held her tight and didn’t miss the moment Ruth realized there was something between them.
“Julia, listen
“I get that, Clinton, and maybe I’m too jaded, but let me tell you something: Trinity all but vanished into thin air. She disappeared from this school, and nobody saw anything. What that tells me is that folks around here are too lax,” he said. It came out a little sharply, and he noted the fear that flickered across Clinton’s face. Good. He was scared, and he should have been==especially at the thought of his own child growing up in this community. Logan swept his hand out to the people gathered. “Let’s get started! We don’t have any time to waste.”
He spent the next ten minutes going over the map and search grids with the team leaders. Everyone had their radios and backpacks with supplies, and they dispersed out the door. Logan caught Julia lingering, holding her daughter’s hand and barely holding it together. He could see her wide eyes, people stopping and talking to her, and she nodded each time. He made his way through the bodies to Julia, and she looked right at him, as if she had already known he was there.
He slid his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go. I’ll take you home. I have to go back to the station. Do you have someone you can call for Dawn? You two shouldn’t be alone, and I would prefer someone was there with you.”
She touched her forehead as if she had forgotten something. “I need to call their father and let him know. Oh, he’s going to blame me.”
Logan didn’t miss how stressed she had become. “Give me his number. I’ll call him.”
She looked to him, started to shake her head.
“Look, this is about Trinity,” Logan said. “I’ll talk to him after I take you home, and then I need to start searching. I’ll ask Rose to come over and stay with you.”
She only nodded, but then she said, “No, you need Rose at the station to help you. I’ll call Ruth Lewis. She has a shop next to mine, and she lives not far from me. She already offered.”
“Call her now. Ask her to meet us,” Logan added, watching Julia as she scrambled with a shaky hand, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. She put her hand on her forehead as she pressed the phone to her ear. Dawn was standing there, wide eyed and lost. He’d seen that shell-shocked look before, way too many times, and it wasn’t fair for a child to wear it. He leaned down as Julia talked on the phone, and he slid his fingers over her cheek. Dawn stepped closer to him as if looking for a safe space. He reached for her again, and she quickly slipped her tiny hand in his. He could feel how fragile she was.
“She’ll meet us at my house,” Julia said.
“Good. Let’s go.” Logan led them both out of the gym. The men and women who were part of the search and rescue team also followed. He had them in his Jeep and at her house right as a blond woman arrived, stepping out of a small red Honda.
“Hello, we haven’t met yet, Sheriff. Ruth Lewis—I own the beauty salon on Main Street.”
He shut the door to the Jeep. “Logan Wilde,” he said. “Listen, Ruth, if for some reason you hear anything, you call Rose at the station.”
“Absolutely, Sheriff,” Ruth said. She waited for Julia to approach, then reached down for Dawn’s hand. “Come on, honey. Why don’t you take me inside and show me all your dolls?”
Julia rummaged in her bag for her keys, but Logan could see she was one step from losing it. He didn’t hesitate to move closer, and she went right into his arms, clutching his shirtfront, trembling. He could tell she was fighting to hold it together. He held her tight and didn’t miss the moment Ruth realized there was something between them.
“Julia, listen
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