24
Shelley, Idaho
Carl squinted against the bright sunlight coming from the eastern side of the graveyard. A few colorful leaves drifted around the hole in the ground, indicating that fall was close behind.
It looked like the whole town of Shelley had shown up for the funeral. Carl swallowed and worked hard to keep his face straight.
The preacher finished up his words and closed his Bible. Someone said a prayer. Carl watched them lower the white casket into the ground. A young, beautiful girl lay in there, cut off before her time was done.
Beside him Kristin wiped her eyes. Mrs. Nichols gathered her younger children around her and sobbed.
A line formed to pay their respects to the Nichols family. Carl waited his turn. He had news from his trip to Canada that he hoped would be some sort of condolence.
Kristin touched his arm. “I’ll wait at the car.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
The line dwindled down. He put on his best business face and approached the Nichols family.
Mr. Nichols saw him first. “Detective Hamilton.” He reached out and clasped Carl’s arm. “Thank you for coming.”
“Yes,” Mrs. Nichols said, her blue eyes shining like sapphires.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t find her before this happened.” Carl took it personally every time they lost someone. Especially a kid.
Mr. Nichols inclined his head. “So are we.”
“I’ll be leaving for Canada in the afternoon. The Alberta flier had a Montreal phone number.”
“Do you think the other girls are still alive?”
“If they are, we’ll find them. The flier was printed less than a week ago. Obviously they have escaped. At this point they could be running, or someone may have turned them in. Hopefully Montreal will have some answers for me.” He looked toward the car, where Kristin waited for him.
Mr. Nichols nodded. “Please let us know. Good luck.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Carl shook his hand and strode away. He hoped that would be the only funeral he attended.
Chapter 15
The day they left, Silvet came into the room and handed an armload of clothing to Jaci.
“Thank you,” Jaci said. Silvet walked back out.
Jaci turned the clothes over in her hands, examining them. They were well worn, hand-knitted sweaters. Jaci divided them among the shoulder bags Silvet had given them in exchange for the duffel bag. “I guess it’s time to say goodbye.”
Amanda shook her head. “I’ve been saying goodbye all morning. The old man got so sick of me, he locked himself in his room.”
Jaci tossed a bag to each of them. “Silvet’s already put some homemade jerky and bread into each bag. Should last us a few days, at least. One bag has a flashlight and a compass and another one has matches and candles.”
“That was nice of her,” Sara said. “Where did they find a flashlight and compass?”
“Beats me. Probably some camper left it behind. The flashlight works, but the batteries won’t last long.” Jaci took a deep breath. “All right. Let’s go.”
The girls filed out the front door. The old woman stood waiting on the deck. She turned her cheek to receive a kiss from each girl, then watched them walk down the porch.
Her hand raised in a wave, her mouth moving inaudibly. She went back into the house. The old man didn’t even come out.
The girls followed a rough, two-lane road for most of the day. They watched for cars, but few passed. When the road turned west, they left it to continue their southward journey.
As much as they tried to ration the food, that first day they ate all the bread and jerky from two of the bags.
The next day they reached what Jaci assumed was the boundary between Canada and the States—a fence overgrown with trees and bushes.
“Any cameras?” Amanda asked.
They glanced around but didn’t see any guards or cameras. Jaci half expected to be stopped as they slid between two old fence posts.
They made it across without being detained. Anxious to get past the fence, they took off into
Shelley, Idaho
Carl squinted against the bright sunlight coming from the eastern side of the graveyard. A few colorful leaves drifted around the hole in the ground, indicating that fall was close behind.
It looked like the whole town of Shelley had shown up for the funeral. Carl swallowed and worked hard to keep his face straight.
The preacher finished up his words and closed his Bible. Someone said a prayer. Carl watched them lower the white casket into the ground. A young, beautiful girl lay in there, cut off before her time was done.
Beside him Kristin wiped her eyes. Mrs. Nichols gathered her younger children around her and sobbed.
A line formed to pay their respects to the Nichols family. Carl waited his turn. He had news from his trip to Canada that he hoped would be some sort of condolence.
Kristin touched his arm. “I’ll wait at the car.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
The line dwindled down. He put on his best business face and approached the Nichols family.
Mr. Nichols saw him first. “Detective Hamilton.” He reached out and clasped Carl’s arm. “Thank you for coming.”
“Yes,” Mrs. Nichols said, her blue eyes shining like sapphires.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t find her before this happened.” Carl took it personally every time they lost someone. Especially a kid.
Mr. Nichols inclined his head. “So are we.”
“I’ll be leaving for Canada in the afternoon. The Alberta flier had a Montreal phone number.”
“Do you think the other girls are still alive?”
“If they are, we’ll find them. The flier was printed less than a week ago. Obviously they have escaped. At this point they could be running, or someone may have turned them in. Hopefully Montreal will have some answers for me.” He looked toward the car, where Kristin waited for him.
Mr. Nichols nodded. “Please let us know. Good luck.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Carl shook his hand and strode away. He hoped that would be the only funeral he attended.
Chapter 15
The day they left, Silvet came into the room and handed an armload of clothing to Jaci.
“Thank you,” Jaci said. Silvet walked back out.
Jaci turned the clothes over in her hands, examining them. They were well worn, hand-knitted sweaters. Jaci divided them among the shoulder bags Silvet had given them in exchange for the duffel bag. “I guess it’s time to say goodbye.”
Amanda shook her head. “I’ve been saying goodbye all morning. The old man got so sick of me, he locked himself in his room.”
Jaci tossed a bag to each of them. “Silvet’s already put some homemade jerky and bread into each bag. Should last us a few days, at least. One bag has a flashlight and a compass and another one has matches and candles.”
“That was nice of her,” Sara said. “Where did they find a flashlight and compass?”
“Beats me. Probably some camper left it behind. The flashlight works, but the batteries won’t last long.” Jaci took a deep breath. “All right. Let’s go.”
The girls filed out the front door. The old woman stood waiting on the deck. She turned her cheek to receive a kiss from each girl, then watched them walk down the porch.
Her hand raised in a wave, her mouth moving inaudibly. She went back into the house. The old man didn’t even come out.
The girls followed a rough, two-lane road for most of the day. They watched for cars, but few passed. When the road turned west, they left it to continue their southward journey.
As much as they tried to ration the food, that first day they ate all the bread and jerky from two of the bags.
The next day they reached what Jaci assumed was the boundary between Canada and the States—a fence overgrown with trees and bushes.
“Any cameras?” Amanda asked.
They glanced around but didn’t see any guards or cameras. Jaci half expected to be stopped as they slid between two old fence posts.
They made it across without being detained. Anxious to get past the fence, they took off into
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