ransom?”
Pierre’s lips pulled down in a sneer. “I do not follow the U.S. news enough to know that those were the girls. Nor did I pay much attention to the flier. I hadn’t seen any girls, after all.”
“What about this man?” Carl pointed to the name under the flier. “Officer Fayande is the contact on the flier. May I speak to him?”
If Carl hadn’t been watching for it, he might not have noticed the brief conflict in the chief’s eyes. “He is away on business.”
So Fayande did work here. “Is this number on the flier his phone number?”
“I will have him call you as soon as he returns.” The words came out hostile.
Carl straightened up slowly. Pierre’s attitude wasn’t making sense. He should be apologetic, sympathetic, helpful. Instead he was—condescending and defensive. He’s covering something.
Carl kept his face neutral. If the man knew that he suspected, any chances of finding answers would slip away.
“Thank you for your time.” Carl pulled back the pictures and his badge.
Pierre’s face relaxed. “Good luck on your search.”
“Same to you.” Carl ducked out of the office. The pieces were here. He just had to put them together.
He stepped outside into the busy sidewalk, moving out of the way of pedestrians. He walked to a bus stop and waited.
The girls had been here one week ago. Had someone called and turned them in? Or had they made it out of town? And if so, where would they go?
To the States, of course. They would make a beeline for the U.S.
He could call the number listed on the flier, but not from his cell phone. He didn’t know if he would be calling Officer Fayande or The Hand. Even though it was restricted, the number could be traced.
What were the police hiding? What did they know?
The bus arrived, and he climbed on. He hoped he would have better luck with the RCMP.
Chapter 16
The girls slept longer than expected.
Jaci was hungry. Her body felt sluggish, unable to function. She lifted her head from her arms and noticed pools of water on the curled brown leaves in front of her. She picked a leaf up and licked it. “There has to be water around here. For the wildlife.”
Amanda slung a shoulder bag across her body. “Let’s find it then.”
They picked the leaves out of each other’s hair before starting off again.
We’re so quiet, Jaci thought. Her legs ached, her shoulders were raw from the bag, and her stomach cramped.
It was spooky out there. They jumped at squirrels rushing, and birds rustling through branches sent them whirling around, trying to identify the source.
The forest continued in front of them, exactly the same as behind them. If it weren’t for the compass, they would have no idea where to go.
“I’m so thirsty,” said Sara.
“We can go up to three days without water,” Jaci said, trying to be encouraging. “We had water yesterday when it rained.”
Sara paused. “Wait. Listen.”
There was a whispering. Definitely a creek of some kind. The girls quickened their pace.
Jaci was so intent on reaching the water that at first she didn’t notice the other sounds. She grabbed Sara’s arm, pulling her to a stop.
“People.”
Amanda moved past them. “People aren’t a bad thing.”
“But we have to know what we’re going in to.”
Voices reached Jaci’s ears. Children’s voices.
“It’s a park.” She hurried forward, arriving at the small stream. Only a foot deep but six feet across, the fast-moving water bubbled over rocks and branches as it hurried downstream.
Jaci knelt down and scooped the water up to her mouth.
Amanda stopped beside her. “How do you know that water’s good?”
“It smells good.”
Sara joined Jaci. “Good enough for me.”
Amanda looked out over the water. “I’ll pass. Let’s just get across. There’s people. We can get real water.” She stuck her foot in the stream and gasped. “It’s cold.”
Jaci stood, having quenched her thirst. “Just go.”
The water was
Pierre’s lips pulled down in a sneer. “I do not follow the U.S. news enough to know that those were the girls. Nor did I pay much attention to the flier. I hadn’t seen any girls, after all.”
“What about this man?” Carl pointed to the name under the flier. “Officer Fayande is the contact on the flier. May I speak to him?”
If Carl hadn’t been watching for it, he might not have noticed the brief conflict in the chief’s eyes. “He is away on business.”
So Fayande did work here. “Is this number on the flier his phone number?”
“I will have him call you as soon as he returns.” The words came out hostile.
Carl straightened up slowly. Pierre’s attitude wasn’t making sense. He should be apologetic, sympathetic, helpful. Instead he was—condescending and defensive. He’s covering something.
Carl kept his face neutral. If the man knew that he suspected, any chances of finding answers would slip away.
“Thank you for your time.” Carl pulled back the pictures and his badge.
Pierre’s face relaxed. “Good luck on your search.”
“Same to you.” Carl ducked out of the office. The pieces were here. He just had to put them together.
He stepped outside into the busy sidewalk, moving out of the way of pedestrians. He walked to a bus stop and waited.
The girls had been here one week ago. Had someone called and turned them in? Or had they made it out of town? And if so, where would they go?
To the States, of course. They would make a beeline for the U.S.
He could call the number listed on the flier, but not from his cell phone. He didn’t know if he would be calling Officer Fayande or The Hand. Even though it was restricted, the number could be traced.
What were the police hiding? What did they know?
The bus arrived, and he climbed on. He hoped he would have better luck with the RCMP.
Chapter 16
The girls slept longer than expected.
Jaci was hungry. Her body felt sluggish, unable to function. She lifted her head from her arms and noticed pools of water on the curled brown leaves in front of her. She picked a leaf up and licked it. “There has to be water around here. For the wildlife.”
Amanda slung a shoulder bag across her body. “Let’s find it then.”
They picked the leaves out of each other’s hair before starting off again.
We’re so quiet, Jaci thought. Her legs ached, her shoulders were raw from the bag, and her stomach cramped.
It was spooky out there. They jumped at squirrels rushing, and birds rustling through branches sent them whirling around, trying to identify the source.
The forest continued in front of them, exactly the same as behind them. If it weren’t for the compass, they would have no idea where to go.
“I’m so thirsty,” said Sara.
“We can go up to three days without water,” Jaci said, trying to be encouraging. “We had water yesterday when it rained.”
Sara paused. “Wait. Listen.”
There was a whispering. Definitely a creek of some kind. The girls quickened their pace.
Jaci was so intent on reaching the water that at first she didn’t notice the other sounds. She grabbed Sara’s arm, pulling her to a stop.
“People.”
Amanda moved past them. “People aren’t a bad thing.”
“But we have to know what we’re going in to.”
Voices reached Jaci’s ears. Children’s voices.
“It’s a park.” She hurried forward, arriving at the small stream. Only a foot deep but six feet across, the fast-moving water bubbled over rocks and branches as it hurried downstream.
Jaci knelt down and scooped the water up to her mouth.
Amanda stopped beside her. “How do you know that water’s good?”
“It smells good.”
Sara joined Jaci. “Good enough for me.”
Amanda looked out over the water. “I’ll pass. Let’s just get across. There’s people. We can get real water.” She stuck her foot in the stream and gasped. “It’s cold.”
Jaci stood, having quenched her thirst. “Just go.”
The water was
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