The Shadow's Edge by Patrick Dakin

disappeared. There’s no way she would have just up and took off like that.”
                  “Did she know John Croop?”
                  Lamont’s attention was suddenly right back on Fordham. “Why do you ask?”
                  “Just turning over stones, Billy. Never know what we might find.”
                  “She didn’t exactly know him but it was pretty obvious to me that Croop would have liked to know her .”
                  “What makes you think that?”
                  “The way he’d look at her when he didn’t think anybody was watching him. Shit like that.”
                  “He ever do anything more than look?”
                  “Not as far as I know. But it sure as hell ain’t impossible, is it?”
                  “Maybe not,” Fordham responded. “Well, I’ll be going. You take care, Billy.”
                  Lamont wiped the back of his greasy hand across his forehead and then leaned into his work. “Yeah, right.”

 
     
     
     
                                                                                                      13
     
                  The call that woke me early the next morning was, once again, from Miles. “Just talked with Tull,” he said without preamble. “Mitch Fuller showed up in South Paris yesterday. He’s okay.”
                  “Thank Christ for that,” I sighed. “Do you know what he had to say?”
                  “Some. By the time he came on the scene Croop was already dead. Callie was half crazy. Fuller thought she was gonna kill ‘im at first, too, but thankfully she had a change a heart. She took him out in the wilderness and set ‘im free, then took off for parts unknown.”
                  “I don’t know what to do next, Miles. Callie bought a bunch of supplies late last night and I think she’s taken off again. She bought a map of the eastern seaboard. She could be headed anywhere.”
                  “Damn,” he said. “You gonna come back here?”
                  “Unless somebody has a better idea, I don’t know what else to do. I’m worried if we don’t find her soon she’ll do something to make matters much worse. As things stand right now there’s a chance she might walk away from all this without too much blowback.”
                  “I wish I could think of something to help, Jack.”
                  “Did she know anyone here in Lewiston that you’re aware of? Anyone at all?”
                  “Not that I can think of, no. There was one woman she was in touch with for awhile when we first brought ‘er here from Florida. She was part of a support group for women who had lost children, that kinda thing. Callie never wanted to be a part of it but they did talk a few times on the phone. Far as I know, though, she hasn’t talked ta this woman in almost seven years.”
                  “Do you know her name?”
                  “No … I don’t think I ever heard ‘er name. I doubt that she’d---”
                  “It’s a lead, Miles. Right now it’s all we’ve got. I’ll see what I can come up with.”
                  “Good luck, Jack.”
                  I checked the phone book beside my bed to see if there was a support group listing. There was one, a group called Caring Companions, that met every Wednesday and there was a contact name and phone number. It was too early yet to be calling anyone so I made note of the contact info. I’d call after I’d gotten cleaned up and put some food in me.
     
                  Lauren Faeber took my call to the sound of a house full of screaming kids. She ran a daycare