What She Saw

by Barb Han

  Amy would never allow that bowl to go dry.

  So where was she?

  Chapter Seventeen

  The news about Amy spread like wildfire through the community within the hour. Jordan was certain his cousin had touched just about every life in Jacobstown with her generosity and kind spirit. She could also be feisty and wild, so there was a slight hope that she was off doing something fun and had lost track of time.

  She knew Isaac was working extra shifts over the next few days. It would also be like Amy, on a whim, to drive to Fort Worth or a nearby town in order to deliver those cookies meant for the VFW. She wouldn’t have wanted them to go to waste and might figure everyone in town was too preoccupied with criminal activity to be able to enjoy them.

  “Her cell could’ve run out of battery,” Courtney offered as they navigated the streets of town, searching for signs of Amy.

  “That sounds like her,” Jordan said, but there was no energy in those words.

  “We’ll find her,” she promised, but that was one they both knew she couldn’t keep.

  “If I spent more time here, I’d know more about her habits,” Jordan said. “I’ve been thinking about moving here full-time. I want to be closer to you and the baby.”

  “You said you could never see yourself living here again.” Her words were true enough.

  “Things have changed. I don’t want to be a part-time dad who sees his kid summers and holidays,” he said.

  “Oh.” Why did she sound so deflated?

  “I thought you’d be happy about this news,” he admitted.

  “If you come here because of a child and not for yourself, do you think you’ll resent not being able to live the life you want?” It was a fair question and one that deserved an answer.

  Before he could tell her that was the life he wanted, his cell phone interrupted them. He pulled to the side of the road and parked.

  “Hey, Zach. What’s going on?” he asked his cousin.

  “We just picked up Reggie Barstock. I thought you should know he’s in custody,” Zach informed.

  “What kind of vehicle was he driving?” Courtney immediately asked.

  “A white sedan,” Zach supplied.

  Damn. It wasn’t a pickup.

  “And he’s not talking. He lawyered up almost immediately, but we do have his vehicle and probable cause to take it apart since he tried to outrun us. We also got a tip on the pickup. Posting the picture online brought out a few folks from Bexford. They all said the same thing. A guy by the name of Jason Millipede owns a truck that matches the picture. When they were asked to describe it, they described the same pickup you saw at the murder scene last night.”

  “That name sounds familiar,” Courtney said. “Why do I know it?”

  “Good question.” Zach shrugged. “Any thoughts?”

  She shook her head. “It’s not coming to me. I need to think some more.”

  “Did you get any additional information on the guy?” Jordan asked Zach. “Did you ask about any injuries?”

  “Yeah. It turns out the guy injured his ankle as a kid. His neighbors haven’t seen him in a few days, but that’s no surprise. They said he keeps odd hours. They all said he’s quiet. I got the name of his aunt and have been trying to get in contact with her. Other than that, he has no other family around. He’s been living with his aunt since he was little,” Zach said.

  “Did anyone have any ideas on where he might be?” Courtney shot a glance at Jordan, who was taking all this information in and trying his level best to fit the puzzle pieces together.

  “No. He hasn’t turned up in a few days,” Zach answered.

  “What about his address?” Courtney snapped into full deputy mode.

  Zach hesitated. “I think the best thing the two of you can do is keep searching for Amy. This is a courtesy call to let you know your tip about The Mart is panning out and could lead to something big. I want you as far away from this guy as possible.”

  “Zach—”

  “I’m serious, Courtney.” There was a finality to Zach’s tone that she seemed to know better than to argue with.

  “Thanks for the information, Zach. I’m grateful to be in the loop,” she finally said on a sharp sigh.

  “Lopez is on his way to investigate in Bexford. He has the case.” Zach softened his tone when he said, “Right now, let’s go out there, find Amy and bring her home.”

  * * *

  “I KNOW HE said we shouldn’t investigate in Bexford, but I need to talk to this guy’s neighbors myself and possibly the aunt if we can locate her. Please, Jordan. It might mean the difference between finding Amy in time.” Courtney could only pray her plea would work.

  “Putting you in jeopardy isn’t going to help anyone. We know this guy likes the ranch. Maybe we should head there instead.” Jordan had a point.

  “I don’t know. I feel like Zach is holding back, and he should. I’m not technically part of this investigation anymore.” A thought kept trying to break through. “This guy’s name seems familiar, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”

  “Google him and see what you come up with.” Jordan motioned toward the cell in her hand.

  Courtney performed the search. “There’s no information here.”

  “If he’s from the area, it makes sense that he’d be familiar with the ranch.” Jordan thumped the steering wheel as he navigated onto the road and performed a U-turn toward his home.

  Jordan’s cell buzzed. “Will you check that for me while I drive?”

  Courtney picked up his phone. “It’s a text from Zach. He said Robert at the corner store said he saw Amy yesterday afternoon at lunch.”

  “I’m guessing Zach is also telling us to go home and wait for word,” Jordan said.

  “No. He didn’t.”

  This time, Jordan’s cell rang.

  Courtney checked the screen. “It’s your sister.”

  “I’ll answer it on speaker.” He pushed a button on his steering wheel, and two notes sounded.

  “Jordan?” Amber’s voice came through clearly.

  “I’m driving and Courtney is with me—”

  “Is it true? Is Amy missing?” Amber’s voice was loaded with panic.

  “I’m afraid so,” Jordan stated.

  “I just talked to Isaac. He said the two of them were supposed to meet up at his place later tonight. I told him to give us a call if he sees her, but...”

  “Right now, it’s important to stay positive,” Jordan said. “Amy needs us to think with a clear head.”

  “You’re right.” Amber sniffed, and it was easy to tell that she’d been crying.

  “Do you remember her mentioning a guy by the name of Jason Millipede?” Courtney interjected. “His name sounds familiar, but I can’t place him.”

  “I can,” Amber said plainly. “We met him the summer after seventh grade at Camp Pine Needles.”

  “Oh, right. I remember you and Amy talking about that.” Courtney’s father had refused to let her go, even though she promised to work in order to earn the money. He’d thought camp was frivolous spending, but this place accepted every kid, even the ones who worked in order to supplement the fees.

  Amber gasped. “It was so long ago. I never really thought about it before. He shattered his ankle when a barrel rolled down the hill on him. It was awful. Gruesome. He was in so much pain. I guess he’d been out in the wooded area where he wasn’t supposed to go when it happened. Some older boys tied him to a tree and rolled a heavy metal barrel down the hill aimed at him. They took off and just left him there. Amy found him first and ran to get help. I ran into her when she was on her way, so I went with her. The camp counselors never figured out who rolled that barrel at him. He never would say but he sure looked at Amy like she was some kind of savior. He’d managed to scoot around the side of
the tree before the metal barrel hit more of him.” She grunted as though in disgust. “I can’t believe anyone would do that to another human being. I know the kid was considered weird, and I’m ashamed to admit it but I thought so, too, but he didn’t deserve to be treated that way.”

  Courtney didn’t need to ask the next question, but she did anyway. “It was his left ankle, wasn’t it?”

  “I guess. I mean, I never really paid attention to which one until we started talking about it just now,” Amber stated. “He never even crossed my mind until I heard his name again. We were kids back then. It’s been more than thirteen years. I do remember him seeming kind of fixated on Amy, though”

  “Call Zach and tell him everything you just told me,” Courtney instructed. “And then meet us at the main house.”

  Jordan barely waited for the call to end before he asked, “If Amy helped this guy, wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

  “It could be. It’s possible that he developed a fixation like Amber said. Maybe she was the only girl who’d ever been nice to him. I’d like to get more information about his aunt. There’s just too much we don’t know to make a determination,” she said. “Anything we say right now is just guessing without concrete information to go on. It can lead us down the wrong path. It’s best to keep an open mind right now and follow the evidence.”

  Jordan kept his gaze on the stretch of road in front of them. His phone was going off like a pinball machine. “Do you mind taking a look and letting me know if anything important comes through?”

  She picked up his cell and saw the number of texts going into the double digits. She skimmed them, but they were mostly from his family, asking if there was any new information on Amy.

  “Looks like Amber put out word for everyone to come to the main house,” she said. She scanned a few more before the one from Zach came. “This one looks important. It’s from your cousin. Amy’s car was found abandoned at the mouth of Hermosa Creek.”

  “That’s three miles from her house.” He braked hard enough for Courtney to feel it. She put her hand up against the dashboard to steady herself.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, and she could hear the frustration for the situation in his tone.

  “Zach’s already there. He won’t want us to show up,” she said. The cell buzzed again. “In fact, he just warned against it.”

  “It’s the last place we know she was. Maybe she’s around that area,” he said.

  “He wouldn’t keep her near her car. That’s too obvious.” She pounded the dash with the flat of her palm. “Zach wouldn’t tell us if there’d been any pickup sightings.”

  “Maybe the guy’s aware of the pictures of his pickup being distributed,” Jordan said. “Or one of his neighbors tipped him off about law enforcement looking for him.”

  “I hope not. That wouldn’t be good for Amy,” she replied.

  “Because?”

  “If he truly is fixated on her, then she’s his grand prize. The others might’ve been lead ups or he could’ve killed to try to impress Amy. This kind of monster isn’t playing with a full deck. He could have had some interaction with her that made him feel rejected—”

  “Amy has one of the best hearts of anyone I know. She helps everyone. Her path may have crossed with his while she was doing something for others. She helps serve meals to homeless people. She’s the first to take food to the elderly or anyone who is sick and can’t do for themselves. If this bastard harms a hair on her head...” Jordan tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

  “We’ll find her, Jordan.” It was a promise she prayed she’d be able to keep.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Let’s break into search parties. There’s a good chance he’ll take her somewhere on the property,” Courtney said to the Kent family who’d assembled in the main house. “Women with young children might want to stay in the main house together with locked doors. Jordan and I will be Team One.”

  Courtney divided the rest of the Kents into two-person teams.

  She turned to Leah and Amber, who were standing at the granite island. “Set the alarm while we’re gone. Okay?”

  “I’m going,” Leah stated. As a former Fort Worth detective, no one could argue she had the skillset to track a criminal.

  “You can team up with Rylan,” Jordan said. “He might be hiding her close to the house. Do you want to start there?”

  Leah nodded as Amber texted Rylan to meet Leah.

  “Do you mind keeping things stabilized here?” Jordan asked his sister.

  “Not if you think this is where I’ll do the most good.” Amber could keep the situation stabilized at the main house.

  Courtney looked at Amber. “Every set? You’re okay with this?”

  “I’ll hold down the fort here and keep watch around the house,” she said.

  “Thank you.” Walking outside, Courtney was blasted with a hit of cold air. The temperature had dropped a good fifteen degrees in the last hour, and it was becoming bitterly cold.

  Zach was already out with Isaac, who’d been searching the property ever since he found out his girlfriend was missing.

  When she and Jordan had been walking a solid half hour, they ran into Zach.

  “What the hell are you doing out here?” Zach’s question was laser-focused on Courtney. “I told you to stay out of the search.”

  “I’m not alone,” she defended. “We need all hands on deck, Zach. I want to help find your sister.” Her voice was pleading now. “I care about what happens to her.”

  Zach blew out a sharp breath and conceded with a warning look.

  “What did you find out about Barstock?” Jordan asked his cousin as Isaac and Courtney paired up on the perimeter of the area. She stayed close enough to listen.

  “We know he’s not involved in Amy’s disappearance, but we did find incriminating evidence in his vehicle. We threatened him with murder charges, and it didn’t take long for him to start naming names and asking for immunity. He’s been slipping in and out of town because he’s involved with a human-trafficking ring,” Zach informed. “We have enough to lock him away for a very long time. He won’t get out until he’s too old to hurt anyone else.”

  At least one scumbag was going to jail. Hughey couldn’t be responsible for Amy’s disappearance because he’d been with Rhonda last night. Well, it didn’t completely rule him out if Amy had gone missing more than twenty-four hours ago, but it made him less likely to be a suspect.

  It really was down to Jason.

  Unfortunately, nothing they knew about him could tip them off to where he might’ve taken Amy.

  Her thoughts shifted to Jordan. In every instance, he’d been there for her. He never made excuses or disappeared when life got tough. Instead, he was figuring out how to move back to Jacobstown in order to be the best father to their child.

  Even when she’d tried to push him away early on, he’d stood his ground and been there when she needed him. He was her true north, and she’d been too scared to let herself acknowledge it before now.

  She’d been a fool. He’d been trying to tell her that he cared about her, and she’d done nothing but run the opposite way. Granted, she had some work to do when it came to trusting others. But Jordan Kent was the most trustworthy, true-to-his-word person she’d ever met.

  As soon as Amy was home safe, Courtney planned to have a conversation with Jordan about her growing feelings for him.

  A shiver raced down her spine being out here and searching for someone she’d been so close to. There was no way in hell she planned to let Amy down.

  A gunshot caused everyone to scatter in order to find cover behind trees. Courtney drew her weapon, and she heard Zach and Isaac do the same.

  “Everyone okay?” came Zach’s hushed voice.

  “I’m good,” Isaac responded first.

  “Same,�
� came from Jordan.

  Before Courtney could speak, she took a blow to the back of the head.

  * * *

  JORDAN LISTENED FOR the sound of Courtney’s voice. There was no way this jerk got to her while they were all together. Right? The shotgun blast had sounded from farther away. Jordan’s pulse jacked up as he moved stealthily along the tree line toward Zach.

  “We’ll cover more ground if we split up,” he said to his cousin, his gaze searching for Courtney.

  “There might be more than one person involved,” Zach warned, and he seemed to catch on to the panic growing inside Jordan.

  “I’ll keep my eyes peeled.” His pulse jackhammered his ribs when he couldn’t locate Courtney. “Where is she?”

  Isaac was beside them in the next beat. He was easy to hear coming. Jordan had no plans to give the Hacker warning or let him know what hit him. Jordan figured the four of them had been making too much noise and that had tipped the guy off.

  Both Zach and Isaac surveyed the area.

  “Courtney,” Jordan called her name even though a lead ball sank to the pit of his stomach.

  A moment of panic struck that the shotgun blast was the result of Amy being shot. But he talked himself out of that unproductive thinking. If this guy stayed true to form, she was tucked somewhere passed out on ketamine. The idea wasn’t exactly comforting, but it was better than the alternative...

  Zach cursed and Isaac tried to put his fist through a tree trunk.

  “I have to find her. We’ll cover more ground if we split up,” Jordan said.

  A reluctant nod came from Zach. “Stay in constant contact.”

  “Will do.” As Jordan broke off from the now-trio, he realized the only thing that mattered was bringing Courtney and Amy home. Amy was family, and he would do anything for her. And so was Courtney. She was going to be his family now, too. Somewhere in his heart, he’d realized it a long time ago. Letting his brain catch up was another issue. But it had. And he loved her.

  What more could he offer than that? What else mattered?