Lost and Found

by Colleen Coble

  “Yes, she is.”

  Emily and the dogs followed Lauri to the building for the promised hot chocolate. She’d never thought of how much self-sacrifice it might take to give a baby up for adoption. Was Olivia’s mother the kind of person who had put her baby above what she had wanted herself?

  TWENTY

  Emily huddled in the scratch box and waited for Sherlock to find her. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, and she yanked it out to make sure it wasn’t Dad calling. It was. Answering it was going to destroy the search, but she had no choice.

  “Hey, Dad. Any news?”

  “Kade has been trying to call Bree and can’t get through.”

  “She has her phone charging in her Jeep. Want me to get her?”

  “No, just pass a message along to her. We’re searching a quadrant in the western part of the forest, and the sheriff just found a jacket we suspect is Geoff’s. Grab Bree and anyone else you can find for a search.”

  Emily kicked open the door to the scratch box and avoided Sherlock’s happy tongue. “Can I come too? I can bring Charley.” Her dad hesitated for a minute. “Please, Dad! I’m going crazy.”

  “Okay, but I want you to stay close to Bree. Understood?”

  “Sure. Where should we meet you?” She pulled out a pen and paper from her pocket and jotted down the meeting place. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  She scrambled to her feet and ran to get Bree. As soon as the SAR workers heard there was a lead, they split into groups of two and jumped in their vehicles. Emily left Sherlock at the SAR building with the receptionist and rode with Bree out to the parking lot of the picnic area. Her heart was thumping. Would they find Naomi today? She couldn’t stand much more of this.

  When Bree parked, Emily threw open her door and ran around back to get the dogs and her ready pack. Her dad waved from a group of people standing in the picnic pavilion. He was smiling, which was a good sign. When was the last time she’d seen him smile? She waved back and hurried toward him with Charley on his leash. Bree and Samson followed.

  “What have we got?” Bree’s tone was no-nonsense when they reached the picnic table.

  His hand in a plastic glove, the sheriff held up a plaid flannel shirt. “This.”

  “I’ve seen Geoff wear that. His dog tore the hole at the elbow,” Bree said.

  “We hoped it was his,” the sheriff said. “I took care not to contaminate the scent.”

  Bree held out a paper bag, and the sheriff dropped the shirt into it. “We’ve got several good hours before dark. Let’s get going.” She handed the bag back to the sheriff. “We’re getting out there now. As the rest of the SAR teams show up, let them take a whiff.”

  She knelt by Samson and let him sniff the shirt, then unclipped his leash. “Search, Samson!” Her dog whined, then began to cross the open area with his nose in the air.

  Emily called Charley to her. The dog trembled with excitement as if he sensed they might be close to finding Naomi. He plunged his nose into the bag, then barked excitedly as he ran around the clearing.

  Samson stiffened, then ran for the woods. “He’s got the scent!” Bree followed him.

  Charley raced after Samson, and Emily hooted with joy and ran after them. Please, God, let us find her. In just a little while, she might be able to throw her arms around Naomi. If they found her, Emily resolved never to complain about watching The Princess Bride, Naomi’s favorite movie, ever again. And she’d do dishes every night.

  The woods closed around them, and the sounds of other searches fell away. Her chest burned with the exertion of keeping up with Bree and the dogs, and her feet kicked up the scent of pine and dry leaves as they went deeper and deeper into the forest. She scanned the forest as she went, hoping and praying to see Naomi’s face.

  A mud puddle was straight ahead, but Charley plowed through without pausing. Emily tried to leap over it, but her boots landed squarely in the mud, and she slipped and hit her backside. Her jeans were soaked through, and mud clung to them when she struggled to her feet.

  The clammy cold made her shiver, but she brushed herself off and looked around. “Charley?” The dog had disappeared into the underbrush. “Samson?” She followed the paw marks in the mud and pushed through some thick bushes in the path.

  This was the worst part about searching. She hated being alone in the woods. It was creepy out here with the wind rustling in the vegetation. She kept whirling to look, and there was no one there.

  What if Geoff was watching her right now? Maybe he had a gun. She shied away from the thought because if he wanted to hurt her, it meant he might have hurt Naomi, and Emily couldn’t bear that.

  She cupped her hands to her mouth. “Bree!”

  “What are you yelling about? I’m right here,” Bree said from behind her.

  Emily whirled with her hand to her throat. “You scared me to death.”

  “I told you not to fall behind.” Bree looked her over and grinned. “Taking a mud bath?”

  Emily made a face. “Not on purpose. Where are the dogs?”

  Bree gestured. “Right through there. I told them to stay.”

  “Do they still have a scent?”

  Bree nodded and took Emily’s arm. “I think we’re close. They’re pretty antsy.”

  Emily shivered as the wind chilled her wet jeans. “We should have brought something of Naomi’s with us.”

  “I have a sock in another bag, but I don’t want to confuse the dogs with another scent. Not when they’re tracking so well.”

  Emily stumbled over a rock and into a small clearing where the dogs sat. Charley rose and wagged his tail but stayed where he was after a cautious look at Bree.

  Bree snapped her fingers, and Samson bounded to her side. She petted his thick fur. “Time to finish this, boy. Search!”

  Samson barked and disappeared into the brush again. Charley followed, and Emily ran after him. Just past a stand of yellow pine, she saw the dogs circling a large tree. Samson leaped onto the tree and barked.

  She frowned and stared into the tree. “Hey, there’s a deer stand up there.”

  Bree nodded and strode to the base of the tree. A man’s legs dangled over the side of the ledge. “Geoff, get down here right now. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

  “Thanks for volunteering to take Emily home, Inetta. I really appreciate it.” Dad held open the door to Inetta’s VW Bug.

  Stars twinkled in the dark, cloudless sky. No snow would fall tonight, but that meant the temperature would dip even lower. Soon Emily would be able to take a very hot shower and fall into her warm, cozy bed. That was a welcoming thought, even though it was barely six.

  “No problem.” Inetta winked at Emily. “I’d planned to run by the café and grab a quick bite. Is that okay?”

  “Actually, that sounds like a great idea. I don’t think Emily had dinner.” Dad dug into his wallet and passed Emily a twenty-dollar bill. “Get something to eat and buy Inetta’s,” he whispered before planting a kiss on her temple, then straightening. “I’ll be home as soon as we’re done here.”

  Emily slipped her seat belt on as Inetta backed the car out of the sheriff’s office parking slot, then took a left on Houghton Street, then an immediate right onto Kitchigami. “I’m glad you said something about eating. We went straight from training to the search. All I had to eat were a handful of Bree’s pistachios, which are kinda nasty. I’m starving.”

  Inetta chuckled as she drove up the little hill to the Suomi Café. “Where are your dogs now?”

  “Since he’s just a puppy, Sherlock didn’t go on the search. Charley was so tired that Bree took him home with her.” Every muscle in Emily’s body hurt. Exhaustion pulled at her arms. “We’ll meet up tomorrow.”

  “Smart.” Inetta parked outside the front of the café, then unbuckled her seat belt. “Let’s get you something to eat before you fade away.” She laughed as she stepped from the car.

  Emily laughed as she followed Inetta into the caf
é. Warmth immediately seeped over her. The yummy smell of grilled onions and french fries made her stomach growl loudly. As soon as she ate, she’d be sleepy. Good thing she didn’t have any homework.

  They selected a booth in the back, sliding across the cracked vinyl seats. A tall waitress appeared, her long blond hair pulled tight back into a ponytail that swung as she walked. “What can I get you ladies?”

  “I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries, with coffee, please,” Inetta ordered.

  Emily’s stomach growled again. “I’ll have the same, but with a strawberry shake, please.”

  The waitress scribbled on her pad, nodded, then bounced back toward the kitchen, her long legs pale under the uniform skirt.

  “I just thought I was hungry before. Now that I smell everything, I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

  “No need to eat a horse. Your dinner will be here soon enough.” Inetta chuckled.

  “Did your friend find out anything on my laptop?”

  “He confirmed what your friend and teacher already told you: that it’s a track-back program. He’s running traces to see if he can find out where the program came from. He’ll call when he finds out something.”

  The waitress returned with a cup and a coffeepot. “Do you need cream?” she asked Inetta as she poured the cup.

  “No, thank you.”

  The waitress smiled. Pretty, for an older lady. She was probably around Naomi’s age. “Your burgers will be up soon.” She moved to the table across the way to pour coffee for the older couple staring out into the night.

  Emily rubbed her hands together, then blew into them. “It’s just creepy that someone was able to put that program on my system without me knowing.” She shivered. How much more information had they gotten from her computer? Personal information? She had a diary program she used at least once a week.

  “It is. People who do that or hack into systems really scare me. I’ve toyed with writing a story about hackers.”

  “You should write something to warn people about track-back programs. I’d never heard of them before.”

  “I might have to do just that.” Inetta tore open three sugar packets and dumped them into her coffee. She stirred slowly. “So, Geoff claimed he had nothing to do with Naomi’s disappearance?”

  Emily nodded. “He says he never saw her at the homecoming celebration except at a distance when he talked to me.”

  “Does the sheriff believe him?”

  “Who knows? Dad wants to believe he knows something, so that’s why he’s waiting at the station while they question Geoff.”

  Inetta set down her spoon and lifted her coffee. “What do you think?”

  Emily shrugged. “I don’t think he knows anything. It was a good lead, I’ll give you that. He had motive since Naomi fired him, he was angry, and his disappearance seemed too coincidental.” She sighed. “But it was clear he’d been camping, and I saw no sign of Naomi.”

  The waitress returned and set the shake in front of Emily. “Here you go.” She set a straw on the table, then moved on.

  “Thanks.” Emily took a sip of the shake. Mmm. Heaven on earth—sweet and creamy, with chunks of real strawberries. Just the way she liked it. “Although, as Dad said, Geoff could have put Naomi somewhere else. Charley and Samson didn’t catch Naomi’s scent there, and I trust their noses.”

  “What did the sheriff say about Marika?”

  “Her attorney finally arrived this afternoon, so they’d just started questioning her before they really started the search for Geoff. They plan to finish questioning her now. At least, that’s what Dad said.”

  If only she could know Naomi was safe.

  “Here we are.” The waitress set the plates on the table. The burgers smelled heavenly and the fries were piled high. She set a bottle of ketchup in the middle of the table, then filled Inetta’s cup. “Can I get you anything else right now?”

  “Can I get some extra mayo, please?” Inetta smiled.

  “Certainly.”

  Emily refrained from sinking her teeth into her burger until they’d blessed the food, but took a huge bite as soon as she’d said amen.

  The waitress returned with a bottle of mayonnaise. “Here you go. My name is Kenzie. You just let me know if you need anything else.” She smiled again before moving to another table.

  Inetta nodded as she spread the mayo on the bun. “New waitress.”

  “Yeah. I guess. Haven’t seen her before.”

  “Does she look familiar to you in any way?”

  “No.” Emily stared after the blond lady, then looked at Inetta. “Should she?”

  “Did you catch what she said? Her name is Kenzie. Probably short for Mackenzie.” Inetta raised a single eyebrow. “I understand she was just hired today.”

  Emily’s hands froze, a french fry stuck in midair. She couldn’t stop her eyes from trailing the waitress across the café. That was Olivia’s birth mother?

  Emily’s heart hiccupped: the woman looked nothing like Olivia.

  TWENTY-ONE

  “She held on to her claims that she was never in the science lab at the school until Mason told her they’d found her prints at the scene.” Dad took a sip of his coffee.

  “I hadn’t heard they found her prints.” Bree leaned against the kitchen counter, staring into the backyard, where Samson played with Charley and Sherlock. She’d brought Charley and Sherlock back home that morning and stayed for Dad’s update on Marika’s questioning.

  “Results from forensics had just come back late yesterday afternoon after her lawyer showed up.” Dad nodded. “Got one partial and a pretty clear thumb that matched hers.”

  “How’d she explain that?” Emily had told herself she’d remain quiet, thankful that Dad let her stay for the conversation and not go with Grandma when she’d taken Timmy and Matthew to school, but she couldn’t stop the question.

  “She couldn’t. Her attorney requested a moment, they whispered for a few minutes, then Marika said she’d been in the lab only for a brief time.”

  “Doing what, pray tell?” Bree’s fists went to her hips.

  “She said she needed a lab to work with some chemical compounds.” Dad’s tone was very even.

  Emily recognized that tone. He knew something he didn’t want to say.

  “What kind of chemicals? Tell me she isn’t involved in pharmaceutical stuff again.” Bree shook her head. “And a high school lab? What was she doing?”

  “We can’t say for certain yet because she’s not admitting to anything specific except what forensics determined.”

  “Dad . . . what’s she involved with now?” Emily struggled to keep her voice from cracking. Fear lined her throat, but she knew Dad, and knew he had more information.

  “She had refused to even answer why she was there until the crime lab came back with some trace components not in inventory in the school.” Dad took a sip of coffee, then set it back on the table. “Apparently she needed to separate some pesticides. Remove the active ingredient and dispose of the inert components.”

  Pesticides . . . something about— “Dad, was she using pyrethrins?”

  Dad didn’t have to say a word. His facial expression said it all. Emily found it hard to breathe. “She poisoned Charley?”

  “We don’t know that, Emily.” Dad’s face stayed stern.

  “Come on, Dad. What are the odds that Charley was poisoned with pyrethrin and then Marika shows up and is messing around with pyrethrins? This can’t be a coincidence. No way.” Emily shook her head. “You know that.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think or believe, Emily, it’s what the sheriff can prove.”

  “And I just forgave her!” Emily burst out. Her eyes burned, and she felt a keen sense of betrayal. “She said she’d changed, and I believed her.”

  Bree held her glance. “You did the right thing, Emily, even if she hasn’t changed.”

  Her dad’s brows went up. “You forgave her? What are you talking about?”

&nb
sp; “Bree told me God doesn’t like it when we hold a grudge and that I needed to forgive Marika. So I did. And it made me happy.” She rubbed her forehead. “And now this.”

  Her dad glanced at Bree, then nodded. “Bree is right. But forgiving her doesn’t mean you have to let her back into your life. You know that, right? She’s still under a restraining order.”

  “I haven’t gone anywhere with her or anything.” The stupid tears blurred Emily’s vision. Did she have to keep forgiving her mother over and over? How was she supposed to deal with this? “I think she poisoned Charley.”

  Bree pushed off the kitchen counter. “I’m going to go with Emily on this one, Donovan. That can’t be a coincidence.” She moved her fists back to her hips. “It infuriates me that someone deliberately poisoned Charley. Or any dog, really.”

  “What if it’d been Sherlock? It would’ve killed him.” The familiar anger and bitterness rose in Emily’s chest. Forgiving was hard when someone like Marika just kept doing mean stuff.

  Maybe Olivia was better off not knowing her birth mother.

  “I hope they plan to charge her for poisoning Charley.” Bree crossed her arms over her chest.

  Dad ran a hand over his face. “Unless she confesses to poisoning Charley, they won’t charge her with that.”

  “Why not? Even if they don’t have physical proof, there should be enough evidence to charge her.”

  “I think they’re hoping to charge her with arson, which is a felony. Animal cruelty, while heinous, is a misdemeanor. Mason thinks he can make a much stronger case with the arson and use the poisoning as a secondary offense during presentation of the case.”

  Emily didn’t understand all of that, but what she got was that Marika would get away with poisoning Charley. It wasn’t fair!

  Bree pressed a finger against her lips. “It still makes me furious.”

  “Do we have to forgive her for this too?”