by Patricia Fry
“You can take it with you—bring it back next time you’re in the neighborhood,” Marci suggested.
“We have to go to the pet store anyway; we’ll pick one up. By the way, where is the nearest pet store?”
After Marci had given them directions, Savannah deposited Rags in the car and glanced at her aunt. Noticing that Margaret was busy showing Adam and Rose some pictures on her phone, Savannah approached Marci and said quietly, “Let me know what happens, will you? And if you need a sounding board…”
Marci hugged her. “Thank you so much, Savannah. I’ll think hard about what you said.”
****
“Got everything?” Margaret asked several minutes later when Savannah joined her and Rags in the car with supplies from the pet store.
“I think so. Let’s get on the road, shall we? What time is it, anyway?”
“Eight twenty-nine.”
Savannah pulled out her phone. “No message from Michael yet. They should land in New York in a few hours.” She placed the phone in a cup holder. “…in case they call or text while I’m driving.”
Margaret nodded. “So where are we going? You didn’t give me our itinerary.”
Savannah glanced at her. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t. I’d like to talk face-to-face with the people in the West Coast office of the adventure-travel company.”
“You don’t expect Craig and Michael to get any information in New York?”
“I don’t know. But when I learned they had a branch in LA, it just made sense for us to check it out. I think Bri flew out of LAX, so the folks in this office might actually know more about the trip she took than those in New York do.”
Margaret nodded. “Could be.”
They’d driven for another two hours when Savannah’s phone chirped. “Would you look at that text, Auntie? It might be from Michael.”
“In the waiting room at the adventure company,” Margaret read. “Will let you know what we learn. Hugs to you and the kids. Hope you’re having a great day. Love you.” She dropped the phone into her lap and narrowed her eyes toward Savannah. “He doesn’t know where you are, does he? You didn’t tell him about this trip?”
Savannah sheepishly admitted, “Not yet.”
****
The next text came less than an hour later. Margaret read, “Taking a red-eye flight home this evening. Disappointing meeting. Craig says Elaine is an incompetent dingbat.”
“Darn,” Savannah said. “Let’s hope we get somewhere with the folks in LA.”
Margaret grinned impishly at her niece. “Want me to text him back and tell him where we are?”
Savannah shook her head. “No. I’ll call him in a little while. It’s best that I share that bit of news in a phone call.”
“Okay, if you say so.”
A little before one that afternoon, Savannah asked, “Are you hungry? Want to get something to eat?”
“Yes. I thought you’d never ask.” Margaret pointed. “Hey, there’s a café.”
“Looks good. I hope they have clean restrooms.” Savannah glanced into the back seat. “…and shade for Rags.” She sighed deeply. “Darned cat!” Once she’d parked, she muttered, “I suppose he wants out again.” She looked around before saying to her aunt, “Hey, why don’t you order our lunch to go? I’ll have a turkey sandwich and coleslaw, if they have it. If not, potato salad. Rags and I’ll stretch our legs and meet you out here on the patio.” She dug into her purse and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill.
“I got it,” Margaret said. Savannah protested, but Margaret waved her hand in the air. “You get dinner.”
“Thanks, Auntie.” When Savannah saw Rags settle down under a picnic table, she pulled out her phone and attempted to place a call to Michael. Darn, it went to voicemail. She glanced at Rags, then left a message: “Auntie and I are in LA. I want to talk to the people at the adventure company’s branch office. Hope to be home tonight—tomorrow morning at the latest.” She thinned her lips, thinking, Yeah, he’s not going to be happy with me. But I have to let him know.
“Turkey sandwich with coleslaw,” Margaret announced when she returned with the food.
“What did you get?” Savannah asked.
“The same. They use real sliced turkey,” Margaret placed the food, napkins, and utensils on the table, “not that slimy stuff.”
Savannah had eaten half of her sandwich when she heard her phone chime. She cringed. “Probably Michael.” After wiping her hands, she lifted the phone to her ear. “Hi Hon. Where are you?”
“The question is, where are you, Savannah? Craig and I want to know why you decided to do this without checking with us.”
“Do what?” she asked.
“You know what. You don’t know who those people are or what their intentions are. Savannah, you could be in danger.”
“And so could my sister,” she snapped. “Someone has to do something.”
Michael was quiet for a moment. “Craig and I are doing something.”
“But it didn’t lead us to Brianna. Michael, I’m pretty sure she flew out of LAX. It’s likely that the people working here in LA might know something about her—in particular, where she is now. They probably know more about her trip than the folks in New York do.”
He didn’t respond right away. “Where are you now?”
“About fifty miles from their office. We just stopped to eat and let Rags stretch his legs.”
“Rags?” he questioned. “You took your cat with you?”
“Not really,” she said, grimacing for Margaret’s benefit. “He…well, he somehow stowed away. We weren’t aware of him until just before we got to Adam’s house.” Savannah pulled the phone away from her mouth and said to her aunt, “I can imagine him pacing and running his hand through his hair about now, can’t you?”
Margaret, who had just taken a bite of her sandwich, attempted to stifle a laugh.
“Michael, we don’t have much time left this afternoon. Let me eat my lunch. I want to get to their office before closing time. I’ll let you know what we find out, okay?”
“I guess so, Savannah. Just be careful, will you?”
****
Ninety minutes later, the women pulled into a parking lot at a strip mall on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
“Hmph! Not much of an office, if you ask me,” Margaret complained. “Looks like they have a couple of nice vans for transporting their customers, though. What would those things hold—about fifteen or twenty people each?”
“I guess so,” Savannah muttered. Once she had parked, she stared at the building. “Sure isn’t very fancy. I wonder what their New York office is like.”
“So they didn’t find out anything in New York, huh?” Margaret asked.
Savannah shook her head, saying under her breath, “Cross your fingers that we score here.”
“You sound like you’re trying to make a drug connection.”
Savannah smirked at her aunt before saying, “Let’s get this over with. I’d like to be home before Michael gets there.”
“We’re going home today?”
“Maybe. Or we could spend the night in Santa Maria or someplace north of there rather than driving all the way home.”
“Okay, let’s go,” Margaret said, opening the car door and stepping out. She stopped. “Your cat. What are you going to do with him?”
Before Savannah could respond, they heard a woman’s voice. “Oh, a cat! How cute. Looks like he enjoys a car ride.”
Savannah turned and saw a woman, who she estimated to be in her late twenties, peering at Rags through the car window. “Yeah. I was just trying to figure out what to do with him.” She grimaced. “It’s too warm to leave him in the car—even in the shade.”
“Where are you going?” the woman asked brightly.
“To space 120,” she started, “Goff…”
“Oh,” the woman squealed, “that’s where I work. Bring him in.”
“Are
you sure?” Savannah asked hesitantly.
“Yes, it’s just me and Robin working today and we both adore cats.” She offered her hand. “By the way, I’m Cindy.” As Savannah shook her hand, Cindy asked, “Are you ladies planning a trip with us?”
“Um…possibly,” Savannah lied. She opened the back door of her SUV, hooked the leash to Rags’s halter, and lifted him to the ground. “If you’re sure it’s okay, I really don’t want to leave him in the car. We didn’t plan on him riding with us today…” She decided not to share any more than that.
Cindy was fascinated, though, and asked, “So what happened? Did he throw a fit or something?” She laughed. “My boyfriend’s dog barks his head off if he thinks he’s going to be left behind.” She touched Savannah’s arm. “Boy, do I feel sorry for his neighbors.”
“He’s a stowaway,” Margaret said, joining them from the other side of the car.
“Really?” the woman squealed. She held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Cindy.”
“Maggie,” she said, shaking her hand.
Cindy gestured toward the row of businesses. “Follow me.” As they approached the front door of her office, she said, “It looks like Robin’s back from lunch.”
“Lunch?” Margaret questioned, looking at her watch.
“Oh, we can take our lunch break whenever we want. I had an appointment across town this afternoon, so we took it late today. Come on in.” She greeted the other employee. “Robin, this is Maggie and…” She looked at Savannah. “I didn’t get your name.”
“Liz,” Savannah said. When she noticed her aunt’s confused look, she shrugged. “Elizabeth Alton.”
Immediately Robin, a woman closer to Savannah’s age, stood. She came around her desk and began petting Rags. “Aren’t you pretty? You have such nice fur,” she said, running her fingers over his back. She kneeled in front of him and scratched both sides of his face with her long fingernails. “What’s his name?”
“Um…Smokey,” Savannah said. She smiled. “You ladies really do like cats, don’t you?”
Robin laughed. “Yeah, you’d think we’d be up to our eyeballs in wild adventures. But you can tell what sheltered lives we live—we get excited about seeing an ordinary kitty-cat.”
“Oh, don’t call Smokey ordinary,” Cindy said. “What ordinary cat rides around LA in a car?” She faced her co-worker. “Not only that, Robin—he’s a stowaway.”
“Really?” Robin looked at Savannah, then Margaret, eager for more information. “You mean he climbed into the car without you knowing?”
Savannah nodded, then said, “Um…we’re kind of on a time crunch…”
Cindy rushed to her desk, shoved her purse into a drawer, and apologized. “So sorry. Of course, let’s discuss your adventure.” She pulled two chairs closer to her desk and invited the women to sit down, then glanced at Rags again before easing into her own chair. Focusing on the women, she suggested, “Maybe a jaunt with the big cats or a jungle excursion?” Her eyes lit up. “How about the Australian outback? Do you like koala bears?”
Savannah furrowed her brow. “I thought the…um…the traveler wasn’t privy to the details of the trip.”
Cindy laughed. “Yeah, sure, if you want it that way. Here, Liz…” she glanced at Margaret, “…and Maggie, let me give you each a brochure. As you can see, there are several options.”
After studying the brochure for a moment, Savannah looked into Cindy’s face. “I actually have some questions about a recent trip.” She leaned forward. “Cindy, I have a friend who went on one of your excursions—the one that left May twentieth. Now was that a one-week or ten-day trip?”
Cindy rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. It depends. We often have more than one adventure scheduled at a time. Let me look at our calendar.” She tapped on her computer keyboard. “May twentieth, you say?”
Savannah nodded. She glanced at Robin and noticed she was looking down at her cell phone. Texting a friend, most likely, Savannah thought. Tacky. She then looked at Cindy, eager to learn more about the trip Brianna had taken.
“Oh, yes,” Cindy said, “there was just the one trip going out that day. Paul and Heather led that one and it was scheduled for ten days. They arrived back in LA on May thirtieth.” She looked at Savannah, then Margaret. “So did your friend enjoy the trip? Do you want to book one similar?”
“No,” Savannah said sternly. “My…um…friend never made it home. And we want to know where she is.”
Suddenly Robin dropped her cell phone into a drawer and joined the women at Cindy’s desk. “What do you mean she didn’t arrive home?”
Savannah glanced at her, then prepared to log some information into her cell phone. “Could I have Paul’s and Heather’s contact information? Also Nancy’s and Bart’s or whoever it is that owns this company.”
When Cindy started to speak, Robin stopped her. She moved closer to where Savannah and Margaret sat. “I’m sorry, we aren’t allowed to give out that information. If you need it for some reason, you may be able to get it from your friend, since she actually traveled with us.”
Before Savannah could respond, Margaret spoke up. “Are you dense? How are we supposed to get that information from someone who’s missing? Someone, I might add, who went missing while on one of your tours.”
“I’m sorry,” Robin said, “it appears that we’ll be unable to help you.”
“That’s bull!” Margaret shouted.
Savannah put her hand on Margaret’s arm, then asked the receptionists, “Can you give us a roster of those who went on the May twentieth trip?”
“No,” Robin said sharply. “We can’t give out that information.”
“Then who can?” Savannah asked.
Robin had started to speak when a man sauntered in from the back of the building. He stopped and gazed at the four women, then looked down toward Savannah’s feet. “A cat!” he said. “What’s he doing in here?” He moved closer to Rags, stooped, and began petting him. “He’s an unusual cat, isn’t he?”
“Yeah, kind of,” Savannah admitted rather impatiently.
In the meantime, the man massaged Rags, then sat back on his haunches and observed the cat. Looking up at Savannah, he asked, “Can I take him outside? I think he wants to go outside.”
Savannah studied the man, noticing he was around forty and wore soiled jeans with wide suspenders, a black short-sleeved shirt, and rubber sandals. “Uh…no. I don’t think so. We’re leaving in a few minutes. We’re just trying to get some information.” She returned her attention to the clerks.
“Bruce, we’re trying to conduct business here,” Robin said. “Please move on, will you? Don’t you have something to do this afternoon?”
He shook his head. “Not today.” He gave Rags another scratch behind one ear. “I sure do like this cat. Let me know when you’re ready to give him away.”
Savannah nodded. “Sure.” She paid little attention as Robin escorted the man named Bruce back down the hallway.
When Robin returned, Margaret asked her, “Who was that guy?”
“Oh, that’s Bruce. He works for us sometimes—drives the shuttle, cleans the office, runs errands, and things like that. He sure loves animals.”
“Does he go on the trips?” Savannah asked.
The clerks looked at each other and Robin said, “No. No, I don’t think so.”
Just then another man walked through the front door wearing a well-made suit. He nodded to the women and strolled into the hallway.
Cindy glanced after him, then said, “Now, we’ve told you all we know. We can’t give you any additional information.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Savannah demanded, maybe a little too loudly.
“Does it matter?” Robin asked.
“Maybe to the police,” Savannah countered.
“We haven’t done anything wrong,” Cindy whined.
Savannah looked her in the eyes. “Let’s hope you haven’t.”
As Savannah conte
mplated what to do next, Rags began tugging on his leash.
“I’ll take him outside,” Margaret offered. Savannah nodded and Margaret lifted the cat into her arms and left the office with him.
Just then, the man in the suit reappeared. “Is something wrong?” he asked. When no one spoke, he said, “Anything I can help with?”
Feeling frustrated, Savannah blurted, “I’m looking for a friend. She went on one of your trips and…”
His professional demeanor seemed to crumble a little. He looked at Savannah. “Please follow me,” he invited, leading her into the hallway.
There’s more to this place than one would think, Savannah noticed as she trailed along behind him. She slowed her pace and gazed into a large conference-type room, eventually joining the gentleman in one of three well-appointed offices.
“I’m Paul Carter.” He motioned toward a chair opposite his at the desk. “Please, won’t you sit down?”
Feeling momentarily encouraged, she asked, “Are you the Paul who went on the May twentieth trip?”
He watched her sit down, then eased into his chair. “Yes, and you are…?”
Savannah heaved a sigh. “I’m Elizabeth Alton. A friend of mine took that trip and she has not returned home. I’m concerned about her.”
“The May twentieth adventure, you say?”
Savannah nodded.
He touched his computer keyboard.
“And what is your friend’s name?”
“Brianna Jordan.”
“Oh!” He studied Savannah for a moment before saying, “I remember Brianna.” He rested his elbows on the desktop and teepeed his hands. “She wasn’t like most of the others. The majority of our guests have shallow roots. They’re searching. They live in a world of extremes or wish they had the courage to do so. They exist for the challenges and often push the envelope.” He drew a deep breath. “Brianna was what I’d call a wannabe. Yes, there’s something stirring within her, but her ties are strong. With Brianna, it’s a conflict—an inner conflict that knocks her off kilter sometimes. My impression is that she doesn’t do change well. She has trouble making up her mind. She’s afraid to let go of what is and step into the unknown, despite her craving for adventure—which is why she joined us.”
