by Sharon Sala
“Yes. I’ve faced that possibility, but we have to know. I want my baby back, one way or the other. I gave him life, and if he’s already in God’s arms again, I want to be the one to lay him to rest.”
Baxter moaned. “Jesus, Macie.”
“Understood,” Charlie said. “I will need the addresses of his two hiking partners. I also have one more question. Was Tony an experienced backpacker, and does he have any survival skills?”
“He grew up in Bakersfield, California, and was used to hiking in the surrounding areas,” Baxter said. “I used to go with him until he got older. Then he went with friends. But this trip was a long way from Dallas, and the overnight stay was a new experience.”
“I also have a question about the boys being surprised the truck was still in the parking lot. Did they think he would have driven off and left them on their own that far away from home?” Wyrick asked.
“Oh... Tony drove down by himself,” Baxter said.
Charlie frowned. “Wait...what? Three boys are going backpacking together...this far away from home...and they don’t all go down together?”
“See? I’m not the only one who thinks that decision was strange. They had a car. Tony had the truck, so he took all the equipment, but his truck had a front and a back seat. There would have been plenty of room for all three of them,” Macie said.
Charlie’s frown deepened. This story wasn’t making sense.
“I’ll definitely do everything I can to help, and I will stay in constant touch, because I know this is a hard time for the both of you.”
“Thank you,” Macie said. “We’re grateful.”
“What kind of a retainer do we need? Whatever it is, we’ll pay,” Baxter said.
“Wyrick will deal with that before you leave, and get contact info from the both of you so we can stay in touch. She’s also my ace in the hole when it comes to research.”
Wyrick stood. “If you two will follow me, I’ll get your info and a receipt for the retainer.”
Charlie shook their hands, then watched Wyrick usher them out with quiet grace. She was a walking dichotomy. A freaking warrior of a woman hiding her reality behind a bizarre appearance, daring someone to cross her, before they decided to do it on their own.
A short while later, he heard them leave, and the moment they were gone, Wyrick was back in his office.
“I sent the names and addresses of the two boys to your phone, but they’re both in school right now. It will be evening before they’re available to question. Do you want to wait?” she asked.
“No. My gut says there is a lot wrong with this story and they’ve made their statements. How long would it take to get your chopper ready?”
“I already notified Benny to get it ready. It’ll take a couple of hours to get you there. If you need more info, all you have to do is call. I can research from home or at work.”
“Then I’m going home to pack. Text me with a timeline. I’ll meet you at the hangar,” Charlie said, and put his jacket back on and grabbed his Stetson.
“Don’t forget to pack your sat phone,” Wyrick said.
“Yes, ma’am,” he drawled, and left her standing.
She took a moment to admire his wide shoulders and sexy butt, then looked away. Too much of a good thing was never wise.
* * *
Trish Caldwell couldn’t sleep, and trying to eat made her sick. The knot in her stomach was almost as big as the ache in her heart. Having Tony go missing like this was the worst thing that had ever happened in her seventeen years of living, and she didn’t know how to handle it.
Her mother kept telling her it was all in God’s hands, but that felt like giving up. It felt like she’d already written him off as dead, and it was just a matter of finding his body.
But Tony Dawson was so sweet, and handsome, and funny. She wouldn’t let herself believe that he was gone.
She’d refused to go back to school today, unwilling to face well-meaning friends, and cried herself sick. The only people who seemed to understand how she felt were Randall and Justin. They were just as upset as she was, and were organizing a prayer vigil tonight at the high school football field.
As Tony’s girlfriend, everyone expected her to be there, but the thought of it was overwhelming. Everyone would be looking at her to see if she was crying enough, or if she was hysterical, and then they’d all talk about how hard she was taking it.
They thought he was dead, too. She didn’t want to hear it. Not even an insinuation of it, and yet she knew she would hear that and so much more. She was scared. Scared that their beliefs would become her truth.
When Randall called, offering to take her to the vigil, she agreed. At least she wouldn’t be there on her own, and he and Justin could run interference for her. She was still holding the phone and staring out her bedroom window at the park across the street, remembering that was where she and Tony had shared their first kiss, when there was a knock at her door. Then her mom appeared in the doorway.
“Hey, honey, who was that on the phone? Was it news about Tony?”
Trish shook her head. “No, just Randall offering to take me to the prayer vigil at the field house tonight.”
“Are you going?” Beth Caldwell asked.
Trish’s eyes welled. “I have to, Mom. If I don’t, people will think I’ve already given up on him.”
Beth sat down beside her and reached for her hand.
“Do you want me to go with you? I will.”
“Yes, would you?”
“Of course,” Beth said. “I’ll always have your back.”
Trish laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I’m scared, Mama. The more time passes...”
“I know. And I can only imagine what Baxter and Macie are thinking, so let’s stay positive until life gives us a reason not to, okay?”
Trish nodded. “Help me find something to wear. It’s supposed to be colder tonight.”
And with that, mother and daughter got up to pick out something to wear for the weather, and the occasion, unaware that Baxter and Macie Dawson had enlisted more help to find their son.
* * *
Charlie was packed and standing in the kitchen of his apartment eating a salami-and-dill-pickle sandwich. The sandwich made him think of Annie. She loved salami, but the kind with the black peppercorns. And she liked mustard and onions on her sandwich, not pickles.
God, he missed her...her and her onion breath, and the laugh when she kissed him afterward. It was getting harder and harder to remember her from before, for what the early-onset Alzheimer’s she now suffered from had done to her...to them.
He finished off the sandwich and the glass of sweet tea, and then put the glass in the sink and the napkin that had served as a plate in the trash, and wondered what the hell was holding Wyrick up.
No sooner had he thought it than his phone signaled a text. It was her.
Chopper is ready now. I’m en route. Pack your iPad and a power pack. I uploaded info to it that you’re going to want, but you’re not going to have wifi there, so read on the way.
He sighed, then went back to his office, picked up the iPad and dug a couple of power packs out of a drawer and put them in his bag, along with his regular cell phone, then gathered up his things and headed out the door.
Dallas was experiencing its first cold spell, which wasn’t that unusual for October, but Big Bend National Park was at the southern end of the state of Texas, bordering Mexico. It had a far different weather pattern than the northern part of the state.
He wondered if the weather was going to impact his search, then knew it would all hinge on how far up they’d hiked before Tony Dawson went missing. The nights would be cold. The weather during the day would vary with regard to warmth. But he’d find all that out when he got there, and right now, his biggest issue was traffic to get to the airport.
It was at its usual breakneck pace, and Charlie was already thinking about the upcoming trip and the job ahead. He didn’t have any preconceived notions about what he’d find, but he’d been doing this for a long time, and his instincts were telling him there was more to those boys’ story than what they’d admitted. What didn’t make sense was why they’d keep anything a secret when their friend was missing. Getting so drunk they didn’t remember much was possible, but why keep it a secret when a friend’s life was at stake?
* * *
Wyrick changed clothes in the office before heading to the hangar where she kept her chopper. Benny had it fueled up and ready, and now all she had to do was get there. But when she left the building and headed for her Mercedes, she caught a glimpse of Darrell Boyington sitting in a black Lexus at the back of the parking lot.
What the hell is he trying to prove?
But getting Charlie to the Chisos Mountain Lodge was uppermost in her thoughts, and she forgot about Boyington as she jumped in the Mercedes and sped out of the parking lot.
She was on the freeway before she happened to glance up in the rearview mirror and see a black Lexus about thirty yards behind her.
Boyington?
It had been a while since she’d been tailed by people hired by Universal Theorem, but she could spot a tail within seconds. She was accustomed to UT’s interests in her whereabouts, but knowing it was someone Charlie turned away was a little creepy, and yet there he was. She didn’t have time to deal with him, and she didn’t want to lead him all the way to the location of her hangar. The less people knew about her personal business, the better.
Thinking she would lose him in the traffic, she accelerated, but so did he. When the little warning system went off on her phone, alerting her of a speed trap up ahead, she grinned.
Boyington was going down.
She accelerated even more, and when she did, Boyington surged forward, moving through traffic behind her like a bloodhound on a hot trail. She was doing ninety, and he was gaining, when she activated the cloaking device on her Mercedes and shot past the cop and his radar gun, leaving Boyington to the cop and her home free.
About a quarter of a mile later, she deactivated the cloaking, took the next westbound exit and headed for the airport.
Charlie was there and waiting by the chopper when she sped through the gate and then parked her car in the hangar and grabbed her bag.
“Everything okay?” Charlie asked.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I changed clothes at the office. Traffic was weird. That’s all.”
He nodded. “Dallas traffic is always weird.”
“Mount up,” Wyrick said, and began her preflight checkup while Charlie climbed in.
He had already stowed his gear behind his seat, so he buckled in and waited for her to finish outside, then waited again as she went through a flight check inside, as well.
They put on headphones as she powered up. The rotors started spinning as every instrument on the dash lit up like the console on a Starfighter. And in another universe, Jade Wyrick would have been the Jedi manning it.
Wyrick glanced at her flight partner. He was grim-faced and staring out the windshield in front of him, and she knew he was already thinking about the case.
When the rotors reached full power, she lifted off—going up and then making a half circle before taking a heading of south by southwest to Big Bend National Park.
As soon as she had time to think about something besides flying, she mentioned Boyington again.
“Just so you know, Boyington was waiting in the parking lot and tailed me part of the way here. I lost him on the freeway.”
“What the hell?” Charlie said.
She could feel him staring at her.
“Did you feel threatened?” he asked.
She shrugged, keeping her gaze on her business. “I don’t know what I felt, but I wasn’t afraid, if that’s what you meant. However, it was creepy, and whatever he wants, I don’t think we need to be working with him.”
“Agreed,” Charlie said. “Let me know if he shows up again.”
She nodded. “No worries. The missing kid is far more important than whatever is on some frustrated man’s agenda. Did you see the map of the trail they took that I uploaded to your iPad?”
“Not yet.”
“You can read it now.”
He gave her a thumbs-up and powered it up.
“I also preregistered you for the hike they took. The permit is on your phone. You’ll have to show up with your ID, but they know you’re coming, and they know the family has hired you to aid in the search for their son.”
Charlie glanced at her then, marveling at her attention to detail.
“Remind me to give you that raise,” he said.
She snorted.
He grinned.
They both knew she could buy a whole country and have money left over. That constantly promised raise was a running joke between them.
After that, the two-hour-plus flight was mostly silent until they were five minutes out from their destination.
“Coming up on the lodge. I have permission to land nearby to unload you.”
“Let me know you make it back,” Charlie said.
“I will. You check in with me tonight when you can. I’m going to go back and do some more research on all three boys. Maybe I’ll have something more.”
Minutes later, she set down.
“Good hunting,” she said, right before Charlie took off his headset.
“Safe flight,” he said, and then grabbed his gear and started toward the lodge.
He turned to watch as she lifted off and waited until she was out of sight before going in. A park ranger was inside the door talking to a couple of hikers who’d just come down from one of the trails. They were asking about the searchers they’d seen, and if the missing hiker had been found. Charlie stopped, curious as to what the ranger would have to say.
“No, he’s still missing,” the ranger said.
“That’s tough,” one of the hikers said. “We saw a group of people down in one of the canyons yesterday. We wondered if they were searchers, but we didn’t see any today. Have they called off the search?”
“I think they’ve moved farther up the canyon. I don’t know where they’re at now,” the ranger said. “Thanks for checking in to let us know you’re back. Are you leaving now?”
“Yes, sir,” they said. “We’re going to load up and head back to Austin. It was an amazing trip.”
“Hope to see you again,” the ranger said, and then the hikers left the office.
“Excuse me,” Charlie said. “My name is Charlie Dodge. I’m a private investigator out of Dallas. I’ve been hired by the Dawson family to look for their son, Tony, and just wanted you to know I’ll be on the trail searching for him, too.”
The ranger shook Charlie’s hand. “Ranger Arnie Collins.”
“If I find anything, who do I contact?” Charlie asked.
“Cell service is bad here. You’ll likely need a two-way radio or—”
“I have a sat phone,” Charlie said.
“Then call the office,” the ranger said. “They’ll know how to get the information to the right people. Do you know the trail they took?”
“Yes. Did they discover anything during the search, or pinpoint a specific location of any kind?”
“No, and I was part of one of the search teams, so I would have known.”
“Okay. Thanks for the info.”
A short while later, Charlie left with a map of the trails and started on the same hike the boys had chosen. Even though he would keep an eye out all the way there, his first goal was to reach the same area where they’d made camp, and he was going to have to hustle, because his day was already half over.
Two
Wyri
ck had a good tailwind all the way back to Dallas, cutting almost fifteen minutes of flight time off the trip. Benny was waiting when she landed.
“Welcome back,” Benny said. “You made good time.”
Wyrick nodded. “Check her over and keep her serviced and ready. I’ll have to make a trip back to pick him up, too.”
“Will do,” Benny said, and as soon as Wyrick drove her Mercedes out of the hangar, he towed the chopper back inside and went to work.
She drove straight back to the office, changed into the clothes she’d left home in and stowed the jeans and work clothes. She’d washed the makeup from her face when she left, and she needed something more to hide behind than the red leather and black boots, so she added red eye shadow and black lipstick and called it good.
After making a fresh pot of coffee, she took a bear claw to her desk to make up for having no breakfast or lunch and went to work. The phone rang periodically. She took messages and answered questions while going through new email and paying bills.
It was late afternoon before she had time to dig into the social media aspects of the three boys. Since she wasn’t one of their “friends,” she was going to have to hack to research, but saved the hacking for home, where the security on her personal computers was impenetrable.
By the time she left the office, she was starving. She picked up Chinese on her way home, while keeping an eye out for Boyington and his black Lexus, but it was a no-show, which was a relief.
She got home, stripped and showered, then dressed in old sweats and a T-shirt. She took her food to the living room, turned on the TV and finally ate her first meal of the day.
Having Merlin for a landlord and living in the basement of his mansion was the safest she’d felt in years. Having Charlie Dodge for a boss wasn’t safe for her emotional well-being, but she’d already figured out her life wasn’t worth shit without him in it, so there was that.
* * *
Darrell Boyington was standing on the balcony of his penthouse, looking out across a city of lights. Dallas was the ninth most populous city in the US—almost four hundred square miles of city, with nearly a million and a half people within that area. Everything was big in Texas, including the state itself, and Darrell had earned his way to the penthouse in a most unique manner.
