“Sadie called you?” Jessie blinked.
“Yes, she does every now and then to make sure you’re all right. Anyway, she wanted to know if you were dating. She kept saying she wanted to see you get married. Even though you don’t see how guys like you…” Katie smiled, shaking her head. “No, you don’t. You’re the best, and you’ll fall in love when the time is right.”
“I could say the same thing to you. You don’t have to sell yourself; anyone can see you’re one of a kind. Besides being pretty, you keep life interesting; you’re one of the funniest people I know.”
“Listen to the two of us.” Katie laughed aloud. “We’re a part of the mutual admiration society. Are we square?”
“Of course, Katie, I thought long and hard about what you said. It all comes back to I’m not ready yet. I like working, writing, and the cases I get a chance to work on. I want to own the bookstore, and I enjoy being around all the guys who are my friends. I’m not in a hurry.”
“Would you consider dating once in a while so I can tell her you’ve been dating?”
“Sure, every time I go to dinner with someone, you can say I went on a date.”
“Boy, I’m glad I got that off my chest. Although, I might have made another teeny mistake…” Katie put on an innocent expression.
“Just what kind of mistake are we talking about?” Jessie had a look of utter frustration on her face.
“I might have mentioned my theory to Matt and told him you were a little naïve when it came to men.”
“You didn’t…” Jessie sucked in a quick breath. “You know how he teases me, and you’ve handed him more ammunition to use against me. Katie, how could you?”
“I’m sorry, friend. Open mouth, insert foot. I don’t stop to think before I act.”
“Look, Katie, I’m not as naïve as you think. I have seen the way men sometimes look at me. I don’t like it. I don’t want someone to like me just because of my looks.” She threw herself back onto the sofa cushions, arms crossed. “I have a mind, and I am intelligent. I want to be more than just a body with a face. All that fades. My grandma Sadie is one of the most interesting people I know and people still love her for that, even though she’s not young and beautiful.” Jessie leaned forward.
“Sadie’s great!”
“I do understand people are attracted to each other by looks, but there has to be something more. The man who wins my heart will have to love my mind as well as the rest of me. He will at least have to hold an intelligent conversation with me for longer than a few seconds.” Jessie lifted her chin.
“Okay, I’ll quit bugging you. If I start to say something to you in the future about this subject, just give a quick kick under the table.” Katie giggled. “Maybe I’m the one who has been naïve, I actually just understood and agree with what you said.”
“You know me and my soapbox.” Jessie smiled. “Women have a lot to offer and I can see how all the emphasis on having the perfect body has been bad. I’ve done stories on the down side of it when young girls starve themselves to maintain a certain size. Now, there’s an epidemic of woman over fifty with eating disorders.”
“Again I agree with you, but I have to admit I’m vain. I like it when someone tells me I look great.”
“I do, too, but I want them to like more. Do you know what I heard a man say on the news the other day?” Jessie frowned.
“I’m afraid to ask, but I’ll take the bait. What did you hear?”
“He actually said ‘One of the worse things that happened in history is when men gave women the right to vote.’ Can you imagine a bigger jerk? If I had been interviewing him he would have heard a few choice things.”
“On that note, we both can totally agree.” Katie stood up. “I guess I’d better get back to the Inn, and you have to be up early and ready to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She started out the door but turned back suddenly. “Hey, we’re doing the last barbecue of the season tomorrow at the Inn. My famous ribs are on the menu. I’ll give Matt a call in the morning to let him know so everyone can eat here tomorrow night. Even if he doesn’t want to, you should come.” She waved as she walked out the door.
“I’ll be there.” Jessie shut and locked the door. She wondered how long it would last this time before Katie was back to matchmaking. With the click of the dead bolt, an amazing idea popped into her head—the perfect addition to her story about Abigail. She jotted down her idea and thought about it until her head hit the pillow. She slept peacefully for about an hour and then it was downhill from there.
Jessie tossed and turned through the night. Abigail’s cries for help filled her dreams. She awakened with a renewed sense of urgency. She crawled out of bed and headed for the shower hoping it would revive her. It was bound to be a long day.
“Hang on, Abby, please, sweetheart, hang on.”
By seven, she was dressed and ready to go. This had to be the day they found her. Abigail wouldn’t last much longer. She called Frank’s number.
“Good morning,” he answered.
“Are you ready for another day of tracking?” Jessie smiled at his cheery voice.
“Both Radar and I are chomping at the bit to get started. We’re here, Jessie. Are you on your way?”
“I’m on my way. I had a rough night. I could hear Abigail’s cries all night in my dreams. She’s fading. We have to find her quickly.” She choked back a sob. “I don’t know how much longer she can hold on.”
“It’ll be okay, Jessie. We’ll give it our best shot. That’s all we can do. Pay attention to your driving and I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
****
Matt looked at Frank. “What’s that all about?”
“Jessie had a rough night. She said she could hear Abigail’s cries all night. She’s afraid she won’t survive much longer.”
“We’ll just have to find her then, won’t we?” Matt looked around the group. “Dylan, you pick the sandwiches up at Joe’s. Kip, you ride with Frank out to the site. I’ll wait for Jessie and Tom and bring them with me. Oh, and before I forget, Katie wants us all to have dinner at the Inn tonight. It’s their last barbecue of the season, so count yourself invited if you don’t already have plans. Let me know so I can give her the number.”
Matt watched them all depart, wondering where Tom was. Jessie was just pulling into a parking space. He called Tom and got his voice mail. “Hey, Tom, this is Matt. Did you want to ride with us or drive out to where we were yesterday? Let me know. I’ll wait a few minutes to hear from you.”
“Good morning, Mr. Parker.” Jessie smiled at him.
“I heard you had a rough night?”
“You could say that.” A furrow creased her brow. “Abigail’s cries got weaker as the night progressed. If we get close to finding her, we might need a doctor or an ambulance on call. I think she’s going to need it.”
“I’ll put a call into dispatch, if we do.”
“We’re going to need it today. We have to. We have very little time left.” She shivered.
“Tom’s here. We can get started now.” He opened the door for her to get in.
She shook her head no. “I’ll get in the back. Tom’s legs are longer than mine; he’ll need the front seat.” Matt opened the back door for her and closed it as she got in.
Tom approached Matt’s car. “Sorry I’m late, I flat out overslept. Did you have to wait very long?”
“Not long, the others left about ten minutes ago. Let’s roll.” Matt started the car.
“Hi, Jessie, how are you?” Tom turned to look at her.
“Fine…” She smiled, glancing at him. “And you?”
“No complaints.” He turned back around and clicked his seatbelt.
“Matt, Katie sent a text wanting to know how many are coming for dinner tonight. She already knows I’m coming.”
“She texted me too and knows I’m coming,” he told her. “Tom, are you in?” Matt glanced over at him.
“Sure, I’m always up for food.
”
“Tell her probably everyone who was there last night.” Matt watched Jessie in the rearview mirror and smiled at her concentration.
Matt started Tom in on college football and in the midst of their argument glanced in the rearview mirror to see how Jessie was handling this all-male conversation. She was sound asleep, her head propped against the window.
Chapter 9
She was startled awake by the sound of her phone alerting her to an incoming message. Rubbing her eyes to focus them, she tried to grasp what she was reading. Abruptly Jessie interrupted their heated debate. “Matt, two children were snatched off the streets in New York City a few hours ago. The authorities have activated an AMBER Alert. It says two dark-colored vans were seen in the vicinity by witnesses.”
“How’d you hear that?” he called back to her.
“A news update on my phone.” She could see his facial expressions in the mirror. “What’s the probability that it could be the same guys?”
“Anything’s possible.” He looked thoughtful. “Does it say whether the victims were boys or girls?”
“One of each…” Her eyes narrowed.
“What are you thinking?” He glanced at her.
“They had to replace Joshua and Abigail. There must be some kind of quota they have to make.” She paused. “I wonder if there is an entry or exit area from New York used by traffickers.”
“We’ve been aware of traffickers leaving from the Long Island area.” Tom turned to look at her. “But we have nothing firm as of yet. We also have heard rumors about an underground distribution center. A little like a warehouse that moves the kids through to their new location. We haven’t found it yet.”
“I wonder if that’s where they’re taking the children.” She bent her head over her phone as she continued to read.
“The places are constantly changing. It’s a fluid situation. Here this week and gone the next as the heat turns up.” Tom turned to look at her. “It used to be somewhat predictable, but the market has grown so large, with some crimes overlapping. It’s constantly changing with new areas for law enforcement to tackle.”
“We found that in our last case, too.”
“They won’t want to be too visible right now,” Matt added. “It would be risky driving the vans in the city with the present AMBER Alert.” Matt made the turn and headed to the barn they had found during the track yesterday. “What, if any, details were given?” Their eyes connected in the mirror.
“Witnesses said the kids were literally grabbed right off the street in broad daylight.” She read on, taking note of the key facts.
“Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?” Matt asked her.
She nodded. “We need Abigail! Any description she can give to us would be helpful at this point.” Jessie continued to scroll through the information on her phone.
****
As they approached the barn area, Jessie could see Frank standing by Kip with Radar already in his harness. Dylan was just getting out of his car. She opened the door, jumped out as soon as the car stopped, and walked over to Frank.
“Is he ready to get to work?” She patted Radar’s head.
“Yep, are you?” Frank looked at her sleepy eyes. “Do you want to walk the track with me?” He hooked the line to Radar’s harness.
“I sure do!” She walked away from the others a little ways and spoke to Abigail. “Come on, Abby, we’re going to need your help. We’re on our way. You need to start talking and keep talking to me. Can you hear me, Abby?”
“I’ll try, but I’m so tired…” The words came into Jessie’s mind.
“Sweetheart, you have to stay awake. Tell me what the men looked like or anything that comes to mind. Can you do that for me? Abby, please, you have to stay awake!”
“I’ll try.”
“The dog is going to start looking for you. What’s the first thing you want to eat when we find you? Think about that, Abby. But just keep the thoughts coming,” Jessie whispered.
“I want…a milkshake.” Her voice brightened just a bit. “Chocolate…”
Jessie followed Frank and Radar into the barn. Frank bent down to give Radar his command. He held the bear in his hand and let Radar smell Abigail’s scent. “Find her, find the girl.”
They stood back and watched as the dog went through his routine. He sniffed all around the barn and started out the door. Jessie and Matt walked with Frank. The others followed in Frank’s Durango.
The dog headed down the path that Jessie had walked the day before. After going close to two miles, Radar veered off onto another path. Making a turn to the right he circled back toward the main road.
“Are you sure, boy?” Radar lifted his head in response, but then he went back to work, and continued his track on the new path. “He’s still working it.”
Matt kept pace with Frank and they talked, while Jessie lagged behind. She was getting nothing from Abigail and that had her worried. Several what if scenarios played through her mind like a bad movie. She became more determined with each step she walked. They had to find Abigail not only for her, but for the lives of the other children, as well.
Frank paused, stopping Radar to wait for Jessie to catch up. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I was trying to contact Abigail, but I’m not getting anything anymore.”
“Keep your head in this, Jess.” Matt frowned at her.
“That’s what I’m doing!” She frowned back at him.
“Is he still on the trail do you think?” Matt asked Frank.
“I have no reason to believe he’s not. If he comes to the end of the trail, he will sit down. If I give him the command again and he doesn’t move, that will be the end of it. Are you ready?” Frank was looking at Jessie.
“Sure, let’s kick it into gear. Don’t worry. I’ll keep up.” Her chin edged up as she walked past Matt. He smiled at her back. Her sass was in place.
“Find her, fella, let’s get to work.” The dog was off again. Radar worked slowly along the highway for a few miles and then he started pulling harder. “I think he’s on to something,” Frank called over his shoulder as the dog veered back to the left on to another small roadway. He took them further into a wooded area until he came to an open area where there had been a campfire recently. He circled the clearing several times and sat down.
“They were obviously here at some point.” Frank pointed to the area.
“It looks that way.” Matt walked over to where the fire had been and looked around. The others branched out, combing the area for any evidence. “Frank, do you want to take a break or eat as you walk?”
“I think we should keep going while the dog wants to work. He’s still into it, and I don’t want him to lose interest. I’ll give him some water, and then we’ll start up again.” Frank set the dog’s water bowl in front of him.
Jessie listened to them talk, but she wanted to hear Abigail. She concentrated her thoughts. “Abby, we’re at a place where there was a campfire. Do you remember the place? Are we getting any closer?”
“Yes, I can remember it,” her soft voice answered. “We kept going in circles so I don’t know if you are close or far away.”
“Frank,” Jessie called to him. “Abigail mentioned it felt like they were going in circles. I’m not sure what that will mean to the dog, but I thought I should tell you that.”
“He should still come out okay. He’s an off-scent dog; he takes the scent from the air not just the ground. He can move out as much as thirty feet from where they’ve walked or have been. He won’t circle as often as they might have.” Frank looked at Matt. “I think we should get started again.
“I’m ready.” Jessie stood up and grabbed a bottle of water.
“I’d like to walk with you this time.” Tom stepped forward. “I’d like to see this dog working up close. It’s really pretty fascinating.”
Frank knelt beside the dog and held out the bear. “Can you find the girl, fella? You’ve done great, Radar.” He gav
e his dog a treat. “Let’s bring the girl home.”
For the next hour, it seemed they weren’t making any headway. Jessie found herself losing hope. Abigail had been silent since lunchtime. Radar suddenly lifted up his head and started pulling down another odd little path, which went farther into a wooded area.
Jessie heard what sounded like water in the distance. She could see a dilapidated old homestead a little farther up the bumpy overgrown road. Radar was pulling hard.
“Frank, let him off the line and I’ll run with him. I think that’s it up ahead. It looks like the place she told me about.” Jessie felt a rush of adrenaline and took off running.
Frank didn’t need to give a command; the dog was already running. When he reached the cabin he circled it baying, keeping Jessie in his sights. She practically tore the door off its hinges in her haste to get inside. Breathing hard—she forgot to draw her gun—her eyes adjusted to the dark interior, but Radar found her first. The dog whined and whiffled at a small heap in a dim corner.
Curled up on the floor, the small skinny girl lay still and motionless. “Abby, precious girl, hang in there.” Jessie held her breath until she felt a pulse. Matt burst through the door followed closely by Tom. She looked up at him, Abigail’s head cradled in her lap, tears rolling down her cheeks. Radar leaned into her other side, his nose on her lap.
“Well, I’ll be damned; I would never have believed it possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” Tom shook his head at the scene in front of him.
Matt knelt beside Jessie. “Is she still alive?”
“Yes.” She blinked away the tears.
Matt put in a call to Joe and told him to send the ambulance. He gave him the mile marker where they had veered away from the main highway. “Tell them it’s more of a path than a road, but the vans made it back here. They should be okay.” He hung up after giving a few more orders.
Jessie looked into Matt’s eyes. “Thank you for believing in me. Most people would have thought I was crazy, but not you.” She smiled at him.
He nodded, reached out, and gently pushed a curl back that had fallen into her eye. “Your hands are full right now.” He cleared his throat. His voice sounded gruff. “To my credit, I did have a little experience with this strange side of you once before.” He gave her a sly wink.
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