by Pamela Tracy
“They had a record number of babies born that day. Three. They usually average three a year. It’s that small a town. Plus, many there prefer to go to the big city. In one Scottsdale hospital, they even have a spa for new mothers.”
“They probably didn’t back then,” Janie pointed out.
“No, and thirty-six years ago we didn’t have safeguards in place like we do today. When my brother was two days old, someone dressed as a nurse came into my mother’s room, took Ramon, and left. All we have is a picture taken a few hours after his birth. We’ve done age progression, but the FBI closed the case years ago.”
“And that’s why your dad changed professions and became a cop and then a sheriff.”
“It was a way,” Rafe agreed, “to be on top of my brother’s case and also to help others the way we had been helped. All three towns—Scorpion Ridge, Gesippi, and Adobe Hills—rallied together to search for my big brother.”
“And then your mom had you.”
“At age forty-four.”
“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine losing a child. I was heartbroken when I lost my sister just for a year, and I knew where she was.”
“The good news is we’ve always believed he’s still alive. Most people who kidnap children do it because they want a baby. Someday I’ll meet him. I’ve always had faith.”
Janie wished she’d had more faith during that year she’d tried to get away from Aunt Betsy. Katie had always fought for her. Until today, this minute, she hadn’t realized how much harder she, Janie, had made the whole process by continually running away. How much grief she’d caused Katie.
“Oh, speaking of babies, I should call Katie.”
A moment later, Janie found out she still wasn’t an aunt. “They’ve sent Katie home. Seems she was having something called Braxton Hicks contractions. She’s supposed to rest and drink lots of water.”
“Well, at least you didn’t miss the important event.”
Janie nodded and asked, “Is it a lot harder to kidnap a baby today?”
“Near impossible thanks to special security bands that set off an alarm if anyone tries to remove the baby from the floor. So, what are your plans today?”
“I’ll work at the zoo. With Katie on bed rest, they’ll need me.”
“Luke will be there,” Rafe seemed to say to himself. “And, I’ll tell Candy to do some drive-bys. You’ll be okay.”
“You said yourself that this Chris person is probably convinced of his safety. Let’s hope that’s true.”
Rafe pulled into the front drive of Katie and Luke’s house and then walked Janie inside. She changed into a pair of khaki pants and a BAA shirt. Together they walked back outside and stood awkwardly next to their cars. Janie almost felt bereft at the idea of heading to her car alone.
“You’ll be fine,” Rafe said, as if reading her mind.
“What are you going to do?”
“I have a jail visit and need to work on the budget.”
“Exciting.”
“I’ll tell you what’s exciting...”
Before Janie had a clue of his intentions, he’d drawn her close and dipped his head for a kiss. It wasn’t demanding, it wasn’t chaste. It was in the middle, making promises about forever.
When he let her go, she wished she had something to lean against. Instead, he simply touched her cheek, and then watched as she got into her car.
She liked knowing he watched over her.
But what she pondered was that he hadn’t said, I’ll come by later.
Mondays at BAA weren’t the busiest, and right now there were no baby animals to advertise, no students doing documentaries or even a field trip scheduled. Janie parked her car and then headed for Luke’s office. She plugged her phone into the wall to charge before checking BAA’s phone for messages.
“I’ve already done it.” Meredith Stone, who was head keeper, stood in the doorway.
“Anything important?”
“No.”
“What do you want me to do, since you’re short-handed.”
Meredith, always a taskmaster, easily answered, “If you could do the cleanup checklist, that would be awesome. Then, Jasper could use some help at his three-o’clock show. He’s done a show already today with the orangutan. He’s not got the strength that he used to.”
“But—” As a rule, Janie didn’t get up close and comfortable with the animals. She loved them, painted them, championed them, but her gift wasn’t working with them. They sensed her hesitancy, her fear.
“Just act as a barker while he does the show with George and Crisco.”
That Janie could do. She’d known George forever. He’d been her dad’s favorite trained bear. He was a personal favorite of Katie’s, too. As for Crisco, Janie had been there when Crisco was found, tied to a fence by a remote farm that fell in the no-man’s-land between Scorpion Ridge and Gesippi. She’d held Crisco when he was a baby, helped nurse him and was now creating the wall mural that showed his path from rags to riches.
Jasper didn’t go into the bear enclosure any longer, as George was getting old and crotchety and Crisco was Katie and Ruth’s baby. He responded well to them. Jasper hadn’t put in the hours with the bear.
Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge in Luke’s office, Janie first checked her mail slot. A wrinkled manila envelope was the only offering. Her breath caught. She seldom got mail, but when she did, it usually had to do with art.
Fingers shaking, she opened it and pulled out a letter.
Dear Miss Vincent,
We are pleased to invite you to be one of our artists in residence for this coming summer.
She sat, squealed, and then stood to jump up and down. She’d be leaving. In just six weeks. She sat back down. This would open doors for her. She could see the world, apply for other opportunities.
Who should she call first?
The joy slipped away as quickly as it arrived.
For the first time, getting the residency in South Africa wasn’t her top priority, the only dream she had. She put the letter back in the envelope and stuffed it in her mail slot. She needed to think. Her longing for adventure had changed. Her focus and love of drawing animals wasn’t her only calling.
All those years, drawing animals had been an escape for her; it was a place she could go, a world she could create, that represented safety.
But now, for the first time, it was people that made her feel safe and needed. She was about to be an aunt. And there was Rafe. Who’d kissed her just thirty minutes ago.
Whom she wanted to kiss her again.
She made her way outside, wishing she’d worn her other BAA shirt, the summer one. It was unusually hot for April.
The checklist took longer than usual because a few tasks weren’t complete. On the smaller animals, like the birds or Luke’s favorite iguana, Janie willingly picked up the slack and cleaned the cages or supplied the food. For the big cats, though, she simply made a mark in her notebook and would tell Meredith later.
Heading for the bear’s enclosure, she decided to first call and check on Katie. That’s when she remembered her phone was still charging in the office.
By the time she picked it up, she had just one minute to get to the three-o’clock show. Hurrying to the bears’ enclosure, Janie watched the families as they gathered. During the school semester, small children in strollers dominated the pathways. There were also a few older couples out enjoying the day. They all had stories.
She wanted to draw them, to focus on the lines on their faces, the gleam in their eyes, the way they looked at the world.
Animals were awesome, but people were, too.
Jasper had just left the kitchen and had food for George and Crisco.
“Good, you’re my helper,” he said, drawing near.
>
“Long time since I’ve done this.”
“All you have to do is talk to the crowd, describe what’s going on, and give them both George and Crisco’s stories. You’re as familiar with the details as I am.”
Jasper used to be able to do both work with the bears and talk with the crowd. As he aged, though, his voice wasn’t as strong.
He still seemed strong to Janie. He was a remnant of her childhood, the days before Aunt Betsy. Jasper had pushed her in a wagon, she remembered that. He’d been the one to put her on the back of a camel for the first time. He’d sat beside her and colored right along with her. Neither of her parents, or Katie for that matter, had liked to draw or color.
Janie wondered if Rafe liked to draw.
She’d have to ask.
Fewer than a dozen people showed up for the show. One was a family of six, four of them too young to appreciate what they were seeing and hearing. Then there were two couples. Plus, she recognized CeeCee Harrington from the Adobe Hills Community College. She was taking pictures of Crisco while Janie spoke.
She smiled weakly at Janie.
After the show, Janie went over and sat beside her on the bench.
“I couldn’t go to work today,” CeeCee said. “It’s never easy losing a student. But Derek’s funeral... What a show.”
“I didn’t realize you were close to Derek.”
“He took two of my English classes. I remember when he walked into my class, I thought, ‘This kid with his attitude will never make it.’”
“But he did.”
“He earned a C the first time. He moved up to a B on his second go-around.”
“I regret that I didn’t know him better.”
“Me, too.” CeeCee stood and walked toward the bear enclosure. “I remember Crisco’s story. The place where they found him is out near where I live. I knew the couple who lived on that farm. Not well and not socially, but when you live outside the city limits you become familiar with the people who live around you.”
“Rafe says most of the people who have homes out there just want to be left alone.”
“It’s true. I moved out there after a divorce. I guess I needed time to lick my wounds and move on. It took me a few years. I was becoming a recluse. That’s when I applied to become an adjunct at the college. Best thing I could have done.”
“Your students do like you. I hear them talk.”
“That’s the reason I teach. I want to influence the generation of our future.” CeeCee checked her watch. “You got someplace to be next, or are you free to get something to eat? I don’t want to go home. I don’t want to be alone.”
CeeCee must not have a Katie or a Rafe in her life.
“I’m free. We could eat here. Or there’s the Corner Diner. Rafe’s mom works there.”
“Rafe?”
“Sheriff Rafe Salazar, he’s—”
CeeCee laughed. “I know who he is. I’m just not used to hearing him called by his first name. Are you two an item?”
“No.”
“I’m not sure I’m convinced. You want to tell me the story while we eat?”
Janie almost said no. But she’d not eaten lunch yet, not even a snack. “Really, I can’t unless we eat here or the Corner Diner. I should stick close by. My sister’s about to have a baby. That’s why I wound up helping Jasper with the bear show.”
“The Corner Diner it is,” CeeCee agreed.
Janie hurried into one of the public bathrooms and washed her hands. Then she followed CeeCee out to the parking lot. At Adobe Hills Community College, they’d been little more than two teachers passing in the hallways or sitting in the student union after classes.
At least now Janie understood why CeeCee preferred to grade her papers in the cafeteria. No one to go home to.
CeeCee had dressed somberly for Derek’s funeral, too. Usually, CeeCee was flamboyant, preferring loud colors and flowing jackets.
She was someone Janie could draw!
Funny that Janie never used to look at people as her muse.
Today she wore only brown. Her hair, very thick, was drawn back in a ponytail.
“I’ll drive. When we come back, I think I’ll walk around the zoo some more. Take more pictures.”
Janie followed her to a blue sedan, an older car. It had seen a lot of years. The inside was a mess.
“Yeah, the car’s ancient. After the divorce,” CeeCee said, “I had a few money problems. Things are much better now. I’ll probably get a new car soon. Sorry about the mess. I lose things in here constantly. Supper, by the way, is my treat.”
CeeCee started the car and pulled out of BAA’s parking lot. Janie noted that she made no move to turn on the air conditioner even though it was hot. Janie took hold of the window handle and started to crank as CeeCee said, “Crisco sure is big. I wish I’d made it by when he was still little. Do you have any pictures?”
The window didn’t roll down easily, that was for sure. Janie stopped trying for a minute, pulled out her phone and brought a photo of the bear up. At the first stop sign, she handed CeeCee the phone.
“I’m glad there’s no traffic,” CeeCee said. “Cute bear. Did you know a bear’s gallbladder can sell for as high as thirty thousand dollars?”
Janie didn’t have a chance to respond. From behind her, someone rose and grabbed her around the throat and dragged her into the backseat.
She fought for a moment, but the man was much stronger. One slap from him had her ears ringing. That was the least of her problems, though.
She recognized him.
From the drawing she and Amanda had created.
It was Chad Ruskey.
* * *
RAFE CHECKED HIS cell phone for the fifth time. Ten after six. He punched the key that dialed Janie’s number and waited. It rang twice and then her voice mail came on. Unavailable. She’d been unavailable since he’d dropped her off. According to Katie, whom he’d called after he’d left his third message on Janie’s phone, Janie was helping around BAA and might have her phone off. The ringing sometimes disturbed the animals. It was a viable reason, but Rafe still felt a vague uneasiness in his gut.
His chief of police had been to BAA just after three and saw Janie helping with the bear show. But, no one, at least that Rafe had spoken with, had seen Janie since then.
Detective Nathan Williamson was still missing in action, too, which worried Rafe. Rafe had sensed something was off about Nathan and this case since Janie had read the art book. Maybe Rafe should have probed deeper into why.
But Nathan was someone he’d worked with often, someone he trusted and had never before had a single issue with.
Rafe pulled up in front of the police station and hurried in. Candy shook her head. She’d had no contact with Janie.
“Her sister’s starting to worry, too,” Candy said.
Rafe sat at his desk and pulled his notebook from his pocket. He’d spent most of the afternoon talking to a burglary suspect who Rafe suspected was guilty of more than stealing copper from the nearby elementary school. Then, he’d met with another officer over a civil matter. Used to be, Rafe had his finger in every pie and knew everything that was going on. This last month, though, he’d had to delegate a lot more, and he was quite impressed with how his officers—especially Jeff Summerside—had stepped up to the plate.
After typing in his notes, which took all of twenty minutes, he quit trying to catch up on his work. He needed to get to BAA and find Janie.
BAA was only ten minutes away. It was already closed. Which meant Janie had no excuse for not contacting him when she knew he’d be worried.
He’d made it about one mile when his cell rang. Justin, sounding a bit frantic, said, “I’m out looking for Nathan. One of the kids I pal around with said they noticed his car out
near Mailbox Mesa.”
“Why is that important?”
“Because he blew off at least three appointments, atypical, and that location is near the same farm where Crisco was found.”
Rafe frowned. The land between Scorpion Ridge and Adobe Hill was unincorporated and fell under Rafe’s jurisdiction. At the very least, Rafe deserved a courtesy call if something was going down.
“I’m heading up there now,” Justin said. “It’s fairly close to where Derek died.”
Another coincidence?
“You want to meet me since it’s your jurisdiction?”
Rafe was four minutes from BAA. It would take him at least a half hour to search the zoo and find Janie if she wasn’t responding to her cell.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Rafe said.
Should he continue to the zoo or head for the deserted farm? Zoo or farm? His every instinct screamed farm.
Rafe spun his SUV around. He headed down the back roads of Scorpion Ridge and toward the rural areas that housed a few survivalist types, a lot of hippies, a growing number of homesteaders, and, yes, too many drug growers and dealers. He quickly called Candy Riorden.
“I want you to track Janie’s cell phone. Use Locaid, it should only take a minute.”
“That will invade her privacy. And it’s illegal. It could cost you—”
“I’ll take full responsibility. And there are some things more important than my job.”
It had been a long while since he’d felt that way.
He called the zoo. No one answered. All he got was a recording about the zoo’s hours, fees and upcoming events. He really didn’t want to bother Katie, so he called Luke.
“We’re on our way to the hospital again,” Luke said instead of a hello. “This time it’s for real.”
“Make one phone call for me. Call someone and have them search every nook and cranny of BAA. No one’s heard from or seen Janie in over an hour.”
Luke was silent for a moment. Then he said, “I’ll call Jasper. He loves the girls like they’re his own children. He’ll know where to look.”
