He used his most sensitive tone.
The parents sat in pairs, except one woman. Carl pulled out his notepad. “I’m going to ask a couple of questions. Please don’t be offended, and I’d appreciate it if you answer as truthfully as possible.”
One man stood up, his face twisting. Stubble the color of red clay dotted his face. “We don’t have time for questions. You need to be out there, looking for them.” He pointed his hand out the door.
Carl met the man’s eyes and spoke calmly. “We’ve got officers out looking. The more information you give me, the easier it will be for me to do my job.”
“Jacob, sit,” his wife said, turning tired eyes up at him. Her curly blond hair fell in disorganized ringlets around her neck.
Carl eyed his notepad. “I know you already told this to dispatch, but tell me what your daughters’ names are and who goes to which set of parents.”
The single woman cleared her throat. Her thick black hair lay in uneven waves. “Jacinta Rivera is mine.”
“Sara Yadle is ours.” A man with dark brown hair and bloodshot eyes clung to his wife, a heavy woman with shoulder-length blond hair.
“Amanda Murphy.” The hostile man, Jacob, deflated when he said the name. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Callie Nichols.” The petite brunette said the name with a sob and buried her head in her husband’s chest.
“And which is the parent who drove them to the mall?” Carl kept his voice neutral. He wasn’t accusing anyone here, but they might perceive it that way.
“Me.” Mrs. Nichols lifted her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“You were the one who went to pick them up also?”
She nodded, biting her lower lip.
“Do the girls have any other place they might hang out?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Nichols said. “My brother’s lake. They were there earlier today. But it’s in Shelley.”
Carl nodded and wrote it down. “What do they do for fun? Social life?” He included all the parents in this question.
“Jaci runs track,” said Mrs. Rivera.
Carl focused on her. “Where’s Jaci’s father?”
“He’s out of town on a business trip. I’ve tried to call him, but the hotel number he left me doesn’t pick up.”
“Any boys?” Carl threw the question out and held his breath.
“Oh, no,” said Mrs. Nichols. “They’re too young.”
Mr. Yadle nodded. “Sara’s not even shown an interest yet.”
Interesting. He would check their ages later. He stood up, closing his notepad. “Thank you for your help. I’m going to authorize an all points bulletin . It’ll be all over the news within the hour. We have people searching. Please go home and rest. We’ll find your girls.” He shook each of their hands as they said goodbye. As soon as they left, he strode back to Monica.
“Well?” she asked. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure yet.” He wrote down the name of the mall on a slip of paper. “We’re going to issue an APB. If they don’t show up by tomorrow morning, I’ll interview mall employees. Keep the patrols out. Have them be on the lookout for parked cars, drunk driving, the usual.”
“You think they’re out causing trouble?”
Carl grimaced. “I hope they are. It’s a lot easier to reprimand a kid than to pull ’em out of thin air.”
Chapter 3
Someone was shaking her. Jaci opened her eyes to darkness. A cold metal surface pressed hard against her cheek. They were moving, a steady rocking and jolting, like a stroller going over a dirt path. She coughed in the stifling air.
“Jaci? Are you okay?” Callie’s soft voice penetrated the darkness.
Jaci tried to sit up, but a wave of pain and dizziness kept her on the floor. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them she made out Amanda, draped across some crates in front of her, auburn hair fanned out around her.
They’d been kidnapped.
Jaci fought a rising panic. She took several deep breaths like she did before a race. The throbbing in her head faded to a
The parents sat in pairs, except one woman. Carl pulled out his notepad. “I’m going to ask a couple of questions. Please don’t be offended, and I’d appreciate it if you answer as truthfully as possible.”
One man stood up, his face twisting. Stubble the color of red clay dotted his face. “We don’t have time for questions. You need to be out there, looking for them.” He pointed his hand out the door.
Carl met the man’s eyes and spoke calmly. “We’ve got officers out looking. The more information you give me, the easier it will be for me to do my job.”
“Jacob, sit,” his wife said, turning tired eyes up at him. Her curly blond hair fell in disorganized ringlets around her neck.
Carl eyed his notepad. “I know you already told this to dispatch, but tell me what your daughters’ names are and who goes to which set of parents.”
The single woman cleared her throat. Her thick black hair lay in uneven waves. “Jacinta Rivera is mine.”
“Sara Yadle is ours.” A man with dark brown hair and bloodshot eyes clung to his wife, a heavy woman with shoulder-length blond hair.
“Amanda Murphy.” The hostile man, Jacob, deflated when he said the name. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Callie Nichols.” The petite brunette said the name with a sob and buried her head in her husband’s chest.
“And which is the parent who drove them to the mall?” Carl kept his voice neutral. He wasn’t accusing anyone here, but they might perceive it that way.
“Me.” Mrs. Nichols lifted her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“You were the one who went to pick them up also?”
She nodded, biting her lower lip.
“Do the girls have any other place they might hang out?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Nichols said. “My brother’s lake. They were there earlier today. But it’s in Shelley.”
Carl nodded and wrote it down. “What do they do for fun? Social life?” He included all the parents in this question.
“Jaci runs track,” said Mrs. Rivera.
Carl focused on her. “Where’s Jaci’s father?”
“He’s out of town on a business trip. I’ve tried to call him, but the hotel number he left me doesn’t pick up.”
“Any boys?” Carl threw the question out and held his breath.
“Oh, no,” said Mrs. Nichols. “They’re too young.”
Mr. Yadle nodded. “Sara’s not even shown an interest yet.”
Interesting. He would check their ages later. He stood up, closing his notepad. “Thank you for your help. I’m going to authorize an all points bulletin . It’ll be all over the news within the hour. We have people searching. Please go home and rest. We’ll find your girls.” He shook each of their hands as they said goodbye. As soon as they left, he strode back to Monica.
“Well?” she asked. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure yet.” He wrote down the name of the mall on a slip of paper. “We’re going to issue an APB. If they don’t show up by tomorrow morning, I’ll interview mall employees. Keep the patrols out. Have them be on the lookout for parked cars, drunk driving, the usual.”
“You think they’re out causing trouble?”
Carl grimaced. “I hope they are. It’s a lot easier to reprimand a kid than to pull ’em out of thin air.”
Chapter 3
Someone was shaking her. Jaci opened her eyes to darkness. A cold metal surface pressed hard against her cheek. They were moving, a steady rocking and jolting, like a stroller going over a dirt path. She coughed in the stifling air.
“Jaci? Are you okay?” Callie’s soft voice penetrated the darkness.
Jaci tried to sit up, but a wave of pain and dizziness kept her on the floor. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them she made out Amanda, draped across some crates in front of her, auburn hair fanned out around her.
They’d been kidnapped.
Jaci fought a rising panic. She took several deep breaths like she did before a race. The throbbing in her head faded to a
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