Burned by Her Devotion (Rogue Vows Book 2) Page 5

  All four tires were flat.

  He got out of his car and walked over. Squatting next to the front fender, Seth inspected a tire. Slashed. He straightened. “You’re going to need four new tires.”

  She put a hand to her forehead. “I can’t believe this. I just want to go home.”

  “When did you drive your car last?”

  “Not yesterday,” Jenny said. “Friday, I guess.”

  Who slit tires? People who were angry. Crazy angry.

  “Do you know who Cyndee Sykes is?” Seth asked.

  If Jenny hadn’t driven the car since Friday, Cyndee could have slit the tires before she left town.

  Jenny nodded. “She follows—” She winced and corrected herself. “Followed Chase everywhere.”

  “Have you ever run into her?”

  “No.” Jenny shook her head. “I stay in Portland. Chase hardly ever came home. Just for this one trip every year.” Her words cut off with a choking sound, and she pressed her hand over her mouth.

  Seth lifted his phone. “I’ll get someone over here to take a report. Miss Penny will have the number of the auto shop. They’ll have to send a tow truck out.”

  Jenny gave him a grim-faced nod. “It just figures. I finally get myself together enough to drive home and now this.” She turned and walked back into the inn.

  Brandon kicked a flat tire. “This sucks.”

  “It does,” Seth agreed.

  “My mom doesn’t need any more trouble. She’s real upset over Chase.”

  “How do you feel about it?” Seth asked.

  Brandon lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t see him much.” Ten years of disappointment shadowed the boy’s eyes, along with a touch of anger. “Chase wasn’t that great of a guy, but my mom was hung up on him. I don’t know why. He was never around when she needed him.”

  Or when you needed him.

  “I spend more time with Spider,” Brandon said.

  Spider keeps coming up again and again.

  Seth probed. “Does your uncle visit often?”

  The boy nodded. “Why can’t my mom find someone like him? He treats her right.”

  Seth had no answer, but he suddenly wondered how Spider felt about Jenny. How many people in Chase Ryan’s life hadn’t really liked him all that much? Many. Had they stayed with him for the money or because deep down inside he had been a decent guy who’d let fame and fortune go to his head?

  As he got into his car, Seth reorganized his mental list of suspects. In his mind Jenny was unlikely. She had Brandon with her. And call him sexist, but Seth couldn’t get his mind around the idea of the petite mother leaving her kid alone, stealing a semi, and running two police cars off the road. Jenny might be resentful, but she didn’t seem reckless.

  Josh was a mess, and while impulsiveness might have been a factor, taking Toby had required planning. Foresight. More coolheadedness than Josh seemed capable of summoning.

  But Spider made more sense. His brother had been killed by one of his closest friends, the ultimate act of betrayal. Yet Spider had managed to keep calm while Seth questioned him that morning. Josh had been passed out earlier that morning, which would have made it easy enough for Spider to slip out.

  In Seth’s mind, revenge wasn’t a rational motive for taking Toby, but nothing about this case felt logical. During his career in law enforcement, Seth had seen people commit some pretty ridiculous crimes, especially when their emotions were running the show.

  Phil turned the corner in his cruiser. He backed into a parking spot so his driver’s window lined up with Seth’s.

  Phil lowered his window. “A few bits of news. First, Donovan is out of surgery and stable.”

  “Thank you,” Seth mouthed skyward. Then, aloud, “What else?”

  “Someone tried to steal dynamite from the quarry.”

  “Dynamite?” Seth’s mind whirled.

  “Yes. The security monitor went blank. When the guard went to check it out, he saw fresh crowbar marks on the door, and it appeared as if someone had tried to pick the lock. The prospective thief had sprayed the surveillance camera with wasp-and-hornet foam. It blocked the lens.”

  Clever, thought Seth. “But whoever it was didn’t get any explosives.”

  “Right,” Phil said. “They keep it locked up tight.”

  Thank God.

  But someone had still tried . . .

  “It’s probably not related.” Seth hoped. “What else?”

  Phil continued, “Aiden Tierney has a room at the Wayward Motel.”

  “I wonder why he’s still in town. He could have left by now.”

  “We should go ask him.”

  Seth started his engine. His phone beeped, and he read the sheriff’s number on the display.

  “Yes, sir,” Seth answered.

  “Seth,” the sheriff yelled. “The helicopter just spotted a black tractor trailer out on County Line Road.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Carly parked in the driveway of Heidi’s house. Her childhood friend lived on the outskirts of Solitude in a pretty house that used to belong to her parents before her dad retired and they moved to Arizona. A handful of other homes dotted the street, and a thick forest backed the property. As girls, Carly and Heidi had played in those woods. They’d ridden horses on the trails and caught frogs in the creek.

  An SPD cruiser sat out front. Carly got out of the car and climbed the steps to the front porch. She knocked on the door, then went inside.

  Heidi was in the kitchen, staring out the window that overlooked swings and a small sliding board in the backyard. A toddler sat in a high chair, and a three-year-old clung to Heidi’s leg.

  “I’m so glad you’re here.” Heidi gently lifted the three-year-old onto a chair and set a bowl of cut-up fruit in front of her. A plate of macaroni and cheese sat untouched on the other side of the table. “Officer Fox is upstairs. He wanted to do a complete search of the house inside and out. Even though I already did that.”

  “He’s following procedure,” Carly said. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Dylan got called out on an emergency.” Heidi’s husband was a plumber. “Alex was in the shower.” Heidi’s breaths were short and fast. She sounded as if she was going to hyperventilate. “I fixed an early lunch for the little ones. When I was done, Alex hadn’t come down. So we went upstairs to find her. The bathroom was empty. Her room was empty. Her things are gone. I don’t know where she went.”

  The house was old, the kitchen a separate room rather than part of an open floor plan. Alex could have walked out either the front or back door and Heidi wouldn’t have seen her.

  “I’m sorry, Carly. I should have watched her more closely, but I thought she was in the shower and I wanted to give her a little privacy. She’s so shy.”

  “Maybe she wandered outside. We’ll find her.” But Carly was worried. The wilderness around Solitude had claimed lives in the past. Alex might be resourceful, but at thirteen she was still a child.

  One of Solitude’s younger officers, Kenny Fox, hurried into the kitchen. His eyes met Carly’s, and she knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth. “No sign of her upstairs. I’m going to check outside. If she isn’t nearby, we’ll call in more people.”

  The toddler began to cry, and Heidi picked her up, patting the baby on the back while her own eyes filled with tears.

  “Let’s go.” Carly followed Kenny outside. A small fenced yard held the swing set and a plastic playhouse. Beyond the waist-high picket fence, the lawn sloped down to the forest. They checked the detached garage and the gardening shed, but found no sign of Alex.

  Kenny walked toward his vehicle. “I’m calling the county for help. Maybe I can get a K-9 team here.”

  “I’ll call my brother. He’ll help.”

  Carly’s oldest brother, James, served as mayor of Solitude. They spoke for a few minutes, and he promised to have volunteers mobilized to search for Alex within the hour. Solitude was a rural community, and the residents
often supported official efforts when people went missing, especially children.

  “Thanks.” Carly ended the call and went back into the house. “Where’s her room?” she asked Heidi.

  “Upstairs,” Heidi said. “End of the hall.”

  Carly jogged up the steps, hurried down the corridor, and went through the last door into a cozy bedroom decorated in gender-neutral navy blue and honey oak. She crossed to the closet and opened the accordion-style doors. It was empty, as were the dresser drawers. When Carly had taken her from the trailer, other than a few changes of raggedy clothing, Alex had taken only three personal items with her: a locket, a photo of her and her mother, and a musty-smelling stuffed rabbit far too tattered to survive washing.

  “Did she take anything with her?” Kenny asked from the doorway.

  Carly scanned the room. No locket or picture or stuffed rabbit in sight. “Everything.”

  “If she’s on foot, we’ll find her.” Kenny turned away from the door.

  Carly nearly flinched at a mental picture of Alex clutching her stuffed bunny and running through the woods, crying, looking for the mother who’d abandoned her.

  She caught up with Kenny in the kitchen.

  “A K-9 team will come as soon as they’re finished searching for the missing prisoner out on the highway,” he said. “It shouldn’t be long. The dog hasn’t picked up anything.”

  “James said he’d get some volunteers over here as soon as possible.” Gazing out the kitchen window, Carly took in the sight of the dark woods. “We should start searching. I used to ride those trails with Heidi when we were young.”

  “How many trails are back there?” Kenny asked.

  “Too many, and she has a head start. We need more people.”

  “Let’s talk to the neighbors and see if anyone saw her. Maybe someone can point us in the right direction. I’ll take this side of the street.”

  Carly crossed the road and knocked on a neighbor’s door.

  A dog yapped, and an older woman answered the door. She used her foot to block the path of a snarling Chihuahua. “Get back, Demon.” Pushing the dog back, the woman stepped out onto the porch and closed the door. “Sorry about that. Can I help you?”

  Carly introduced herself and pulled out her county ID.

  The woman leaned over to read it, then straightened. “I’m Edna Schroeder.”

  “We’re looking for a young girl. She’s thirteen but small for her age. Blonde. About this tall.” Carly held out a hand about four and a half feet off the ground.

  The woman nodded. “I saw her earlier this morning when I walked Demon. The girl was out in the garden with Heidi and the younger children.”

  “Have you seen her since?”

  “No, sorry. I went inside for more coffee.”

  “Did you see anything else? Strange people, cars . . .”

  The woman put a hand on her hip and pursed her lips. “Dylan went out. Since he drove his van, I assume he got an emergency call.” She pointed to the house next to Heidi’s. “The Bentleys went to church. I heard a lawn mower running.” She straightened. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Sorry.”

  “Thank you.” Carly passed her a business card. “If you remember anything else, please call me.”

  Carly expected Edna to go back inside, but instead the woman stepped off her porch. “I’m going to see if Heidi needs help. She has to be a wreck.” Edna hurried toward Heidi’s house.

  Carly checked the rest of the houses on that side of the street. Two were empty. Many families would be at church on a Sunday morning. The elderly man who lived at the last house hadn’t been outside at all that morning. Carly hurried back to Heidi’s place just as a plumber’s van parked out front. Heidi’s husband, Dylan, climbed out.

  Heidi came outside, crying, the toddler on her hip. Carly could see Edna standing in the doorway. She held the three-year-old by the hand.

  Kenny jogged down the street, joining Carly in the middle of the road. “No sign of her.”

  A minivan cruised by and turned into the driveway next to Heidi’s house. A man, a woman, and two teenage boys climbed out. The boys went into the house. The woman went to the back of the minivan and opened the hatch, one curious eye on Carly and Kenny. The man lifted two red gas cans from the cargo area and set them on the ground.

  Then he said something to his wife and walked across the grass toward them. “I’m Roger Bentley. Is something wrong, Officer?”

  Kenny asked about Alex.

  “I didn’t see anyone this morning.” Mr. Bentley shook his head. “We went to the early service because the boys want to get their four-wheelers out before it gets too hot.”

  Small Town Rule #3: Learning to ride an ATV is a rite of passage.

  “Abby?” he called to his wife.

  Carrying three plastic containers the size of shirt boxes, she hurried over.

  “Did you see the girl who’s staying with Heidi and Dylan this morning?” he asked her.

  “No.” Her chin-length bob swung as she shook her head. She turned to Carly and Kenny. “We left early for church. I’d signed up to bring cupcakes for coffee hour.”

  “Dad!” One of the boys came running around the corner of the house. In the two minutes since they’d pulled into the driveway, he’d changed out of church clothes into jeans, a T-shirt, and boots. “My four-wheeler is gone.”

  They all trooped to the backyard. The shed door stood open. One ATV stood next to an empty slot of the same size. Lawn equipment filled the remaining space.

  “My gear was stolen too.” The boy pointed at an empty shelf. “My helmet’s gone. So are my gloves and chest protector, everything.”

  “Was this door locked?” Kenny scanned the door frame and latch.

  “Yes. We keep it padlocked.” Mr. Bentley leaned over and picked something up from the grass. He displayed it on his palm. “Someone cut the lock.”

  “Does the ATV have gas?” Kenny asked.

  The boy shook his head. “No. Less than a quarter tank. I know ’cause we went out for a quick ride last night, and the cans in the shed were empty. That’s why we stopped on the way home from church to get gas.” He stared up at Kenny. “Can you find my quad? I saved lawn-mowing money for two summers to buy it.”

  “We’ll try,” Kenny assured him.

  “What do you think?” he asked Carly as they walked back toward Heidi’s house.

  “She saw the boys on the ATVs last night. She stole one today when no one was home.”

  Edna had heard an ATV, not a lawn mower. Carly glanced past the house. Even in the middle of the day, the woods were dark and thick and very easy to get lost in. Alex didn’t know that Cyndee had been spotted hours away from Solitude. “Alex went to find her mother.”

  The mother whose trailer had been a shrine to a television star. But that hadn’t been the worst of it. Carly shuddered as she remembered the disturbing pictures of Chase’s ex-girlfriends with black ink obliterating their faces. They’d even found a photo of Chase’s costar with flames drawn on her body.

  Carly hated to imagine what other frightening images and events the poor child had experienced.

  Now that the girl was mounted on an ATV, the search area had just expanded. They were going to need more help to find the child before she got lost or hurt.

  Or ran into Toby, the missing killer.

  “She’ll either have to abandon the four-wheeler or find fuel.” Carly paced. “There are only a few local gas stations.”

  Phil pulled out his phone. “I’ll call around, see if anyone saw a little girl on a quad and let them know to keep an eye out for her.”

  A car pulled up to the house, and Carly’s older brother, James, got out. Tall and broad, with kind brown eyes, James looked more like their late father every day.

  He hurried over. “There are more people coming.”

  In the next thirty minutes, more residents arrived to help with the search. The Solitude PD administrator, Sheila, set up a command post and
began to organize the two dozen volunteers. Nell dropped off containers of coffee, fried chicken, and biscuits.

  A big black SUV pulled up, and Andrew Reynolds got out. Andrew’s father’s company had bought the O’Rourke resort, which had partially burned down the previous summer. They were rebuilding and turning the resort into a corporate retreat.

  “Hi, Andrew. Thanks for coming.” Carly was surprised to see him, then remembered that he’d helped search for Bruce when he’d been missing in December. “I thought you’d be busy with the grand opening.”

  The retreat was scheduled to open in August.

  He shoved his hands into the pockets of his khakis and frowned. “The work is on hold. We’ve had some budget problems. But I really want to be a part of the community.”

  Andrew was in the middle of a nasty divorce. He’d moved to Solitude for some, well, solitude.

  “I appreciate that. We need all the help we can get.”

  Bruce pulled up in their mother’s car.

  “Excuse me, Andrew.” Carly hurried to her brother. “Bruce, I thought you were staying with Brianna.”

  He clamped his jaw tight and shook his head. “Brianna is fine. Mom is there. Debra brought the boys over to see the pony. I’m not needed there.”

  And suddenly it dawned on Carly. Bruce needed to be needed. She should have thought of that before, but before his girlfriend’s death, Bruce had been as happy-go-lucky as a young man could be. He’d enjoyed his carefree lifestyle. But December had changed him. The family had teased him about the way he’d actively avoided responsibility, but now Carly missed the laid-back Bruce. He’d never be that person again. The thought that tragedy had dimmed his love of life made her sad.

  She squeezed his arm. “Well, I’m glad to have you on board. We need all the help we can get.”

  Relief softened his features. “Thanks.”

  “Go see where Sheila wants you to start.” Carly pointed at the wiry admin. Sunlight glinted on Sheila’s traffic cone–orange nail polish. “I think someone is scaring up some four-wheelers and dirt bikes.”