“Ha, ha…” She rolled her eyes at him.
Frank finally reached the house, panting. “Way to go, Radar!”
Dylan followed Frank. “Is she okay?” Jessie put her fingers to her lips.
His voice startled Abby, and her eyelids fluttered open, filled with terror. “It’s me.” Jessie stroked the hair back from her face. “We found you; you’re safe now.” Abigail’s body went limp, but Jessie could feel a nice steady pulse.
Matt gently lifted Abby out of Jessie’s arms so that she could stand and sit down in an old chair in the room. Jessie got comfortable, and he handed Abigail right back to her.
“Abby, I’m so glad we found you. I promised I would try. As soon as you’re better, you will have to have your picture taken with the dog who found you. He’s your hero,” she whispered. “You’ll have to meet all the people who worked to find you. I hope when you are awake and feeling better you can tell us about the other kids so we can find them too.”
Jessie rambled on talking to her until the paramedics arrived on the scene and took over. Jessie rode to the hospital with her. With an IV dripping fluids into her body, her vitals were already getting stronger on the ride back to town.
****
Matt could hardly believe what he had just witnessed. Stan and Sarah Davis were going to see their little girl again. At least he could deliver some good news. Matt watched the ambulance until it was out of sight. He took a breath and made the phone call to the Davis household.
Sarah answered the phone. “Mrs. Davis, this is Chief Parker.”
“Is everything all right?” Her voice cracked.
“Yes, I wanted to let you know that your daughter was found alive today. She is en route to Blue Cove Community Hospital right now.” Matt heard the phone hit something and then the distant sound of Sarah screaming for her husband.
“Hello, hello!” Stan shouted into the phone. Matt repeated the information to him. “How is she? Is she okay? You found my little girl. Thank you, oh God, thank you.”
“We’ll know more after she’s been checked out.”
“How can we ever thank you?” Stan’s voice broke.
“It’s my job, and I’m happy we found her.”
“We’ll get right over there. Thank you, thank you.” Matt could hear Sarah still crying in the background.
When he went back inside the old shack, Kip and Tom had already made drawings of the site. They found the place where Abigail must have hidden herself. The tiny space concealed her perfectly with very little room to move or stretch. How had she done it? They bagged up what they could see, but there was very little visible evidence.
Matt gave directions when he called Marcy and Gary on how to get there. “Kip, you’ll need to wait here. Marcy and Gary are on their way.”
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Frank patted Radar’s head.
“Thanks to Radar, yes, I think she will be.”
“Honestly, I thought the chances of finding the girl were about zero. I’m so glad I was wrong, and I was here to witness what I just did. I’ll be talking about what I saw for a long time to come.” Tom leaned down to pat Radar’s head.
“Since Jessie is riding in the ambulance with Abigail, I’ll need to pick her up at the hospital. Frank can you drop us off at my car?”
“Sure thing.” He nodded.
“Did you see how small the space was where she hid?” Dylan squatted down to get a closer view. “She must have been petrified. What a brave thing to do, especially after seeing Josh get the crap beat out of him!” Dylan shook his head.
Matt nodded and walked over to Frank. “Your dog did a hell of a job.” He leaned down to pet Radar. “You did great, big fella.” As he stood, Radar got up and leaned his head into Matt’s hand. “I thought for sure we were just going around in circles.” He patted him on his head. “I can see now that the circle was ever tightening. Abigail had told Jessie that it felt like a plane waiting for its chance to land, flying in a holding pattern over the city.”
Everyone but Kip got into the SUV. They drove back to the barn to pick up the two patrol cars. “Frank, I’ll see you back at my house. Make yourself and the dog comfortable.” Matt climbed out of the car. “Do you remember how to get there?”
Frank nodded. “I’ll be fine once I get back to the main road. I’ll follow you out from here.”
“This has been some day.” Tom heaved a sigh as he shut the car door.
“It sure has been. I’ll drop you off at your car and then catch up with you at the Inn for dinner. Katie said to be there by five thirty, dinner’s at six.” He gave Tom directions on how to get to the Inn. “I need to swing by the hospital to see how the girl is and to pick up Jessie.”
“Jessie is something.”
“Yes, she is.” Matt smiled, knowing what Tom was about to say.
“If you’re not interested in her, let me know, because I sure as hell am.” Tom hopped out of the car and closed the door before Matt could reply.
It would seem that everybody was. Of course he was and had already told her as much. He was waiting on her to be ready, and losing patience as more men flocked around her. She didn’t see it.
She constantly surprised him, and he enjoyed her company. The only thing that held him back, even a little, was keeping her safe. He had messed that up the last time. That’s as far as he would let his thoughts travel. He walked into the hospital room and saw Jessie talking to Stan and Sarah Davis.
“Where’s Abigail?”
“They’re cleaning her up.” Jessie smiled at Matt. “Thanks again for all your help.” His pulse quickened.
It was moments like this when she made him feel like that tongue-tied high school boy. “Jessie, you’re the reason we’re here right now. You’re the one who heard her, asked Frank to come, and was persistent enough to drive a sane person whacky.” His grin softened the gruffness in his voice.
A few minutes later, the nurse wheeled a freshly scrubbed young girl into the room and helped her into her bed. Her parents were overwhelmed the minute they saw her and so was Abby. Matt and Jessie stepped out into the hall to allow the family a private reunion.
The shift nurse popped her head out of the door a few minutes later. “Could you both come back in for a minute?” Matt nodded.
“Thank you, Jessie, for hearing me and, Officer Parker, for looking for me.” Abigail’s voice was thin and weak, but her eyes glowed. “Reaching a person through my thoughts seems crazy now. I heard it was possible somewhere. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“It was a first for me, too.” Jessie took her hands. “I’m so happy you called and I heard you. We won’t try to figure out how.”
“I’m just glad we found you.” Matt smiled at Abigail, glancing down at her.
“I thought I was going to die and never see my parents again.” She glanced at her mom and dad and smiled. “I was so scared those men would come back.” Abigail shuddered. “I’m happy you found me, too!”
“Are they treating you good?” Matt patted her head.
“Uh-huh.” She nodded. “Later on, the nurses promised to bring me a chocolate milkshake.”
“A good milkshake goes a long way to making things better.” He smiled at her. “How would you like to meet the real hero who found you? I’ve got permission to bring him up here tomorrow if you’d like.”
“That would be way cool!” Her eyes suddenly filled with tears. “Did you find Josh?
“Yes, we did. Did you see the men who beat him?’
She nodded, her voice barely audible. “I was scared.” Abby wrapped her arms around Jessie and cried. “That awful man wouldn’t stop hitting and kicking him.” She sobbed. “Josh was nice to me. He was my friend.”
“Did you see them push him out of the van?” Matt asked her.
“No, they kept him with us. We could see him all time. Karl held a rag soaked with water to his lips. He kept telling the man named Jed they needed to get him help, or he would d
ie. At night, we could hear him groan until one day he got quiet. They left the morning I hid, with him in the van. I never saw him again. He isn’t dead, is he?” Abigail cried out.
Jessie hugged Abigail, but Matt answered her. “He’s alive. He’s right here in this hospital. He’s a little too ill for visitors just yet.”
“Does the hospital have someone who can talk to her? God only knows what she has witnessed.” Matt spoke quietly to the nurse. “Was there any molestation?”
“No.” The nurse shook her head. “Thank God, she has enough to deal with. Doctor Henderson mentioned earlier that he would send the hospital psychologist to talk with her before he releases her. I would imagine she’ll need some counseling for a while.”
“So it would seem.” He walked over to Abby, bending down to look her in the eyes. “We’re going to leave you with your parents so you can eat and rest. We’ll be back with Radar to see you tomorrow. I want you to think about anything that might help us to find the men who did this to you, and the other kids who still need to be rescued.”
“I will.” She yawned, and smiled up at him.
“You don’t need to worry about them coming back. I’ll have a police officer outside your door all night so you can sleep. Okay?”
“Okay.” She yawned again.
****
“You’re pretty good with kids. If you keep being so charming, she may develop a little crush on you.” Jessie leaned close to speak softly.
“How about you, Miss Reynolds, do you think if I’m real nice, you might develop a little crush on me?” He grinned at her.
“It’s possible, Mr. Parker, anything is. I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you, though.” She chuckled, tilting her head to look up at him.
“That’s what I figured, so there’s no incentive for me to be nice to you.” His grin widened. “You wouldn’t want to up the ante, would you? Make the work a little interesting.” He raised his brows.
“That sounds a little like a challenge. I have to admit, I’ve always loved a good challenge.” She grinned at him. “I’ll have to give some thought to it.”
“You do that, sweetheart, but while I wait, I’ll follow your wise words and not hold my breath.” He stepped through the open elevator doors after her.
Chapter 10
Jessie ran through the door, checking her watch as she did. She had just barely enough time to take a hot shower, dry her hair, and dress before she was due at Katie’s for dinner. It had been a remarkable day. She had gone from feeling hopeless to complete elation in a few moments’ time. Holding Abigail in her arms was pure joy, unlike any emotion she had ever experienced before. It was as if she had found a part of herself. Abby had been the girl in her head for several days. She wondered if this would be the only time she’d hear a call for help, or would someone else call out to her?
She had no clue. At this point Jessie wasn’t sure how or what had made this possible. It was better not to think about it too hard. She checked her image in the mirror. Everything seemed to be in place. Barbecue was a word that evoked casual: jeans, t-shirt, and a light sweater. She passed inspection.
Jessie heard a tapping sound on her back door and opened it to find Dylan and Kip standing there with silly grins on their faces.
“We’ve come to escort you to dinner. You have the dubious distinction of being one of the guests of honor.” Kip bowed. “After you…”
“What on earth for?” She laughed as they replaced their grins with an attempt at a serious look.
“It’s that head thing of yours that helped to save a young girl.” Dylan’s lip thinned as he fought a smile.
“Knock it off, you two.” She bit her lip trying not to laugh.
“Really! Katie told us to get over here and escort her best friend quickly. There are people dying to meet you.” Kip was grinning ear to ear. “Now get a move on; we don’t want to experience the wrath of Katie.”
“Let me get my key.” She grabbed her sweater, locked the door, and stuck the key in her pocket, pulling the door closed behind her.
“Aren’t you just a little in awe of how this day went?” Dylan watched her face light up.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. Of course, I am. Watching Radar work is amazing every time.”
“We at the precinct think he’s pretty great, but we also think you’re pretty great.” Kip tucked her hand through his arm. “That little tidbit about the plane circling to land brought hope into a day which was becoming dismal at best.”
“We’re glad you’re on our side and not with the bad guys. Besides, you make the station a whole lot prettier,” Dylan whispered in her ear. “Try to enjoy your moment. Tomorrow, we have to get busy trying to find the other kids.” Dylan pulled her other hand through his arm. She walked to the back of the Inn, sandwiched between the two men that she had come to know as friends.
Katie was watching the path and as soon as she saw them headed their way, she let out a cheer. People at the Inn clapped. Jessie paused, blushing.
Frank stepped up beside her and spoke in her ear. “They did the same thing to me.”
“You deserve it for your work with the dog. You’re a team after all.”
“You deserve it for hearing the cries of a girl, for believing it was real, and getting others to believe it as well. It would seem we’re in a stalemate. We both need to just enjoy the evening.”
“Hey, Jess, nice shade of red.” Matt approached her. He put his hand over her mouth and smothered her indignant protest. “Don’t say it; you’ll just regret it if you do. See how I’m helping you grow?” Jessie rolled her eyes, her pulse quickening as she walked away from him. His hearty laugh followed her.
Looking around, Jessie saw that Katie had once again created magic, not just a meal. Twinkling lights adorned the garden area, some hidden in colorful paper lanterns. The empty tables, dressed in bright colored cloths waited for people to settle around them and enjoy the beautiful fall evening. The atmosphere was humming with the talk and the laughter of the Inn’s guests. A pleasant night in the making. She sighed—the perfect end to a textbook day.
Jessie made her way toward the buffet table. She filled her plate with several of the wonderful salads, arranged with care alongside a variety of amazing looking desserts. She saved room on her plate for Katie’s special melt-in-your-mouth barbecued ribs. Her plate filled, she strolled to the table that Katie had pointed out to her earlier and found the place card with her name on it. Tom, Matt, and Frank brought their plates to the table, soon to be followed by Dylan and Kip. Conversation was minimal until they had consumed their first plate full. What talk there was centered on the food they were eating.
“Katie sure knows how to throw a great feast.” Dylan headed back for yet another plate filled with ribs.
All the beautiful little details were lost on them, Jessie smiled to herself, but not the taste of some great food. Her smile broadened as she watched them go back several times for more.
“What are you smiling about?” Kip stood up with his plate, but waited for her answer.
“I was thinking about the amount of food you guys can consume. I can only imagine how much it would cost to feed you if you all lived in the same house.” She laughed.
“My mother knows. She raised four of us boys. She used to call us the bottomless pits.” Kip headed for the buffet.
Tom looked at the text on his phone. “Jessie, I thought you’d like to know the FBI is watching the Long Island area. They’re keeping certain areas under surveillance. There is an active ongoing search for the two vans. With any luck, maybe we’ll be able to rescue all of those kids.” He smiled at her. “By the way, that article you wrote about the Harris boy was great. Your old news station featured the story on air today. It has people in New York looking for them. Tips are pouring in on the hotline.”
“That’s great news.” She turned to look at Matt.
“Right about now, I bet they’re feeling the heat breathing down their necks.�
��
“I certainly hope so. I wish them at least as much discomfort as they inflicted on Joshua and Abigail.” She frowned. “Although, there are still other kids’ lives at risk so I guess I had better hope they don’t get too stressed and take it out on one of them.”
“Matt, the bureau’s trafficking taskforce would like to work alongside your team in this process.” Tom read another text. “The optimum word is work with and not run roughshod over you guys. Even I know we haven’t always had the best reputation working with the local authorities.” Tom’s brows furrowed. “We want to help find the kids before they’re relocated. I know you have your hands full, Matt, and we have some excellent resources.” His hand tapped on the table. “The main thing is that we find those kids.” Jessie nodded in agreement.
Katie stopped at their table and whispered in Jessie’s ear. “I have a lot of guests who would like to talk with you and Frank. Do you think you can make the rounds?”
“Come on, Frank, we have some schmoozing to do.” She grabbed his arm and took him around from table to table to answer their questions.
****
Matt listened to the conversation around the table but started losing interest. His eyes kept drifting in the direction of Jessie. She laughed at something a guest said to her, and he couldn’t stop his lips from smiling right along with her. He knew what he wanted to do. Hell, he should have thought of it days ago.
“What’s got you smiling, Mr. Parker?” Katie sat down beside him.
“Just lost in thoughts, I guess.” He turned his attention to her. “It turned out to be a great day. With any luck maybe we’ll have a few more in the works.”
“Oh, call me naïve and embarrassed! I thought you were smiling because you were taken with the sound of Jessie’s laughter.” Her mischievous green eyes sparkled.
“Are you trying to stir up trouble again?” He chuckled.
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