by Muth, Becky
“How can you say that, Sam? You know how much dad wants me to be a detective. This is detective work!”
“Because I’ve seen this symbol before and nothing good ever comes from it. You're better off telling her you couldn't find him and letting this go."
Your actions speak louder than your words. The message in Kurt's fortune cookie came to mind. Shaking his head, he looked at his sister. "Sorry, Sam. I can't give up on this."
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Peyton, are you there? Can you hear me?” the voice crackled through Peyton’s cell phone.
“Yes, I’m here. Who is this?” Her eyes closed, Peyton basked in the warm afternoon sun as Gilda ran around the backyard.
“It’s me, Diana. We need your help at Pacific Adventures Amusement & Fun Center. Your and Gilda’s help, to be more precise. A child’s gone missing.”
Peyton sat up and blinked against the sun. “Where do you need us to go when we get there?”
“Security will know to be on the lookout for you and they’ll deliver you to the lost and found pound.”
“I’m on my way,” Peyton confirmed. She committed the other details to memory and ended the call. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she announced, “Come on, Gilda. Let’s go find.”
Before Peyton could stand, the dog appeared at her side as if by magic. The canine’s excitement grew and danced in place, shifting her weight between paws. Peyton leaned forward to kiss her dog on the forehead before standing and entering the house, Gilda on her heels.
* * *
Peyton pulled her car up to the front gates of the amusement center, parking it in an area marked off by orange cones and caution tape. A warm breeze flapped a loose end of the yellow and black plastic, sparking a memory about a similar tape meant to discourage anyone from entering her brother’s home.
I wish it was Owen we were going to find, Peyton thought. Blinking back tears, she forced her mind to focus on the job at hand. If she was off her game, it could affect Gilda’s performance. And if Gilda wasn’t in top form, it could cost a life.
Upon exiting the car, Peyton faced sensory overload. Except for one local incident involving a cunning Alzheimer’s patient who went rogue from the Redwood Cove Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, all the searches she and Gilda participated in to date comprised rural locations. They traveled as far as the Pacific Crest Trail looking for missing hikers who strayed from the trail. The sights and sounds of the amusement center might pose an extra challenge for most dogs, but she had faith in her golden girl.
Peyton pulled her shoulders back and walked straight up to the security guard at the gate. She was sure that Gilda was strong enough to resist potential distractions such as squeals of laughter, scents of funnel cakes and corndogs, and flashing lights.
A security guard met her near a seven-foot-tall fiberglass replica of Boomer, the adventure center’s mascot. A cartoonish beagle dressed as a prospector from the time of the California Gold Rush, in place of a pickaxe the mascot held a sign advertising the new panning for gold feature. Bits of conversation from the previous night’s dinner came to mind, but Peyton pushed them away to focus on the task at hand.
Following the guard, Gilda walked at Peyton’s side, the reflective insignia on the side of her vest glinting on the sunlight. Families gathered near the gate pointed and stared, a few voices rising above the din of mass conversation.
“Do you think she’s a service dog?”
“Can we pet the dog, mommy?”
“The vest says search and rescue. Is someone missing in the park?”
Peyton ignored them, even the ones who held up their phones, no doubt capturing her arrival on video, as Diana approached her. The woman she met the previous evening gave her a one-armed hug before leading her behind the shops and through a gate marked employees-only.
“Thank you for getting here so soon, Peyton. Dad is sending any available units to help search, and my staff are combing through the security footage. We have cameras throughout the park but they can only catch a portion of the activity. There’s no such thing as a foolproof system, as I’m sure you know. I’d rather have more resources than not enough.”
“You don’t have to explain, Diana. Gilda and I are happy to help. It’s what we do.”
Peyton and her dog followed Diana around the path. A paw print displaying numbers adorned the back doors of each shop. The amusement park owner stopped at the one marked 007 and punched a code into the cipher lock. When the indicator lights flashed green, she opened the door. “Welcome to our Lost and Found Pound.”
Peyton and Gilda followed Diana down a hallway to a side room. Much like the interrogation room at the police station, a conference table surrounded by half a dozen chairs dominated the space. Instead of the stark gray walls of the police station, a mural depicted Boomer the beagle and his friends.
A man and woman sat at the table. Diana introduced them as Geoff and Amelia Hansen before adding, “Their son Stewart is the missing person.”
After getting the necessary details from the parents about their son, Peyton asked, “And do you have an article that belongs to Stewart? An article of clothing that he was wearing, maybe?”
“I have his backpack. It has the hoodie he wore first thing this morning.” Amelia Hansen pulled a bright red hooded sweatshirt from a child-sized backpack.
“That’s perfect, thanks.” Peyton reached out to take it from the woman.
Kneeling next to her dog, Peyton murmured, “Hey Gilda. We need to find a boy. Here, girl. Sniff this. That’s a good girl. Sniff the hoodie so we can find the boy.”
Gilda’s nose twitched against the fabric as she memorized the scent. Within moments, she danced back, quivering with anticipation. She gave a double bark, the sign that she was ready to work.
Leaving the leash attached to Gilda’s collar, Peyton held onto the other end, allowing Gilda to lead her through the amusement park. She was less worried about distractions and more worried about losing sight of her dog in the crowded avenues. As they walked, Peyton wished she had her dog’s ability to zero in on one thing and ignore the world around her.
Gilda stopped and cocked her head, nose in the air. She sniffled and gave an excited woof, zigging and zagging through the crowd, leading Peyton deeper into the amusement center. They reached a low rock wall that bordered the waiting area for the zipline, and Gilda cleared it in a single bound. Peyton swung one leg over when a voice shouted.
“Wait, you can’t go back there!”
Glancing over her shoulder, Peyton saw a security guard running toward her. Close on the heels of the man dressed as an Old West lawman was Diana. She commanded, “Stand down, deputy! Let her go.”
The guard began, “But she’s-”
“She’s one of us.” Diana silenced whatever he began to say.
Gilda whined and strained forward, tugging her leash taut. Peyton finished scrambling over the wall. “I know, girl. We’ve gotta go find.”
The golden retriever led her owner across the clearing beneath the zipline and beyond the treeline of redwoods on the other side.
Underneath the canopy of the giant conifers, the sights and sounds of the amusement center quieted. Gilda paused to sniff the air.
Panting to catch her breath, Diana reached Peyton and bent at the waist, her hands on her knees. “What...now?”
“We let Gilda do her thing,” Peyton replied, watching her dog stare into space. Squatting, she held out the sweatshirt again. “Come, Gilda.”
Gilda returned to her owner and buried her nose in the article of clothing. Turning her head to one side, she sniffed the air and began dancing on her paws.
Unclasping the leash from the dog’s collar, Peyton urged, “Good girl, Gilda. Go find. Go find the boy.”
The dog shot forward, becoming a streak of gold in the dappled shadows beneath the trees.
“What now?” Diana asked, her voice filled with tension.
Beckoning with one arm, Peyton replied,
“Now we follow. If she finds him, she’ll come back to us.”
“Like that?”
Peyton’s gaze followed Diana’s outstretched hand to see Gilda bounding toward them. Sitting in front of Peyton, the dog barked twice.
“Did you find him?” Peyton asked, and Gilda barked twice more. “Okay. Show me, Gilda. Show me where he is.”
Gilda was on her feet and dashed away, stopping every few feet to look over her shoulder while the humans caught up. The golden retriever stopped at the edge of a ravine, her incessant barking announcing her target’s location.
Sure enough, a boy fitting the description of Stewart Hansen sat whimpering at the bottom of the ravine.
“Hey Stewart. My name is Peyton and this is my dog, Gilda. Are you hurt?”
Stewart shook his head and whimpered. “I falled down.”
The amusement center’s first aid team crashed through the woods behind the women and Peyton stepped away. Grabbing a stick from the forest floor, she whistled for Gilda. “Hey Gilda, let’s play stick, okay?”
The golden retriever ran forward and grabbed the stick in her mouth. Peyton engaged her dog in a game of tug-of-war while the rescue workers retrieved the boy from the ravine. With the child strapped to a stretcher, the team began the walk back toward the amusement center, led by Diana. Peyton clipped Gilda’s leash to her collar and they followed a couple of feet behind.
When the group stepped from the woods, a cheer erupted from the throng of park attendees. The Hansens, who waited near the rear of an ambulance, rushed toward their son with expressions of relief and joy.
A cameraman stepped closer, capturing the moment as a reporter approached the boy and his parents, microphone in hand. Security guards and police officers worked together to maintain crowd control.
“They didn’t waste any time, did they, girl?” she asked her dog. “What do you think? Have we had enough excitement for one day?”
Gilda wagged her tail by way of reply.
Peyton removed Gilda’s vest before crossing the wall, Gilda once again leaping over it with ease.
“Come on, girl. Let’s see if we can’t find our way out of here,” she suggested, giving the leash a tug as they slipped past the onlookers and followed the signs toward the main entrance.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kurt held his cell phone to his ear and listened as Diana yammered on and on about the awesomeness of seeing Peyton and her dog in action. Did she forget that I lived it? There’s drone footage to prove it. Pacing the length of his apartment, he uttered mhm and ahh where appropriate until he realized silence filled the other end of the call. Covering his disinterest, he forced a smile. “Yeah. Sounds awesome.”
“Are you okay, Kurt? I thought you’d be more excited. This is going to be great for Peyton and Gilda. I can’t imagine what would have happened if they hadn’t found that little boy as soon as they did.”
Before he could reply, a beep alerted Kurt to an incoming call. Saved by the beep. “Hey, I have to take this. Let me call you back, okay?” Without waiting for an answer, Kurt ended the call with Diana to answer the other one. “Hello?”
“Hi! My name is Zahra and I’m a temp for Good Morning Gold Coast. I’m sorry. I was supposed to call you a couple of days ago. Are you available for an interview tomorrow?”
“What’s it for?”
“Well, we’re doing a segment on viral videos. A video you were in recently went viral on Reel Life.”
That video is going to keep haunting me. Maybe it’s better if I face it once and for all. “Uh, sure. Fine. What time?”
“Well, the earlier the better. Can you be here at six?”
“In the morning?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s called Good Morning Gold Coast. Haha.”
Unlike the woman on the other end of the line who laughed at her quip, Kurt failed to find the amusement. “Sure. I can be there at six. Do I need to bring anything?”
“Nope! Just yourself. Hair and makeup will do the rest. Do you have an email where we can send over full instructions and a nondisclosure agreement?”
Kurt gave her his email and said his goodbyes before tapping the icon to end the call.
Looking at his aquarium, he asked, “Six o’clock in the morning? Seriously? Are you guys even up at that hour? The last time I was up before the sun, I was in still in the academy.”
After setting an alarm on his phone, Kurt went into his office and stared at his desk. He still couldn’t believe everything Sam told him the night before, although he knew better than to question the facts.
Dropping into the chair, he sighed. “And how am I going to tell Peyton that her brother may be mixed up with this?”
Before he could mull further on the topic, his phone chirped to alert him of an incoming call. Seeing Peyton’s name on the display, he groaned. His head told him to avoid her as long as possible, but the desire to hear her voice won out. He swiped his finger across the screen and hit the speaker button.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Kurt! This is Peyton. Well, Peyton and Gilda. How are you?”
“I’m okay. You?”
“I’m well, thanks. I had an interesting phone call a few minutes ago. Has Good Morning Gold Coast contacted you yet?”
“Yup.”
“It seems we’re going to be TV stars.”
“Heh. Yeah. Sounds like it.”
“Do you want to ride over together? Maybe we can grab brunch afterward?”
“Okay, sure. Sounds good.”
“Well, see you tomorrow then.”
“Uh, yeah. Bye.” Kurt tapped the button to end the call before he could say anything about what he knew. Unable to look at his research for another minute, he left his office, closing the door on his way out.
In the living room, he settled into his recliner where he picked up the television remote. A movement caught his eye and he saw his oscars staring at him through the aquarium glass.
“Fine, I’ll tell her tomorrow at brunch. Are you happy?” He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw one of them smile. Shaking the idea of a smiling fish from his head, he turned on the television and settled on a Law and Order marathon.
* * *
Kurt tried not to wince as the make-up artist powdered his nose.
“You okay over there?” Peyton giggled.
Catching a look at her reflection in the wall of mirrors, Kurt thought she looked radiant. He realized she was waiting for an answer and confessed, “Well, it’s a little early.”
“Yeah. The best time of day. You’re not a morning person?”
“I typically like to wait for the sun to come up before I leave my apartment.”
“That’s so weird, considering you were surfing at the crack of dawn.”
“That was a failed experiment. I was trying to relax before going into work and you see how that worked out.”
Peyton nodded. “What do you think they’re going to ask us?”
“Not a clue.” He watched her reflection as she folded and unfolded her hands in her lap. She wore that skirt again, the one that showed off her legs, but this time with a green blouse. I can’t keep this info from her. She deserves to know. “Hey, Peyton. Can we talk?”
“Now?”
He turned three-quarters of the way in his seat to try and look directly at her. “Yeah, that would be great.”
“Kurt, what is it? You look so serious. Is this about Owen?”
Before Kurt could answer, a young woman led Gilda into the room. “Hi! Remember me? I’m Zahra. We spoke yesterday. Are you ready for your big television debut? This girl here sure is! Aren’t you? Look at your gorgeous ginger hair. I totally cannot believe she is Star’s sister!”
“Actually, if we could have a minute?” Kurt forced a smile.
“Sorry, but we’re running late. Dash Diamond and Star are waiting for you, and if there is one thing you do not want to do, it is keep Dash Diamond waiting. I learned that my first day.”
Peyton sl
id from the salon chair until her feet connected with the floor and accepted the leash from Zahra. “Come on, Kurt. I’m sure whatever it is, that it can wait.”
Kurt hopped from the chair and put his hand on Peyton’s forearm. “Listen, I just want to say that-”
“Shh.” Zahra put a finger to her lips before whispering, “We can’t talk while they’re filming. I learned that on my first day, too. You’re up next.”
Kurt and Peyton watched from the off-camera area as Dash Diamond and Star completed the current segment. When the show cut to a commercial, Zahra ushered Kurt and Peyton into their seats.
Dash introduced himself and gave quick instructions about the format for the interview. “It’s unscripted. You don’t ever have to worry about saying the wrong thing.” Without warning, Star pranced across the stage and sat next to her sister. Dash laughed. “Thanks, Star. That’s a great example.”
“We’re back in five,” the cameraman warned.
Kurt glanced at Peyton. She looked completely at ease.
She grabbed his good hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Leaning in, she whispered, “You look nervous. Don’t forget to breathe.”
“Heh. Thanks.” Kurt nodded, unsure what to say next. Before he had time to dwell on it, the cameraman counted down a five second warning.
When the cameraman pointed, Dash Diamond’s trademark smile appeared. “Good morning, Gold Coast! Welcome back and hello to those who are just tuning in. This morning I have police officer Kurt Collins, and Peyton McIntyre, a handler for Gilda, who is a search and rescue dog. Incidentally, Gilda was also one of Star’s littermates, which makes them sisters.”
“Officer Collins, let's start with you. Before we play the video where Gilda saved you from the ocean, we have new footage that arrived this morning. Let’s roll the tape.”
A television screen dropped from the ceiling. Kurt found himself watching the display along with Peyton, Dash, and most of the population of western California. The video began as a blur but soon cleared to show the alley where Kurt and Winters arrested Phil. It started with the officers’ arrival on scene and ended with Phil stabbing Kurt in the forearm.