She literally ran into Gar on the way out of her office. “Sorry.” She put a hand on his arm to steady him. “You okay?”
He nodded. “For someone who can’t weigh more than a hundred you pack a strong punch. I have to admire that.” He straightened his tie. “I didn’t realize you were here. I was coming to leave you a note that Liz signed your pay form along with the hours charged to personal leave. But since you’re here I have to wonder why you didn’t sign your own form and why Marcia didn’t remind you to sign your form.”
“It’s my fault. I lost track of time and then it was too late. I don’t expect Liz to cover for me.”
“Wait.” Gar put his fingers to his temples. “I’m sensing another Summer versus Marcia moment. Yes, and I see that Marcia thinks she won this round.” He grinned. “How did I do?”
She put her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes. “Wait for it. Yes, I see the circus in your future.” She joined in his laughter.
“How do you put up with her?”
“I have my ways.” She retrieved the sketch from her desk. “Wait till I get my hands on some colored pencils.”
“Wow. She’d kill me if she heard this, but it’s so her. This is good, Summer. Much better than the guy at the flea market.”
“Thanks. I think.”
He looked chagrined. “You know what I mean.” He handed her the pad. “I guess we won’t have you around here much longer.”
“I’m getting the pink slip for forgetting to sign my payroll form?”
“No. I thought with your talent returning you’d go back to what you did before.”
“It’s yet to be seen that my talent has returned. Kevin did me a big favor by giving me a job. I’ll stick around a while and return it.”
“Cool. I probably shouldn’t ask, but could that sticking around include looking at updating our logo? I mean, just kind of look at it and see if it could use some improvement. It’s my task, but…”
He looked so hopeful she couldn’t disappoint him. “I’ll work it in with Liz’s stuff.”
Gar raised a fist in victory. “Great. I gotta go tackle the gym. Oh.” He retraced his steps. “Here’s the number of leave hours we charged.”
She watched him practically dance out the door and wondered what she’d gotten herself into. Whatever it was, it was better than worrying about other things.
When she returned from lunch with two new sets of pencils and, as a concession to her mother, food, Dani was waiting for her. All thoughts of downing the veggie wrap and pita chips vanished. “Hey.”
“Sorry to bother you at work, but I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
Summer took a deep breath, ignoring the quizzical looks from Fiona. “We, uh, we should go back to my office.” She led the way there, though it was the last thing she wanted to do. It was never good news when someone felt it had to come from them.
“I found more girls,” Dani said once the door was closed. She straddled the chair beside Summer’s desk. “Most weren’t from here. The GBI and the FBI are coming in, so it’s going to be all over the media.”
“But not me, right? They promised to keep my name a secret.”
Dani nodded. “I’ve done some checking and I haven’t heard even a whisper of your name. Despite what you did last night.”
“That’s something. Have you heard if there’s been any positive response to the, uh, the sketch? Aside from the guy who already confirmed he saw him with Georgia.”
“Last I heard there was nothing that positively ID’d the perp. These things take time. A lot of effort’s spent tracking down bogus leads because you never know when you’ll hit the right one. Someone will see it and know who he is. If not in here, then from surrounding states.”
“Okay. So don’t expect it soon.” She frowned, pressing her fist against the tightness in her chest. “Will they want to talk to me?”
“If you mean the GBI or the FBI, the answer’s no. Vincent wants to keep a tight lid on his source of information. He knows he can trust his guys, and while he hasn’t had much interaction with the GBI, he knows the feds like to muscle their way in and take over from the locals.”
“That’s a huge relief. Thanks for, you know, coming by. It’s, uh, nice to be in the loop.”
“You deserve it, Summer. Listen, Vince called in a favor. I’m going to be working closely with the department on this one. If you have any questions or concerns give me a call.”
She waited until Dani was almost at the door to ask the question that had been burning in her brain. “How many girls?” When Dani turned Summer could see she wasn’t going to like the answer.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask. Possibly as many as twenty-five who fit the profile. Won’t know for sure until he’s caught. And only then if he talks.”
As the door closed behind Dani, Summer rested her forehead against the desk, wishing she hadn’t felt the need to ask the question. Hadn’t felt the need to know how many innocents had been destroyed. It took everything she had, but she put it behind her and returned to the graphics program. Unfortunately the day had lost its luster.
* * *
The sun was shining brightly when Summer wheeled her bike away from the office building. The temperature was warm enough to fool her into believing spring might come early. Thoughts of the twenty-five girls fueled her legs as she peddled. Twenty-five girls gone, never to be seen again. She veered left onto Fifth, ignoring the road that would take her home. The park. She’d go to the park, see little girls who were happy, little girls who were loved like she’d been. There had to be good to balance the bad she was being inundated with. If there wasn’t…“No ‘if,’” she shouted. The balance was there and she would find it.
As she’d expected, the warmer weather had drawn out parents and kids. The playground was a hive of activity. Summer locked her bike to a pole and settled under a tree to watch the kids lose themselves in play.
“Hey, remember me?” The young boy gave her a big smile. “I’m Kyle and you’re Mama Kee’s friend with the bike. You came to our house for the party and then you came back for dinner.”
Kyle’s smile begged for one in return. She was struck again at how much he resembled Keile. “I’m Summer. Do your mothers know where you are?”
“Yeah, they know I’m at the park,” he replied and gave her a look that said he questioned her intelligence. “Why are you sitting here?”
“I like watching kids play.”
“Kyle! I told you to wait for me.” Clearly exasperated, Haydn pushed a stroller over to where they were sitting.
“I’m waiting right here with Summer. Can I go on the swings now?”
Haydn sighed. “Yes. But next time you need to walk the whole way beside me, not in front of me, not behind me. Are we clear? Okay, go,” she said after he nodded. “Hi, Summer. How are you holding up?”
“As well as can be expected, I guess.” Summer stood to get a look at Chelsea. “Sounds like I should be asking you how you’re doing. Kyle seems, uh, well…”
“He’s an armful. That’s beyond a handful.” Haydn removed Chelsea from the stroller. “So far this one hasn’t displayed the same wandering spirit.”
“She’s a beauty.” Summer took Chelsea’s outstretched hand. “And friendly.”
“Only if Keile and I are nearby.” Haydn smiled. “She was taking a walk with Renny and hissed at this elderly woman who’d stopped to admire her. Poor Renny was mortified. Told us we needed to take Chelsea to the vet and have the cat exorcised out of her.”
Summer laughed. “That sounds like Renny. Do you think I could, uh, hold her?”
“Sure. We did have her declawed.”
“She’s making up stories about you, isn’t she?” Summer rested her cheek against the top of Chelsea’s head, breathing in the scent of shampoo and hope. Here was a little girl who’d only known love. She blinked against the burn of tears.
“You okay?” Haydn put a hand on Summer’s arm, her hazel eyes
warm with concern.
“Better than.” She sniffed. “This is what I need. After, you know, all I’ve seen this week it’s good to hold a little girl who’s only known love.”
“I’m sorry you’re having to go through that on top of everything else. Kyle, sit down!” Haydn dashed over to the swings where Kyle was hastily plopping his bottom onto the swing.
“Could have been worse,” Summer told Chelsea. “He could have jumped.” As soon as the words left her mouth a memory surfaced. She was the one on the swing, soaring high. Her sisters, May and Winter, were egging her to jump. Summer remembered letting go of the ropes and having momentum carry her through the air. Before she could do it again, her mother was there, full of worry. Summer had denied accusations that her sisters had put her up to jumping and later they bought her an ice cream cone as a reward. Two scoops.
Summer hugged Chelsea and the memory close as she spun around, laughing.
“Somebody looks happy.”
“Keile! Hey, I didn’t realize you were here too. I remembered another childhood incident. It feels great.” She did another quick spin and squealed along with Chelsea. “I feel great. Oops. Somebody wants her mama.”
“Can and I were at the dog park.” Keile adjusted Chelsea on her hip while Can stretched out beside the stroller. “I don’t have to ask how you’re holding up.”
“I owe it to your daughter.” She stroked Chelsea’s smooth cheek and earned a grin. “And you and Haydn. Thanks to you, I can feel the love, the innocence in Chelsea. It’s giving me hope.”
“Sounds like that’s something you needed.”
“Desperately,” she readily admitted. “Dani thinks this guy could be responsible for snatching twenty-five girls. Twenty-five. I came here to see a different side.”
Keile whistled softly. “That’s a lot of baggage to carry around. I’m glad my little sunshine could help. But you should also feel good about your part in this, Summer. They wouldn’t have been able to put it together without you. That’s not too shabby.”
“They have to catch him first. He’s been doing this for twenty years, so he’s good at hiding. Probably in plain sight. I wish…I wish I could do more for Georgia.” She sighed, willing away tears.
“You know what? You’re coming over to our house this weekend. You can kick back and hang out with the kids.”
“That’s a great idea,” Haydn said as she joined them. She snaked an arm around Keile’s waist, then leaned in. “The weather’s supposed to be more of the same. Between us we can convince Keile to throw something on the grill. It’ll be fun.”
“Sunday? Would Sunday work?”
“Come at one,” Haydn said. “We can eat at four and get you home not too long after dark. I’ll ask Renny and we’ll double team her for more deets about her new book.”
Summer nodded. It sounded like exactly what she needed. “Could I…would it be okay if I tried to sketch the kids?”
“You’re drawing again?” Keile gave her a big smile. “Summer, that’s awesome.”
Summer shrugged. “I’m trying.”
“As long as Kyle isn’t required to sit still for long periods of time, I say go for it. Kyle!” Haydn put her hands on her hips.
“Chelsea and I got this.” Keile jogged over to where Kyle was once again standing on the swing.
“Isn’t she great?” Haydn said, her gaze fixed on Keile.
She nodded. “I used to have such a crush on her. Oh. I, uh, I—”
“Doesn’t bother me,” Haydn said with a wave of her hand. “I know she’s all mine now.”
“It looks good on her. Good on you too. I’ll, uh, see you Sunday.” She walked off, then turned. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to have run into you guys.”
Chapter Twenty
Renny held the phone away from her ear and gave it a good glare. When it didn’t disintegrate, she put it back to her ear and continued to listen to her mother rant about her latest crisis. That was her mother’s definition, of course. In Renny’s book, “crisis” was far too strong a word. She glanced at the clock on the microwave and swallowed a groan. If this story didn’t get wrapped up soon she was going to be late picking up Summer.
Sudden silence clued her in that she might have missed a question. “I’m sorry, what did you say?…He’s fine…No, I haven’t seen him since his birthday…I don’t know when we’ll get together again…She’s nice and they seem happy…Your name didn’t come up once…Eve, I need to go. I have an appointment and I don’t want to be late…No, I’m not interested in that role, either. Bye.” Renny ended the call and finally gave in to the scream that had been threatening since she’d answered it. “Sorry, Chazz.” She stroked his back. “Wait until you meet Eve, you’ll be screaming along with me.”
She slipped on her coat and grabbed the small purse made necessary by the lack of pockets in the little black number she was wearing. Attaching the gate that theoretically closed Chazz in the kitchen—they both knew he could jump it in a heartbeat—she headed for the garage.
As Renny fought her way through traffic, she realized this was her first trip downtown on a Friday night. She’d heard about the popular happy hour specials, but being a non drinker now it had never had a pull. The volume was akin to some weekend mornings, but the atmosphere was different—younger, edgier, with night lights and neon signs. It seemed more like a big city and fun.
She waited out pedestrian traffic before turning into the parking deck under Summer’s condo. After punching in the code Summer had given, she drove around until she found the reserved spots.
“Consider this the Bat Signal,” Renny said, holding the phone on her shoulder with her ear while she locked the car door. “Lobby. Gotcha.”
Her heels clicked against concrete as she made her way to the elevator, only to discover she needed a key card to get through the door leading to the elevator. “I need you to come down here and let me in. The door needs a key card…No problem.”
Summer emerged from an elevator not a minute later. “Can you tell I haven’t been down here in a while?” She held the door open for Renny to enter. “Sorry.”
“Like I said, no worries tonight.” Renny tugged on Summer’s jacket. “What’s this? This is the first time I’ve seen you in a suit. Nice.”
“You sure I don’t look like a scarecrow?”
“No straw, ergo no scarecrow. You look really nice, Summer.”
A blush stole up her cheeks. “Thanks. I want this to be a good time for you. Nothing about the other stuff tonight. Just you and me. If that’s okay?”
Renny hooked her arm through Summer’s as they entered the elevator. “That sounds perfect. Should I ask where you’re taking me?”
“The Bistro.”
“Whoa. How did you manage to get reservations so quickly? I’ve been told the wait time can be four months.”
“I have connections.” Summer pushed the Open Door button and motioned for Renny to precede her. “A co-worker is distantly related to the owner. When I asked her for suggestions, she offered to hook me up.”
“I hear the food is well worth the wait. Keile took Haydn there for their last anniversary. Said she earned major points, which I think was a euphemism for sex.” She gave Summer a sly sideways glance. “So watch out.”
Summer’s face burned red. “Uh, I…Yeah.” She cleared her throat and opened the door that led outside. The noise of the streets surrounded them—the sounds of traffic and revelry from the growing crowds.
“I’m teasing. I know you would never take me out to dinner because you expect sex. Because I’m thinking you’ve never thought about sex. Well, in the last two years.”
“I’m taking the Fifth,” Summer said, rubbing her cheeks. “Either way I go is embarrassing.”
Renny laughed. “God, you’re adorable. Okay. I’ll stop teasing. What’s this I hear about you sketching Keile’s kids? Sounds like something’s changed since we had dinner.”
“It’s kind of a pisser that to som
e extent I owe it to Marcia. We exchanged words Wednesday and before I know it I’m drawing a caricature of her and thinking about colored pencils. Felt like the safe that holds my brain opened enough for me to think I’ll get it all the way open.”
Renny gave Summer’s hand a quick tug. “That’s great! No, that’s fantastic. Are you still scared?”
Summer put a hand against her stomach. “More excited. Maybe I gave ‘existing’ a shove and turned the corner to ‘living.’ A little scary, but mostly not. I feel like I can keep on going if I have some paper and something to draw with.”
“I know exactly what you mean. Control. Gives you a measure of control.”
“That’s it. Someone pisses me off, I can make them a caricature. Something makes me sad, I can turn it around and find something positive to draw. Something that makes me feel better. Something that gives me a little power.”
Renny caught the flicker of pain in Summer’s eye. “What are you thinking about?”
“A little girl who found comfort, a true friend when she needed it.”
“Tell me.”
“I got a call late Wednesday. Another girl gone missing. Only it wasn’t the same. The mother…She was pimping her daughter. Knowing my mother and all she’s gone through for me it’s hard to understand. Anyway, Corey had a friend. And even in her misery she felt better because he knew what her favorite candy bar was. Later I was able to get that moment on paper. It helped.”
“You’ve had a turbulent couple of days. Are you sure you’re up for going out?”
“Positive. Doing this, going out, is what I need. This is normal. If that isn’t enough, I’ll have tonight to look back on when my mother’s dragging me from store to store tomorrow.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Only because it is. When it comes to shopping that woman is like the Terminator. She can’t be stopped. Crying and begging don’t work.”
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