by Cindi Myers
He swallowed hard. “We’re going to find her,” he said. “Law enforcement all along her probable route will be looking for her.” He couldn’t afford to believe they wouldn’t spot her. They’d try the airlines, and the bus stations. Maybe the trains, too? He made a mental note to confer with Dance on that.
“Of course you’ll find her,” Eve said. “And she’s your daughter, so she’s smart and probably more aware of possible dangers than your average teenage girl. She’ll be careful.”
Was Janie more aware? It wasn’t as if Grant had talked about his work much with the girls. When he had been with them, he tried to shelter them from the ugly side of what he did for a living. Had he talked to them enough about looking out for themselves and being safe? “We’ll find her,” he repeated. “And then I’ll ground her. Maybe until she’s eighteen.” He forced a chuckle. “It’s a good thing I only have two children. Otherwise, I might have even more gray hair.”
“Let me know when she shows up,” Eve said.
“I will. I just wanted you to know.” He started to say more, to ask about her date with Masterson, but stopped himself. That wasn’t his business, was it, even though he couldn’t stop himself from being concerned about her and her safety. “Thank you for that.”
There didn’t seem to be anything else to say. He ended the call and stared, unseeing, at the stacks of paperwork in his in-box. He wasn’t having any luck finding a man who was hiding out practically under his nose in a national park. How was he going to find a girl who could be anywhere across two thousand miles of country?
* * *
EVE HUNG UP the phone, her stomach twisted in a knot. The pain in Grant’s voice as he talked about his daughter had reverberated through her. But with it had come the pain of his last words. He was thankful he only had two children.
This isn’t about you, she reminded herself. It was about a hurting father, and a daughter who wanted to be with him so badly she was risking a cross-country trip to see him. She said a prayer that Janie would be found safe, and very soon.
Sarah emerged from the back of the store, carrying an arrangement of daisies, delphinium and carnations in each hand. “These are the last two from the cooler,” she said, and nestled each vase into a corrugated box designed to keep them from shifting during travel. “Are you sure you want to handle all of these by yourself?” There were six similar arrangements, requiring a series of large delivery boxes.
“If I need help, I’ll recruit someone when I get to the school,” Eve said. “It’s been a long time since I visited and I want to see the new facility that’s being built.” She also didn’t want to lose touch with Audra. Just because things hadn’t worked out for Dane and Eve didn’t mean Eve wanted to lose his daughter’s friendship.
“Well, have fun,” Sarah said. “I’ll hold down the fort here and finish that batch of corsages.” Orders for proms were coming in daily and, knowing the tendency of people, especially teenagers, to procrastinate, Sarah had suggested making up a quantity of corsages in advance that could be finished quickly with ribbon of the buyer’s choice, for those who waited until the last minute to shop. It was yet another idea that made Eve pray Sarah wouldn’t decide to one day leave and open her own flower shop.
Canyon Critters Preschool sat next door to a busy construction site five miles from the entrance to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. A large sign proclaimed the site as the future home of Canyon Elementary. The small, squat building that housed the preschool was made of sand-colored stucco, which matched the surrounding rock uplifts, so that at first glance the school seemed carved out of the environment. As Eve parked her van near the back entrance, the sound of singing children reached her ears, high-pitched voices chanting the words of a half-forgotten nursery rhyme set to tinkling piano music.
Smiling to herself, she slid open the van’s side door and retrieved a rolling cart, onto which she loaded the boxes of flowers. She maneuvered her awkward burden through the back door and down the hallway to an open room. A woman dressed all in red—red tights, red corduroy jumper and a red sweater—looked up from a copy machine. “Can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m looking for Audra,” Eve said, and indicated the flowers. “I’ve brought the arrangements for the luncheon.”
“Oh!” She closed the lid on the copier. “I’ll get her.” She scooted down the hall, a blur of crimson. Eve looked around the workroom, which was crammed with boxes of copy paper, stacks of picture books, foam mats, poster board, the copier, a worktable with a paper cutter and a stapler, and stacks of boxes with handwritten labels for Christmas, Halloween, the Fourth of July, and every other holiday Eve could think of.
“Please don’t look, it’s a horrible mess.” Audra spoke from behind Eve.
Eve turned, smiling, to greet Audra. The woman in red flashed a smile, then squeezed past them to return to her copier. Audra and Eve embraced. “The flowers are beautiful!” Audra exclaimed. “Let me show you where to put them.”
When they were well away from the copy room, Eve leaned over and asked. “Why is that woman dressed all in red?”
Audra laughed. “Her class is studying colors. She has an outfit for every color on their list. The children love it.” She led the way down the hall to what was clearly a lunchroom, with labeled cubbies, stainless dispensers for milk and juice, and half a dozen large round tables surrounded by plastic chairs in primary colors. A white paper cloth draped the tables, and paper chains hung from the light fixtures overhead, bright and festive. “We’ll just put one of these on each table,” Audra said, lifting one of the arrangements from its protective cardboard.
“I can do that,” Eve said. “I know you’re probably busy.”
“I’m always busy,” Audra said. “But I could use a break. The parents won’t arrive for another hour and these things always get me so keyed up, I need something physical to occupy the time.”
“Then do you have time to show me your new building?” Eve asked, as she untangled another arrangement from its box. “I saw all the construction when I pulled in.”
Audra made a face. “The construction has been a huge pain, but I keep reminding myself that in the end, it will be worth it.”
They finished setting out the flowers and Audra stood back and admired the scene. “Everything looks wonderful,” she said. “The parents will approve—or at least, most of them will, and that’s really the best I can hope for. Some people simply can’t be pleased. And the children will love it.”
“Let me return this to the car,” Eve said, indicating the cart and empty containers.
“I’ll go with you and we can walk across to the construction site,” Audra said.
The sun beat down, but with the soft warmth of spring, not the intense heat of summer. A light breeze stirred a field of yellow balsam across the street, and cooled the air further. “The day care and preschool are going to be at this end,” Audra said, indicating the section of the building huddled up against a massive mound of red and yellow stone. “The back wall will actually be flush with the rock, so no windows there, but the construction superintendent tells me it’s going to make for fantastic insulation. He says the design was a finalist for some kind of industry award, so I guess that’s good.”
They climbed a small hill and skirted around a section of chain-link fencing. “If anyone sees us, they’ll yell about us being in here without hard hats,” Audra said. “But I don’t think they’re working today. Actually, I haven’t seen anyone over here all week, so I don’t know what’s up with that, but they’re making great progress.”
Metal girders and studs, like pieces of an erector set, rose from concrete piers that lined a deep excavation in the rock. Audra walked right up to the edge. “You should have seen all the rock they took out of here,” she said. “It was crazy.”
Eve stayed back from the edge, not being fond of heights. “The lunchroom and lo
ckers will mostly be in the basement,” Audra said. “With some offices and storage. The classrooms will all be up top, with plenty of light. Those rooms without a lot of windows will have skylights, so that everything is sunny and cheerful.”
“It looks much larger than your current facility,” Eve said.
“Oh, it will more than double our capacity,” Audra said. “But they’ve apparently done studies and they think we’ll need it. Lot of young families are moving into the two new developments going up nearby, hence the need for the new elementary school, and the younger children, including children of the teachers, will be able to enroll here. So it will be convenient for everyone.”
“And profitable for you,” Eve said.
Audra laughed. “That, too. I even accused my dad of pulling strings so that I got the contract for this space, so he wouldn’t have to support me, but he denied everything.”
“How could your father have influenced that?” Eve asked.
“Because this is one of TDC’s projects. You didn’t know?”
Eve shook her head. But then, what difference did it make? “I’m sure the fact that you were already here had something to do with the decision,” she said. “That, and your school’s wonderful reputation.”
Audra beamed. “I am really proud of what we’ve accomplished here.” She glanced around and her smile faded. “We’d better go. Somebody is coming and I don’t want to get scolded.”
She led the way around the fence, but as they started across the parking lot toward the preschool, Eve recognized a familiar figure emerging from the white car on the other side of the construction site. Toby Masterson looked their way and waved, then continued onto the site.
Audra returned the wave. “Do you know him?” Eve asked.
“He’s Toby Masterson,” she said. “He works for TDC. I’m not sure what his job title is, but he’s been over here a lot lately.” She shrugged. “He asked me out a couple of times. He’s good-looking, but too old for me.”
“When was this?”
“The most recent time was last week.” She laughed. “I’ll say one thing for him, he’s persistent. But I’m really not interested in dating anyone right now, you know? Too much drama. I have enough going on in my life. Why?” She nudged Eve. “He is pretty hot. If you’re interested in him, I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“No, that’s okay.”
Eve tried to push aside the sick feeling in her stomach as she drove back to town. It wasn’t as if she and Toby had any sort of binding relationship. They had been on a single date. He was free to see anyone he wanted. Audra was young and beautiful—any man would be attracted to her. But the idea that he had pursued Audra at the same time he was pursuing Eve felt wrong somehow.
She had never had these kind of doubts about Grant. Was it because he was a law enforcement officer? No, she had never believed cops were less vulnerable to corruption than anyone else. But Grant had a way of making her forget her worries when she was with him. Only when they were apart did the worries creep in.
“Did you get to see the new school?” Sarah asked when Eve returned to the shop.
“Oh, yes. It’s going to be beautiful. Lots more room.” She collapsed and folded the flower carriers and returned them to the storeroom.
When she emerged again, Sarah was looking at her expectantly. “Anything else?” Sarah asked.
“I saw Toby Masterson while I was there.” She hadn’t meant to say it, but she couldn’t keep the information to herself. Sarah would tell her if she was overreacting.
“At the preschool? Does he have children?”
“No, he was at the construction site. TDC is doing the build and I guess he has some role in that.”
Sarah leaned across the counter, elbows propped, settling in for a long conversation. “You never said how your date went with him on Saturday,” she said. “I’ve been trying to not be so nosy, but clearly, I’m a failure at that, so how was it?”
“It was okay,” Eve said. She forced herself to supply the details her friend would want. “We went to that Mexican place on Main—Mariposa. It was really good.”
“So the food was good—what about the companionship?”
“He was nice. Charming and funny. Considerate.”
Sarah frowned. “Why do I sense a ‘but’ at the end of that sentence?”
Eve shrugged. “The evening was nice. But it wasn’t special. Maybe I’m just too picky.”
“Aww, honey.” Sarah’s expression softened. “You deserve special. We all do.”
“After we saw Toby at the construction site just now, Audra told me he’d asked her out, too,” Eve said. “She said he’d really pursued her.”
“The way he pursued you.” Sarah straightened, watching Eve carefully.
Eve nodded. “The thing is, as nice as the date was, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was trying to get information from me about Dane. Maybe that’s why he wanted to go out with Audra, too.” Talking about her feelings had helped clarify them, and she realized that this was what had been bothering her all along.
“I think you should trust your instincts,” Sarah said.
They both looked up as the door chime sounded and a customer entered. “I’ll take care of her,” Sarah said. “You take some time to pull yourself together.”
Eve nodded, though already she felt stronger, more certain that she was on to something. She went into her office and closed the door, then sat at the desk and dialed Cara’s number.
“Hey, Eve!” Cara answered. “Please tell me you’ve changed your mind about going up to the Mary Lee Mine with me.”
“No, but there’s something else I needed to talk to you about,” Eve said.
“What is it?”
“Do you know a man named Toby Masterson?”
“Yeah, I know Toby,” Cara said. “Why are you asking?”
“Did he ever ask you out? Recently? Since Dane disappeared.”
“He did! How did you know?”
“Because he asked me out.” She didn’t mention she’d actually had dinner with him. “And Audra. I think he’s trying to find out information about Dane.”
“He didn’t get anything from me. And he backed off pretty quick when I pointed out that I’m engaged to an officer with the Ranger Brigade. He probably wants to pick our brains so he can collect that $25,000 reward for finding Dane.”
“Did you know Toby at TDC?”
“Only vaguely. I know Dane got him the job there, and that they met through Welcome Home Warriors. But I don’t really know anything about him.”
Eve sighed. So much for thinking Toby was interested in her for herself.
“You sure I can’t persuade you to go with me to the Mary Lee?” Cara asked. “I really don’t want to go by myself.”
She still didn’t want to go, but she believed women ought to stick up for each other. Maybe the three women in Dane’s life needed to do that more than most. “All right,” she said. “But it’s going to be a few days before my schedule is clear. I’ll let you know.”
“Whenever you’re ready. Thanks so much.”
Eve waited until the shop closed that evening before she retreated to her office once more and punched in Grant’s number. He answered right away. “Have you heard anything from Janie?” Eve asked.
“Not yet.” The strain in his voice was heartbreaking.
“Someone will spot her,” she said. “We can’t give up hope.”
“I appreciate the sentiment,” he said. “It was good of you to call.”
“I wanted to know about Janie, but there’s something else, too. Something I need to talk to you about.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t really want to say over the phone. Can we meet somewhere?”
“Is this about Dane?” he asked.
“I
t may be connected.”
“I’m pretty lousy company right now,” he said. “And I don’t feel like going out to a restaurant. Can I stop by your house?”
“That would be perfect.” She didn’t really feel like talking about this in public, either, in case she broke down and embarrassed them both. She hadn’t done anything to be ashamed of, but the knowledge that she had, once again, misjudged a man made her feel vulnerable.
Chapter Thirteen
Grant parked in the driveway behind Eve’s sedan, again noting the Eve’s Garden logo on each side of the car. Red, pink and gold tulips bloomed in the beds in front of the house, lilacs budding behind them. The flowers made the house look like a home, simple and welcoming.
Exhaustion made every step drag, but he forced himself to stand straight and tried to look alert as he rang the doorbell. As much as he wanted to unburden himself to Eve, he was here in a professional capacity. He’d focus on whatever it was she had to tell him that related to his case.
But when the door opened, she took one look at him and held out her arms. He went to her and when her arms tightened around him, the comfort in the gesture left him too moved to speak.
She led him inside, poured a glass of wine and set it and a plate of cheese and crackers in front of him. “I bet you’ve hardly eaten all day,” she said. “And you don’t look as if you slept much last night.”
“I can’t sleep, between worrying about Janie and wondering what got into her head that she decided to do such a foolish thing.”
“Fifteen-year-olds behave foolishly,” she said. “So do fifty-year-olds, sometimes. So do we all.”
He nodded, and sipped the wine, some of the tightness in his stomach easing.
“Tell me what you’re doing to find her,” she said. “Maybe that will help.”
“We’ve sent Amber alerts, with her picture and description, all over the country, and we’ve contacted all the airports and bus and train stations, too. We’ve distributed flyers and I’ve contacted every law enforcement officer I know personally all over the country and asked for their help.”