Nellie’s expression shifted. “Don’t make me thump you with my ax.”
“There will be no ax play,” I warned.
“I totally thought she was going to say something else,” Luke offered with a snicker, causing Nellie to grin.
“And you’re back to being a pervert,” Kade complained. “This conversation went full circle in less than two minutes, and that’s including the time we spent talking about chaps and ax play.”
Luke snorted. “Living in a community like this is fun, huh?”
I could tell Kade didn’t want to smile. That would only encourage Luke, who needed no prodding when he wanted to be a pain. He couldn’t stop himself. “It has its moments.”
I tapped the spoon I held against the lip of the bowl I was using to scramble eggs for the grill. “We have a serious problem,” I reminded them. “We have a bunch of missing girls and we need to find them. This cave is our best shot.”
“So what’s the plan?” Raven asked. “We can’t swim like Naida. I’ve heard about a few oxygen-deprivation spells but they rarely end well.”
“That wasn’t my plan.” Truthfully, I’d heard about the same spells and would never risk it. “Naida thinks there has to be a cave entrance on land.”
“Oh.” Raven perked up. “So you want to access the cave via a different route. If we can find it, that means we can take more people.”
I nodded. “Exactly.”
“I don’t understand what you think you’re going to find there.” Melissa spoke for the first time, her voice clear but her expression hard to read. “There was a police officer on the boardwalk last night and I asked him about the missing girls. He said that’s a rumor and nothing more.”
I focused my full attention on her. “Of course he said that. They’re trying to cover it up.”
“But … why? What good does that do them?”
“This festival is a big deal for the city,” Kade explained. “They want people to come from all over just because of the festival. Tourism is a big boon to local economies, and this festival has clearly been planned for a long time.”
“How does admitting there are girls missing change that?”
“If tourists knew that there were more than one-hundred girls missing, they might choose to go somewhere else,” I supplied. “That would take money away from the local economy. Also, the city officials spent a lot of money to set this thing up. They did it because they thought they would earn it back – and then some – through high turnout. If people take off and don’t attend the festival, what do you think that means for them?”
Melissa opted to remain stubborn. “Yes, but if girls were really missing, that’s more important than money.”
“Of course the girls are more important than money,” Raven said. “The city officials have chosen to pretend that the girls are running away instead of disappearing. That helps them keep their consciences clear.”
“You don’t know that.” Melissa refused to back down. “You’re assuming that. Maybe the girls did run away. It’s been known to happen.”
“It has,” I agreed. “That doesn’t mean that’s what happened here.”
“There are too many girls missing, Melissa,” Kade prodded. “If it were one or two girls, I’d agree with you. But it’s one-hundred girls.”
“This is a big area.”
“Not that big.”
Melissa opened her mouth to say something and then snapped it shut, ultimately folding her arms across her chest as she shook her head. “I think you guys are seeing things that aren’t there.”
“And I think you’re being willfully blind,” Raven shot back. “We’ve been at this a lot longer than you. We know when something is wrong – even if we don’t exactly know how something is wrong at any given moment – and we know when to act. We need to act now.”
The silence hanging over the table was weighted, everyone expecting Melissa to push things further. Instead, a man cleared his throat behind us and everyone snapped to attention, worried someone had managed to sneak up on us and eavesdrop. It was Max.
“This looks like a serious discussion.” Max forced a watery smile as he moved to the table, his eyes briefly landing on Melissa before moving to other faces. “Does someone want to tell me what’s going on?”
“How much time do you have?” Raven asked.
Max shrugged, opting to sit in the spot across from Melissa before pouring himself a mug of coffee. “I have all day if need be. What seems to be the problem?”
I launched into the tale from the beginning, highlighting the salient points but keeping things brief. When I was done, Max was thoughtful.
“So you think it’s witches?”
“Witches are nature-loving peaceniks,” Melissa argued.
Max spared her a look. “You’re cute.” His expression reflected amusement. “This is why I enjoy spending time with young people occasionally. I forget that they can see the world in such … novel ways.”
Melissa balked. “Are you saying I’m naïve?”
“I probably wouldn’t use that word.”
“Good.”
“It’s not the wrong word, though.” Max wasn’t the type to back down and he clearly had no intention of doing that with Melissa. She was used to barreling over people. He wouldn’t allow that. “Your youth is not a bad thing. Maturity is good. Wisdom gained through age is good. Young people can see possibilities those more set in their ways cannot see. One age is not necessarily better than another.”
Melissa, thankfully, had the good sense not to put her newly-discovered attitude on full display for Max’s benefit. “I’m not sure those girls are missing. Everyone else seems to think I’m crazy for believing that.”
“I see. What do you think happened to them?”
“I think they ran away.”
Max cocked an eyebrow. “All of them?”
“Why not? They’re all young. Running away holds appeal when your whole life is about other people bossing you around.”
Max swished his lips, his amusement growing. “I see.” He slid his eyes to me for a beat and then back. “I understand you’re having a few growing pains.”
Now it was my turn to be nervous. “Who told you that?”
“I hear more than you realize. Just because I choose to spend most of my time in my trailer doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on.”
Uh-oh. I flicked my eyes to Kade, but he looked as clueless as I felt. “And what have you been hearing?”
“That Miss Melissa feels put upon.”
Melissa made a protesting sound deep in her throat. “That’s not what I said.”
Max held up his hand to quiet her. He was a patient man, but Melissa’s tone told everyone she was about to start whining. If there was one thing Max hated, it was whining.
“You’re in an awkward place,” Max noted. “You’re the youngest one here. The group you’re assigned to isn’t exactly full of gregarious partiers – Luke’s keg stand notwithstanding.”
Luke blanched. “All right, who has the big mouth?”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
Max studied Melissa with intent eyes. “The paranormal part of this team plays, but they focus on work first. The other groups tend to focus on play first, but they’re nowhere near as interesting to you. You came here and found someone your own age who could do both. You’re feeling a bit … intrigued. No one blames you for that.”
Melissa widened her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Your new friend has powers,” Max replied. “I saw you with her the other night. I could practically smell the witch on her.”
“I knew it,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I should’ve followed up on that.”
“We don’t know that she’s involved in this,” Max reminded me. “She’s barely more than a child. Heck, she’s traveling with her father. Plus, well, I smelled witch. I didn’t smell power.”
The distinction caught me off guard. “What do you mean?”
“She was born a witch, which means her mother was probably a witch,” Max replied. “I have been watching her since that first night, but haven’t seen or felt her use her powers. Have you noticed her exhibiting powers, Melissa?”
Melissa shifted, uncomfortable. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I don’t like talking about her behind her back. It doesn’t seem fair. That’s not what a good friend does.”
Luke made a derisive sound in the back of his throat. “Honey, that’s a child’s way of looking at things. Adults know that everyone talks behind his or her back. It’s the way of the world and human nature. I talk behind Poet’s back all the time and she’s my best friend.”
I wrinkled my nose. “What do you say behind my back?”
“Mostly stuff about how you’re whipped for Kade. You know, normal stuff.”
How was that normal stuff? “We’ll talk about that later,” I warned, shaking my head. “For now we need to focus on the problem at hand. Melissa, if you know anything about Paige using her powers – perhaps being involved in all this – you need to tell us now.”
Melissa hopped to her feet, outraged. “How could she possibly be involved in this? She travels the country with her father. She’s only been here a week. I’m not even sure where she lives most of the year because she says they’re on the road a lot.”
“That’s a good point,” Raven said. “She hasn’t been here since this started.”
“I wasn’t saying that I thought she was involved,” Max added. “I was merely trying to massage Melissa’s psyche to find out why she was so attached to Paige.”
“I like her because she’s fun and doesn’t always want to talk about work and whatever monster we’re fighting this week,” Melissa shot back. “All we do is hang out and gossip. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been able to do that?”
“No one is stopping you from doing that now,” I argued. “You simply have to finish your work before you do it.”
“Sometimes we gossip and have fun while working,” Luke added. “It’s not easy, but we manage.”
I shot him a withering look. “Sometimes I think you talk just to hear yourself talk.”
“And sometimes I agree with you.” Luke was blasé. “Have you noticed Paige exhibiting magic?”
“No.” Melissa was firm. “She’s just a normal girl.”
“She’s far from normal, and you know that,” Max countered. “I’m not sure Paige knows, though. Either way, it very likely doesn’t matter. She’s clearly not involved in abductions from six months ago.”
“No,” I agreed. “We need to make finding the cave our first priority. In fact … .” I trailed off when I caught sight of a figure hurrying in our direction. “It’s Barney.”
Everyone shifted and stared, our conversation coming to an end as we prepared for what looked to be an intense interaction. I expected Barney to meander until getting to the point, but apparently he wasn’t in the mood this morning.
“Have you seen Paige?” Barney’s attention was on Melissa, who appeared surprised by the question.
“Not since last night,” Melissa replied. “Why?”
“She didn’t come to our tent.”
“Maybe she met someone,” Luke suggested. “Maybe she spent the night in someone else’s tent.”
Barney pinned Luke with a hateful look. “Paige wouldn’t do that. She knows it would drive me crazy. That’s not it.”
“But … .”
Barney vehemently shook his head to cut off whatever Luke was about to say. “She’s missing. My daughter is missing. I think someone took her.”
And just like that, things officially got worse.
“Oh, well, that can’t be good,” Nellie said. “That can’t be even a little bit good.”
19
Nineteen
Melissa’s bewilderment, fear and fury lashed out and slammed into my stomach like an angry fist.
“What are you talking about?”
She was on her feet and staring down Barney as if he were the enemy before I could recover.
“Melissa, you shouldn’t take that tone with him.” Max’s voice was full of warning as he stood. “I don’t believe we’ve had the chance to meet. I’m Max Anderson. I own Mystic Caravan.”
Barney glanced between Melissa and Max, confusion warring with anger. It was clear he had no idea how to react. Finally, he extended his hand for Max to shake. “Barney Tolliver. I have a stained-glass booth in the crafts area. I’ve visited your bonfire a time or two.”
“That’s lovely.” Max had no intention of dillydallying. “Tell us what happened with Paige.”
Barney ran a hand through his disheveled hair, misery washing over his features. “She didn’t come home last night.”
“I understand that.” Max’s tone was soothing. “We need more specifics, though. When was the last time you saw her?”
“Last night.” Barney leaned his hip against the picnic table. “I was working the booth during the late shift. She left with your girl and said they were going to that big bonfire down at the beach.”
“She was there,” I volunteered. “Kade and I walked through that area before bed and she was down there.”
“You saw her?” Barney looked hopeful. “Is there a chance she came back here to sleep?” He flicked his eyes to Melissa. “Did she stay in your trailer?”
Melissa shook her head. “I left early.”
“You left early?”
Melissa swallowed hard and nodded. “I had to come back and do some cleaning.”
“So you just left her down there by herself?” Barney’s tone was accusatory. I didn’t blame him. That didn’t mean any of this was Melissa’s fault.
“That’s on me,” Kade interjected, drawing Barney’s attention to him. “Melissa had work to finish and I put my foot down. We made her leave early.”
“You made her abandon my daughter, is what you’re saying?” Barney’s temper ratcheted up a notch. “How great for your girl, huh?”
Kade was calm. “I’m sorry you’re under duress. I didn’t know it would turn into such a big deal.”
“Obviously,” Barney said dryly. “So you have no idea where she is?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t figure out where she is,” Max offered. “What time were you at the bonfire, Poet?”
I did the math in my head. “We left shortly before ten.”
“And Paige was there when you left?”
I nodded. “She was … talking to some boys.”
“Boys?” Barney clearly wasn’t thrilled by the revelation. “What boys?”
“Melissa was talking to them, too,” Kade said. “What can you tell us about them, Melissa?”
Melissa’s face twisted. She obviously didn’t like being put on the spot. “I don’t know. They were just … boys.”
“You had to hear names,” Max pressed.
“I did, but … I didn’t hear last names.” Melissa shrugged. “The tall one with the dark hair, the one who looked like Robert Pattinson, his name was Toby.”
“Wait.” Luke held up a hand. “Is looking like Robert Pattinson a good thing? What? I can’t keep up with teenagers today.”
I ignored his interruption and kept my attention on Melissa. “What other names?”
“Josh. Dakota. Matt. Brian.”
“Anything else that you recall?” Max asked.
Melissa shook her head. “No. We only talked to them a few minutes. I know that Paige liked Toby. She called dibs on him the second she saw him.”
“Dibs?” Barney arched a confrontational eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean? Are you insinuating that she planned to have sex with that boy before she’d even met him?”
Max held up his hand to draw Barney’s ire. “I don’t believe that’s what she was saying at all. I’m guessing Paige merely said that so she could flirt with Toby and Melissa could flirt with wha
tever other boy struck her fancy. Unless teenage girls have changed since I was that age, I believe that’s how it has always worked.”
Barney was placated, but only marginally. “I’m sorry. You have to understand, she’s my daughter. I’m a single father. She’s all I have.”
“I do understand.” Max made sympathetic noises. “Just out of curiosity, what happened to her mother?”
I widened my eyes, surprised. It wasn’t like Max to veer off on a tangent when the stakes were so high, so I knew he must have his reasons.
“She died a long time ago,” Barney replied. “We owned a store in Phoenix. It was one of those kitschy places that has a little of everything. You know, pop culture items, shirts, purses … candles and stuff. It was fairly successful.
“She was closing up one night and there was a fire of some sort,” he continued. “The medical examiner said she suffered a blow to the back of her head, but the fire was accidental. He thinks she tried to extinguish the fire and accidentally got hurt in the process. That was eleven years ago.”
“I’m sorry,” Max said. “That must have been hard on Paige.”
“She’s a trooper.” Barney puffed out his chest, pride evident. “She’s a good worker and we’ve been running this circuit together for almost eight years. She knows the rules and doesn’t break them. That allows me to grant her certain privileges. She wouldn’t take off with a guy and simply not call me. That’s not how she is.”
“I don’t believe anyone is suggesting that’s what happened,” Max said. “In fact, I believe your initial instincts were correct. I think it’s far more likely that someone took her.”
“Oh.” Barney deflated a bit. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had to grapple with something like this before.” He took everyone by surprise when he grabbed the front of Max’s shirt, desperation rolling off him. “You have to help me. I can’t lose her. She’s too important to me. I … please!”
Max patted his wrist. “I’m going to help you.” He extended his hand and pointed at the expensive trailer at the far side of the property. “That is my trailer. Head that way. We’ll call the police and I’ll help you search.”
[Mystic Caravan Mystery 05.0] Freaky Places Page 17