Rebecca touched Ryan’s hand to comfort him. “Doesn’t mean it was him.”
“I hope not. But I gotta look at the facts and be honest with myself, with you,” Ryan said, his anguish written all over his face. “He’s been in trouble with the law, but I can’t believe he would do something like this.”
“We can see if he was a suspect.” Brody studied the police file.
“Do you know where he lives? We can go talk to him,” Rebecca offered.
“I haven’t seen him in a while. Last I knew he was living in Garland.”
“That’s half an hour away from Mason Ridge at the most,” Brody said. He stopped suddenly.
Rebecca didn’t like his expression. But then, she was still reeling from Brody’s words while she’d stood in the hallway. They stung, even though she knew he was just speaking the truth. Stuffing those feelings down deep, she took another sip of coffee.
“Turns out, your uncle Gregory was a suspect,” Brody said, flashing an apologetic look toward Ryan. “He worked as a delivery driver for a Texas nursery chain around the time of the abductions.”
“Which would put him on the highways,” Rebecca said.
“The sheriff would’ve been able to match up his delivery schedule,” Brody said quietly. He kept skimming the file.
“My uncle did stupid things when he drank, but he wasn’t violent.”
“There isn’t much more in the file that I can see. Think we can speak to him?” Brody asked.
“No other kids have gone missing in the area since Shane. If his uncle was somehow involved, wouldn’t there be others?” Rebecca asked.
“The Glenn boy last year in Sunnyvale,” Brody reminded her.
“True.” She nodded.
“I thought about that, too. My uncle moved to Garland two years after the disappearance,” Ryan said. “Last time I saw him a few years ago his hands shook if he didn’t have a drink by ten o’clock in the morning. He’s done other stupid stuff, illegal. Been in jail a couple of times. My heart doesn’t want to believe he’s capable of such a heinous act and yet I can’t ignore the facts. What if he did this?”
“I hear what you’re saying. It’s probably not even him, but it’s smart to check into every possibility. I appreciate you coming forward. This must be really hard for you,” Rebecca said. A man who couldn’t go a day without drinking most likely wouldn’t have the strength to subdue both her and Shane, could he? There was another way to solve this. She remembered that her attacker had spoken the other morning in the parking lot. If it had been Ryan’s uncle, she would be able to recognize his voice. “I might have a way to resolve this. Does your uncle have a phone?”
“I believe so. Why?”
Brody was already nodding. He’d caught on to what she wanted to do.
“Call him and put it on speaker.”
“Justin might have the number.” Ryan pulled out his cell. After a quick call to his brother, he punched in the digits. The line rang three times before rolling into voice mail. Ryan’s thumb moved over to end the call.
“Don’t hang up. Hold on a second before you do that,” Rebecca said, stopping him.
This is Greg. You know what to do at the beep.
Brody’s gaze was intent on her, studying her.
“Doesn’t sound like him,” Rebecca said on a sigh of relief. She wanted to find Shane’s abductor more than anything but not at the cost of one of her friends. “At least I don’t think.”
“We can’t ignore the possibility that he might know something or be connected in some way,” Brody said, looking to Ryan. “Does your uncle have any enemies?”
“My first thought would be Alcorn. He hates all of my family members. You think someone else might try to set him up?” Ryan asked, his voice hopeful. He deflated a second later. “Why would someone do that after all these years? And why to him? It’s not like he’s rich or powerful. There’s nothing to blackmail him for. Even Alcorn has given up.”
“The word about apple tobacco might have gotten out. This is a small town, and after running into Peter Sheffield last night I started thinking how hard it can be to keep secrets. All it would take is one leak. Someone had to have seen something.”
“I’d like to chat with your uncle,” Brody said.
“I’ll arrange something and get back to you.” Ryan’s face muscles were tight.
Brody checked his phone. “I just got a text from Samantha. She’s trying to pull together the other girls to swing by tomorrow afternoon. She’s already in town to see her father, anyway.”
Samantha had moved to Dallas after college for a job in the textile industry.
The reunion with the guys had gone well, so Rebecca was hopeful this would, too. Was it possible to pick up friendships after everything that had happened? Rebecca hoped so. It was a nice feeling to be with people she had so much history with. They were the few people who didn’t look at her awkwardly anymore, as if seeing her reminded them horrible things could happen at any moment. “I can’t wait to see her and the others. It’s been such a long time. In the meantime, we’ll keep following leads, right?”
“The festival rolls up the tents tomorrow. I’d initially hoped to wait and see if things calmed down after they leave. But then I checked online this morning and the Glenns’ son, Jason, who disappeared in Sunnyvale last year, did so while the festival was packing up,” Brody said.
Ryan perked up. “That’s a strange coincidence.”
“I’m not so sure that timing is accidental,” Brody agreed. “Who’s in charge of the festival?”
“Charles Alcorn heads it up every year,” Ryan supplied.
“Isn’t the festival too low-brow for him to be involved?” Brody asked.
“You’d think so,” Ryan said. “But they use his land and he makes a fortune every year.”
“I wonder if we can get a list of vendors from him? Names?” Brody asked.
“Doesn’t hurt to ask,” Rebecca said with a quick look toward Brody.
“He has offices downtown in the building next to the mayor’s office, doesn’t he?” Brody asked with a slight nod.
“He does. Nice building. I saw in a magazine that he renovated the whole inside before moving in a couple of years ago. Only the finest quality furniture. The best finishings. He donated the other half of the building to the city.”
“How convenient for him to be right next door to the mayor.”
“Easier to line Mayor Garza’s pockets when he only has to walk four steps,” Rebecca said. It was common knowledge he had a do-what-it-takes-to-get-the-job-done philosophy. It was half the reason she was tempted to take him up on his offer of help.
“In the meantime, we’ll keep poking around until we figure this out.” Ryan pushed his chair back from the table. “I have a few things to take care of. Keep me posted on what you find out. I’ll let you know as soon as I arrange a meeting with my uncle. Stay close to your phone.”
“Will do,” Brody said, turning to Rebecca as soon as the door was closed.
“You noticed that, too, didn’t you?” she asked.
“Yep. Ryan sure got out of here quick when we started talking about Alcorn.” Brody stood, walked to the sink and rinsed out his coffee cup. “There’s no love lost between their families. Ryan’s dad wouldn’t give Alcorn something he wanted years and years ago when he was still alive.”
“That wouldn’t have gone over well. Guess I wasn’t around much to notice.” She’d been so wrapped up in her own family’s issues she hadn’t once stopped to consider her friends’ problems. “I remember bad blood from when we were kids now that I think about it.”
Brody crossed to the back door. “Some old wounds don’t heal.”
* * *
BRODY EXERCISED THE HORSES, taking care not to overtax his newest arrival, Storm Rival. The owner didn’t have any use for the chestnut Thoroughbred when he developed shin splints after his last race at Lone Star Park. Brody just called him Red. Red had been a promising two-year-old until this happened. Now his future was uncertain. He had a true splint, the worst-case scenario for a racehorse, as evidenced by the bulge just below his left knee and on the inner side of his leg. The problem was all too common in young horses entering heavy training. Bad cases had ended plenty of promising careers.
His owner had been kind and this guy was going to get a second chance in life, a different life. The hefty donation would help keep things running, too.
Being in the barn, away from Rebecca, was a good thing. Her lips were too full, too pink, too damn tempting.
Work was the best distraction.
After he’d arranged care for the evening, he cut across the yard and back to the house.
Rebecca was still at the table, studying the screen on Brody’s laptop.
On Brody’s phone was a text from Ryan. “Ryan may have found something interesting and he wants us to come check it out. He isn’t far from here. Are you good with that?”
Rebecca nodded.
“We can be out of here in fifteen minutes. I just need to get dressed,” she said, disappearing down the hall.
Brody forced his gaze away from her backside. Self-discipline was the biggest difference between a man and a boy. While he waited, he took pictures of the suspect list so he’d have it with him in case they came across a name.
She returned ten minutes later, fresh-faced, hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her jeans, low on her hips, fit her curves to perfection. The material of her light blue blouse was just thin enough to allow a peek at her matching lacy bra. “Ready?”
For more than she knew. “Yep.”
“I checked the news while you were taking care of the horses.” Rebecca moved to the driver’s side.
“I’m okay to drive.”
She gave him the look that he knew better than to argue with, so he didn’t. He held his hands up in surrender. “Okay. Fine.”
Taking control behind the wheel, she held out his keys. “Didn’t figure you’d get far without these, anyway. And your head is still healing.”
“I’ve taken worse blows than that and survived.” To his ego, for one.
“Can you give me directions? His position should be on your phone, right?”
Brody pulled up Ryan’s location using the GPS tracker on his phone. He raised the volume and set the phone between them on the seat.
She cranked the ignition and backed out of the parking spot. “This has all been so crazy I don’t think I stopped to thank you for what you did for my mother yesterday afternoon.”
“Not a problem,” he said casually, and meant it.
“I’m serious. She can be difficult to deal with and I think she was shocked to see you.”
“Nah. She was fine. Plus, there was a lot going on. Under the circumstances, I thought she was rather nice.”
“And if I admit to being wrong about something, will you promise not to rub it in?” she asked.
“Depends on what it is.”
She stopped at the end of the drive long enough to jab his arm. “Be serious.”
“I am. Scout’s honor.”
“Like you were a Boy Scout.” She rolled her eyes and made a right turn toward town. “Fine, then I won’t tell you.”
“Oh, come on. You know I was just kidding.” He used to love making her laugh in high school. Her smiles were rare, laughter even more so, and he figured that made them all the more special.
“So you think I’m going to tell you now that you’ve done a little begging?” She didn’t hold back her laugh.
“Any chance it’s working?”
“Okay, fine. What’s it going to cost me?” He paused long enough to listen to the next instruction from the GPS.
She turned right, as instructed, then nodded. Her serious expression returned.
“You plan to tell me, or did you bring it up just to torture me?” he asked, trying to bring the lighter Rebecca back to life. She was inside there. He knew it and he wanted more of her.
“Fine. I lied to you before to trick you into seeing my mother. You were right. She didn’t like you.” She cracked a shy smile.
“I believe I won her over.”
“Agreed. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but you broke through to her.” She paused. “I feel so bad for the Glenns.”
“They’ve been through the ringer. It’s obvious on their faces.”
Again, she nodded.
“You rarely ever talk about Shane. Is that subject off-limits?”
Rebecca neither spoke nor nodded.
“You don’t have to now. I just thought maybe it might help or some—”
“Don’t feel bad about asking, Brody.”
“I don’t,” he reassured, but she was dead-on. He felt bad for bringing up Shane.
“I should talk about him more. About what happened. Maybe it’ll help us figure things out. You say we’re down to a couple dozen names aside from Ryan’s uncle, right?” She paused long enough to receive and follow GPS directions.
She didn’t need to tell him about her pain. He felt it, based on the heaviness in her words, the determination in her features.
Brody leaned forward in his seat and stretched his arms.
“All I can really remember about my brother came from stories from my mom and pictures she showed. Other than that night, of course. I can’t seem to forget that. All I keep thinking is who would do something like this to an innocent boy? I mean, the guy has to be a monster, right?” Rebecca’s body shuddered just talking about it. “Or, maybe he’s crazy.”
“You won’t get an argument out of me that the man’s crazy or needs to be locked up with the key tossed away for good. Hell, give me five minutes alone with him and the bastard won’t hurt another child for the rest of his life.”
The GPS interrupted, stating that the destination was two blocks up on the right. The distraction gave Brody a minute to regroup as Rebecca drove to the spot and then pulled into a parking space.
“Odd. I expected to see Ryan’s SUV here,” he said.
“I did, too,” Rebecca agreed.
“Something doesn’t feel right about this.” Brody surveyed the area. He phoned Ryan, but he didn’t pick up. “I think you should let me drop you off in town so I can investigate.”
“And leave you alone with those bumps and bruises? Not a chance.”
“I’m better today. I’ll grab Dylan or Dawson. It’s the weekend. One of them should be around. On second thought, I’ll call Dawson. Dylan will be with his little girl today.” He prepared himself for a fight.
“Take me to Angel’s. That way, when you come to pick me up, we’ll be able to get a decent piece of pie,” Rebecca said.
Grateful she didn’t put up an argument, he palmed his cell and fired off a text to Samantha. He had no plans to leave Rebecca alone. “Mind if I arrange a little company for you? I don’t want you to sit there by yourself going crazy worrying until I get back.”
“What makes you think I’ll do that?”
“Because I’ve met you before, remember? It’s me, Brody.”
“Okay, funny man.” She paused, looking resigned. “But you’re probably right. Samantha did say she’d be in town this weekend. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll be available. It would be nice to see her.”
Lucky. There was that word again. “Done. She just texted back to say she’d meet us there in fifteen. Okay if she brings her father?”
“All right by me.”
The extra fifteen minutes it took to drop Rebecca off at Angel’s had Brody’s gut tied in knots. He sure as hell hoped Ryan wasn’t lying in the woods somewhere, helpless. The image didn’t do good things to Brody’s blood pressure. He phoned his friend again. Same result.
Bringing Rebecca into those same woods where they’d been attacked felt all kinds of wrong. No way could he take a chance with her safety. And he had the very real feeling they could’ve been lured into a trap.
* * *
REBECCA HAD DOWNED another full cup of coffee and was feeling much more awake and alert by the time Samantha arrived with her father. Mr. Turner had aged quite a bit since Rebecca had last seen him. His entire head was covered in white and his frame was thinning. The hardware store he owned in town most likely still kept him in shape.
Throwing her arms up, Rebecca waved at the pair. She was greeted with a huge smile from Samantha, but Mr. Turner hesitated. He said something to his daughter, but they were too far away for Rebecca to make it out.
When Samantha pointed at Rebecca and nodded, Mr. Turner looked downright uncomfortable. Not an unusual reaction from people in town, but it reminded Rebecca just what an outcast she was in her own hometown. And as much as she’d love to keep her mother around for many more years, healthy, Rebecca was eager to move back to a bigger town. Chicago had been kind to her. And best of all, no one knew about her past there. She didn’t get those same wide-eyed stares and behind-the-back whispers when people passed by her in the streets as she did in Mason Ridge. Don’t get her wrong, she loved her hometown more than anything, just not some of the baggage that came with it.
Samantha led her reluctant father to the table and plopped down. He did not. “It’s so good to see you, Rebecca. You remember my father.”
“Of course. Mr. Turner, it’s so nice to see you again.” With her mother in long-term care and Rebecca herself living in a rental, she hadn’t had much need to stop by the hardware store. She stood and stuck out her hand.
He obliged, shaking just long enough to be polite.
Rebecca noticed his palm was warm, sweaty. Since when did her presence start making people so nervous? She was used to seeing sadness in everyone’s eyes. Some were upset even and she figured they didn’t want to be reminded of that summer. But nervous? She’d moved into a whole new category. Great.
Maybe she had always made people feel that way and she’d been too trapped inside her own head to notice.
“I’m sorry I can’t join you two,” he started.
“Daddy saw some friends at the counter. He asked if we’d mind if he ate lunch with them.”
“Not at all,” Rebecca said, figuring he didn’t look too sorry. In fact, he looked like he might jump out of his skin if she said, “Boo!”
He scurried off to join a couple of older men seated at the bar stools at the breakfast counter.
When he was out of earshot Samantha leaned in, embarrassment flushing her cheeks, and said, “Honestly, I don’t know what’s wrong with him lately. Getting old, I guess.”
Rebecca figured she had a good handle on his sudden need to eat lunch with someone else, anyone else. The man looked like he’d seen a ghost, which was par for the course for her and another reason she didn’t mind working the graveyard shift. She figured most parents didn’t want to be reminded what could’ve happened to their child instead of Shane. “It’s fine. This will give us a chance to really talk. We’d bore him to death with our conversation, anyway.”
Samantha flashed a grateful look and then summoned the waiter. “I swear he’s starting to get senile. And the man doesn’t sit still anymore.”
“He’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
The waiter interrupted their conversation. Samantha ordered a club sandwich and sweet tea.
“I should have a salad, but I can’t resist the burgers here,” Rebecca confessed. “Looks like I’ll be hitting the gym later.”
“It’s so good to see you. How long has it been?”
Rebecca didn’t want to try to reach back too far. “I know I haven’t seen you since we headed to different colleges.”
“Our ten-year reunion is like next year.” Samantha’s look of horror brought a smile to Rebecca’s face.
“Already? Man, time flies.”
“I somehow got hooked with planning duties. I’m on the attendance committee, which basically means I’m responsible for finding everyone and making sure they show up.”
Rebecca gave a full-body shiver. “Count me out.”
“You have to come. If only to support me,” Samantha said on a laugh.
“Do you stay in touch with Lisa or Melanie?”
“Mostly just Melanie. She moved to Houston after college so we don’t get to see each other as much as we’d like. Lisa’s not too far, though. I’ve run into her a few times at the grocery with Pops. I meant to call her today.”
“I’d love to see both of them again. I work deep nights, so even though I live nearby I never see anyone.” She decided not to share just how on purpose that was. But seeing Samantha was nice. Rebecca hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed having this kind of friendship. Ties that ran deep.
“Melanie never comes back.” Samantha rolled her eyes. “Says her work keeps her too busy and she doesn’t get a lot of vacation time. When she does, she likes to see someplace new.”
That last bit of information came out a little too quickly. Samantha practically stumbled over the words in her rush to explain.
Rebecca had no intention of making anyone else uncomfortable, not on purpose. Most people didn’t want anything to do with her anymore and she understood on some level. They couldn’t help, so they’d wanted to forget. She was just a big old fat reminder of the worst summer in the history of Mason Ridge, of every parent’s worst nightmare. Plus, everyone had known and loved Shane. She couldn’t blame them for not wanting to be reminded of the horrible incident that took him away from them. If it hadn’t happened to her family, she might be able to look the other way, too.
“Okay, you got me. I’ll come to the reunion,” Rebecca said, mostly to redirect the conversation.
“Seriously? You will?” Again, her friend looked grateful for the change of subject.
“If I’m in town.” She wanted to add, and still alive.