Ian swiped and ended the phone call, feeling that now-familiar burning pain in the middle of his chest. It happened every time he talked to his dad recently. Guess today wasn’t an exception. His dad hadn’t made it back to the B&B the night before. Something about a girl who hadn’t come home, and her family said she was missing. They hoped she was a runaway, but they still had to investigate because she wasn’t old enough to leave.
He couldn’t blame the girl if she had run away. More than once, he’d considered it himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t think his father loved him; he did. But he was an inconvenience. Living with his dad caused him trouble at work, because he had to make sure Ian always had someplace to be, somebody to watch him, so he could go to his job. And his dad’s work was important—he caught the bad guys—which was a good thing.
Walking into the sunroom, he plopped down into one of the chairs, slouching down into its cushioned depths. Putting his phone on the arm of the chair, he stared out the window. It wasn’t even noon and it was already hot. Unfortunately, he’d found out that was normal for Texas. Living in Louisiana with his mom, it got hot, but it felt different than here. Sometimes he wished he was back in Shreveport because they’d lived there longer than anyplace else.
Mom, why’d you leave me? I hate it here. Everything’s different. Dad’s cool, but he’s never home, and when he is, he’s always working. We haven’t even moved into the new house, and where’s Dad? At the sheriff’s station instead of with me. I thought it would be different, moving to Shiloh Springs, but it’s not. It’s just a different place to sleep, but nothing else changed.
He lifted his head when he heard a snuffling sound. Glancing out the window, he spotted the dog he’d seen the day before. It was pawing around the firepit. No exactly digging, but making scratching-type movements at the rocks.
Standing from his slouched position, he opened the side door and walked outside. The dog froze when he spotted Ian, his nose in the air. Suddenly, his tail started wagging, a rapid staccato of motion.
“Hey, fella. You came back. Do you live around here?”
Ian cautiously moved closer until he stood a few feet away. Standing still, he waited. He knew enough about dogs to know he needed to be careful, let the dog come to him. One of the boys in his other school had gotten mauled by a dog, and Ian remembered the stitches all over the kid’s arm and shoulder. He’d had to wear a sling for a long time while he healed.
After what seemed a long time, the dog moved forward and sniffed Ian’s hand, tail still wiggling his whole backside. When he stuck his nose against Ian’s hand, he chuckled softly. Slowly squatting down, he wrapped an arm around the dog’s neck, hugging him tightly, while the dog covered his face with kisses.
Suddenly, the dog wriggled away, giving a sharp, loud bark. Ian landed on his backside from the sudden movement, and the dog darted toward the tree line behind the B&B. Scrambling to his feet, Ian called out to the pup, who stopped right at the edge of the yard and turned to look at him. He gave another bark, as though demanding Ian come with him.
“Dog, I can’t. I’m not allowed to leave the yard. Heck, I’m not even supposed to be out here. My dad would kill me if he knew.”
The dog darted back toward Ian, stopping a few feet away. He gave a couple more barks and ran into the tree line. Ian moved closer, curious about what caused the dog to race away. Moving closer to the edge of the backyard, he peered between the canopy of trees, catching sight of the dog, who’d stopped and looked at him, as if encouraging him to follow him.
Ian felt a tugging in his chest, like a string connecting him to the dog. He wished the dog hadn’t run off, because he wanted to play like they had the day before. Watching the black dog carefully, he cast a glance over his shoulder. He then straightened to his full height.
“Dad won’t care. He’s too busy thinking about everybody else. I’m not doing anything wrong. I just want to play with the dog.”
A twinge of guilt shot through him as soon as the words left his mouth. He’d never deliberately disobeyed his dad. But he was tired. Tired of being last on his dad’s list of priorities. Tired of being alone. He didn’t have any real friends. When he’d been with his mom, they’d moved around all the time. Every year, a new school in a new place. Always the new kid in school.
Straightening to his full height, he took a tentative step toward the dog, and then another. The dog gave a happy yip and darted farther into the woods. After one more glance over his shoulder, Ian walked into the woods.
Derrick squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, wondering if this day would ever end. He’d spent most of yesterday and all of today either at the sheriff’s office or out in the field, looking for the missing Jennifer. Except for the short time he’d taken off to pick up his son from Daisy’s, he’d been working.
Guilt rocketed through him at the thought of Ian. What a mess. Here he’d picked up and gotten the second home in Shiloh Springs so he could spend time with his son, away from the job. They hadn’t even moved into the house yet and where was he? Up to his eyeballs with a case.
Daisy’s unspoken disapproval had stung. Not that he blamed her. She understood he couldn’t just turn off his need to help people. It was as ingrained in him as breathing. No, her disapproval hadn’t been personal, she hurt for his son. When he’d gone to pick up Ian and take him back to the B&B, he’d been asleep on her sofa, with a movie playing softly in the background. Daisy had taken pity on him and fed him. He knew that was a part of her, the nurturing soul she possessed. It made her a kind, loving person, and also the perfect choice to run the town’s diner. She cared about the town’s residents and showed that by feeding them and giving them a refuge from life’s struggles.
Glancing at the phone in his hand, he winced at the time. It was almost midafternoon. So far, there hadn’t been any sign of Jennifer. He still felt one of her acquaintances knew where she was because according to her aunt and uncle, she didn’t have any money. Didn’t have a car. Plus, she didn’t know that many people in Shiloh Springs. Two and two didn’t add up to four in this case.
He should call Ian. Check on him. Maybe—
“Hey, Derrick!” He heard Rafe’s voice call down the hall, and he sprang to his feet, meeting the man as he strode from the front of the office. “We’ve got a lead.”
“About bloody time,” he muttered.
“Eliza called her sister, pumping her for information. Jennifer’s mother finally admitted Jennifer has a boyfriend back home that her mother disapproves of and wanted them apart. He’s older than her, and a bad influence. Keeps her out all night, and Mom’s sure he’s giving her drugs. The boyfriend showed up at her mother’s house three days ago, demanding to know where Jennifer was, and she told him to take a hike. Jennifer was out of his reach, and she planned to keep it that way. That same night, when Jennifer’s mother went to work, her place was broken into and ransacked. Might have been a coincidence, but seems a little too convenient if you ask me.”
“You think Jennifer’s boyfriend found something to indicate she was in Shiloh Springs and showed up here?”
“It tracks.”
Derrick rolled the scenario around in his head. Yeah, he could see some love-smitten teenager making his way to Shiloh Springs looking for his girlfriend.
“Anybody checked to see if the boyfriend is still in Jennifer’s hometown?”
“Waiting to hear back from the local police force. What do you wanna bet he’s skipped town and picked up Jennifer?”
“You think they’ve gone out of state?”
Rafe shook his head. “I hope not, because then you’ll definitely be here on official business. Jennifer is underage, and her boyfriend is twenty-two. The family would probably want him charged for kidnapping and transporting across state lines.”
Derrick’s head dropped to his chest. “This mess just keeps getting better and better.” Picking up his phone, he stood. “I need to check in with Ian. He’s mad because I promised I wouldn’t work while we were here getting settled into the new place. I broke that promise. He hasn’t said anything, but I know he’s upset.”
“Dude, I’m sorry. Do you need to go be with him? I can call you—”
“I should stay, at least until you hear back from the boyfriend’s local cops. Let me call him, touch base. I have the feeling I’ll have a lot of groveling to do when this is over.”
Walking out into the hall, Derrick hit the speed dial for his son’s phone, listening to it ring. And ring. When it went to voicemail, he left a short message and disconnected. He’d give it another ten minutes and then call back. Next time, Ian better answer.
Stretching, he continued walking until he stood outside the sheriff’s office. He was tired, weary to his bones. The job in Austin kept him running twenty-four seven recently. Sometimes he wondered if there was anybody in the state who wasn’t doing something illegal.
He glanced up and down Main Street, taking in the quaint, homey feel of the small town. There was something about the place that sank into his soul, making him feel grounded in a way he hadn’t in a long time. This was what he wanted to share with his son. Ian had been shifted around his whole life. His mother hadn’t provided the most stable home life, moving from city to city, and Derrick felt guilty enough over the divorce he hadn’t caused a stink when she hauled their son along with her. He’d gone along with their lawyers’ suggestion for her to have primary custody, since his job entailed a higher degree of danger, and often kept him out of town for days or weeks at a time. It would have been unfair to Ian for him to constantly be shifted from Derrick’s place to his mother’s, and back again. Liberal visitation rights had been negotiated, but it wasn’t the same as having his son with him every day. He’d failed his son on so many levels, and it looked like nothing had changed.
“Williamson, good to see you.”
Derrick started at the voice, recognizing Douglas Boudreau. The older Boudreau was the patriarch of the Boudreau clan, and from everything he’d heard and seen about the older man, his sons pretty much worshipped the ground he walked on.
“Douglas. How’ve you been?”
“Can’t complain. Business is skyrocketing with all the new builds. People all wanting new construction these days instead of renovating existing buildings. Of course, that makes the wife happy, because it’s more properties to list.”
“I talked to Ms. Patti yesterday—or it might have been the day before. We closed on the new house.”
Douglas nodded, and Derrick was sure his wife had filled him in on all the details. One thing he’d learned with dealing with the Boudreaus: Ms. Patti had her finger on the pulse of everything that happened in Shiloh Springs. There wasn’t much that got past her, and she most likely kept her husband in the loop.
“How’s Ian dealing with settling in?”
Derrick drew in a deep breath before answering. “We haven’t moved in yet. There’s a delay in getting the furniture we ordered delivered. We’re staying at the B&B for the next day or so, and then I’ll have to head back to Austin. I’d hoped we’d get things settled, so the next time we came to Shiloh Springs, it would be for an honest-to-goodness vacation.”
“Let me talk to the missus. She’ll get things straightened out in no time.” Douglas clamped his hand on Derrick’s shoulder, his grip solid and brooking no argument. “You here helping Rafe with this missing person case?”
“Yes. Been here pretty much all night. Came out to call and check on Ian. I hated leaving him alone at the B&B. He’s not happy I’m working. I promised I wouldn’t since we were getting settled in the new house. I have the feeling I’m in the doghouse as far as my son’s concerned.”
Douglas didn’t speak for the longest time, long enough he wondered if their conversation was finished. He’d had dealings with the Boudreaus for a year now, ever since Antonio had started working at the FBI Austin office. They’d dealt with several overlapping cases, in addition to developing a friendship with all the Boudreaus. Through that time, he’d learned that Douglas was a man of few words. Stoic and solid as the Rock of Gibraltar, the man dispensed a wealth of knowledge few could match. An understanding of right and wrong that went bone deep, Derrick would want Douglas at his side in a firefight every time.
“Keeping our word is tantamount, especially with our children. There are times when life collides with our desires. Especially when the welfare and possibly a life is on the line, like with this missing person case. Ian’s a good lad, he’ll understand and forgive you. Might not be immediate, because boys, especially preteen ones, can hold onto a grudge like you wouldn’t believe.” Douglas chuckled, then added, “Antonio is a perfect example. That boy was like a bulldog with a rope. He could hold onto the smallest slight for hours, sometimes days. But he was a thinker, and he’d look at every side, every angle, every excuse, and weigh each. He’d finally come around, accept the apology of whoever offended him, and then it was forgotten like it never happened.”
“Ian’s a good kid, but he’s still adjusting to living with me full time. His entire life’s been disrupted, with his mother heading for parts unknown. She’s only called once since she left. I hope eventually she’ll get her head screwed on straight, but in the meantime, he’s dealing with a new home, a new school, and trying to come to terms with a father who’s in his life twenty-four seven. It’s a lot for a nine-year-old to have to deal with.”
Douglas nodded and pointed toward the phone still in Derrick’s hand. “Give him a call. See if he wants to spend the day at the ranch. I can have Dane pick him up. My wife’s sticking close to the Big House today, rallying the troops. Making sure the Boatwrights have everything they need, and that somebody’s there with them until the girl’s found.”
“Thanks, Douglas. I’ll ask him. At least at the ranch, he’d have things to keep him occupied other than video games. I swear, between the ones on his phone and the ones on his Nintendo, I rarely see his face.”
Douglas’ chuckle clearly showed he understood where Derrick was coming from. Then again, he’d raised eleven boys, so he probably did.
“Well, just let me know, and I’ll make the arrangements. Now, I’m going to head in and talk to Rafe. Figured if he’s going to set up a search party, I’d volunteer able bodies from the construction crews.”
“That’s a great idea. He’s got Dusty, Jeb, and some locals already checking sites, but we might have to extend this into a larger search.”
“Let me talk to him; you talk to your son.”
Douglas turned and walked into the sheriff’s office, and Derrick heard Sally Anne greet him warmly. This was another thing he liked about Shiloh Springs. People were genuinely friends, generous souls, who’d go out of their way to help. While there were good people in the big city, there wasn’t the sense of connection he felt here. If his job didn’t keep him in Austin, he’d probably move here full time. Unfortunately, chances of that were slim to none.
Taking a deep breath, he hit dial and waited.