RIO HOBBLED THROUGH her first two days at The Loon Feather, stiff as old leather after David took her, Bonnie, and Kate riding following the painting marathon. They had jump standards and rails in rainbows of amazing, bright colors, but Rio only knew that pain was back with a vengeance.
The only thing that gave her pleasure was Kate being in the same world of hurt. Such pettiness also caused guilt since Kate was perfectly nice. It was just that Stella wanted to make sure David remembered how nice.
Tuesday afternoon, once the town regulars were gone and a local book club had settled in with pie—from The Bread Basket across the street—Claudia pulled Rio into Bud’s Booth with a cup of coffee and two cookies.
“What do you think now that a few days are under your belt?” she asked.
“I really like it.” Her reply was honest.
“You’re doing such a good job. Do you think you’re ready to work on your own tomorrow?”
“Do you think I can handle it?”
“I have no doubt. I also have another favor to ask.”
“Sure.”
“This weekend is the Wiener Feed Fund-raiser for the library. The one we’re using the crazy hot dog car for. I’m hoping you might be willing to take a shift selling hot dogs each day. I’ll take one and Karla will take one, but my sister has to watch her youngest granddaughter again.”
“I’m happy to help.”
From the entryway, Lester let out his wolf whistle announcing guests. Rio smiled when she reached the entryway and found Bonnie beside Dawson, with a kid-on-Christmas-morning grin on her face.
“Hi, Rio! We’re here to meet some friends.”
“Hi, Bons. Dawson. Come on in. Still look like rain out there?”
“Yeah. The clouds are getting darker.”
She settled them at the largest table where their friends could join them and took their drink order. She didn’t know if this constituted a date or if they were just early to a group gathering, but she was happier than she’d have believed she could be to see her sister hanging out with a boy.
By the time Rio was ready to leave for the day, a contingent of eight Kennison Falls teens had gathered. They were an innocent-looking bunch and yet typical teens. Bonnie stood out slightly, her complexion one shade darker than the others, her eyes so wide and slightly exotic, but somehow she fit beside Dawson with his thick sable hair and hooded brows like they’d been a planned pair. Bonnie threw back her head and laughed, sucked on her malt straw, and looked happier than Rio had seen her in a long time. For a brief moment the events of the past two weeks seemed worth it. Maybe, if Bonnie got a few tastes of what normal felt like, she’d reach adulthood without too many scars after all.
Rio left to her sister’s surreptitious wave good-bye and Claudia’s wish for luck the next day. Outside, the August heat wave hanging ahead of the coming thunderstorm left beads of sweat on her forehead and between her shoulder blades as she walked to her car a block from The Loon. She had barely unlocked the door when she heard her name—in a shriek that chilled her damp skin.
She turned. Bonnie tore down the sidewalk toward her, hair flying.
“Rio!” she sobbed when she reached the car. “Look. Oh God, he found me.”
She held out her cell phone and Rio read the message.
It’s been a long time, chica, and you haven’t taken time to let me know you miss me. Hope you aren’t finding new boyfriends while we are apart. Text me. Tell me you can’t wait to see me on your doorstep. Your Heco.
“Oh Bonnie.”
Rio’s heart lodged in her throat. She didn’t know why Hector had waited until now to contact Bonnie on her phone. She’d prayed he’d lost her number and Paul had removed it from his phone.
Bonnie threw herself into Rio’s arms. “Don’t let him find us.”
“He doesn’t know where we are, Bons, I promise.”
“I didn’t used to be afraid of him, but now I am.”
“It’s all right if you’re afraid. It keeps you smart. Look, give me your phone for a little while. I’m going to visit the police chief.”
“I don’t want to text him back.”
“Absolutely not.” Rio released her sister. “I want you to forget about Hector for now. You have new good friends, so go on back to them and continue having a good time. You’ll be fine.”
Bonnie straightened and brushed her hands roughly over her stained cheeks.
“I’m sorry I panicked,” she said. “It’s the first he’s used my phone, and it freaked me out.”
“Hey. I’m freaked out, too. I’m worried that he’s using Paul’s phone, but we haven’t actually heard from Paul.”
“I hope he’s okay.”
“He’s fine. He’s just being an idiot.” Or so she hoped. “Look, the police are going to find Hector eventually. Until then, you were right the other night when you said we should just stay here for a while. School starts in a little over two weeks. I’ll find out what it will take to transfer you here.”
“Really? Oh Rio, thank you. I’ve been so worried about going back to South.”
“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to worry.” She took a steadying breath and gave Bonnie an encouraging smile. “Go back. Can Dawson get you home?”
“Yes. If he doesn’t think I’m a complete freak for running out of the restaurant over a text message.”
“He won’t. You’ll figure out what to tell him.”
She got one last hug from her sister, who then headed back to the haven of friends. That’s when Rio began to shake.
“I NEED TO see Chief Hewett,” she said five minutes later to Faith at the station desk, who picked up her phone, spoke a few words, and hung up. “You can go right to his office,” she said. “Down the hall and first door on the left.”
A shiny brass sign left of that door read “Tanner P. Hewett, Chief of Police.” The chief looked up before Rio could knock.
“Good afternoon, Miss Montoya. Come in.”
The contents of a folder were spread across his desk. His blue uniform shirt was neatly pressed, and he wore a tie, although the knot had been pulled six inches from his throat. His spiked, sandy-colored hair was slightly mussed, as if he’d been worrying it.
“What can I do for you?”
She entered his sparse, white-walled office. The edge she’d come to expect in his voice hadn’t surfaced yet. She held out Bonnie’s cell phone. “I wanted to show you a message that just came to my sister.”
He took the phone and studied the message quietly. When he looked up, steel shuttered his eyes.
“Do you have any idea why he’s still threatening her?”
“No. We don’t think it makes sense.”
He sighed. “Is this the only communication you’ve had with him?”
“I got a text last Thursday. He knew the car was taken from the impound lot.”
“And you didn’t think that was important enough to tell me?”
He was right. She’d promised to let him know. “I did, actually. I’m sorry. I should have come in; I’ve just been so busy . . . No.” She met his eyes. “I was . . . nervous. I know you don’t like me.”
“What makes you say that?” He sounded genuinely surprised.
“The warning that you don’t want big city troublemakers like Bonnie and me around has been crystal clear. But I’m sorry. I didn’t come to accuse you of anything. I knew I had to show you the messages. Maybe the Minneapolis police will want to know, too.”
“They will. Believe it or not, we have been in regular contact.”
“Oh. Well, thank you. That’s all I wanted.”
He straightened in his chair and indicated she could sit in one of the two facing his desk. “Will you tell me what was in that last message you received? I’d . . . like to know.”
“Yes, I can show you.”
She handed him her phone and he studied the last several messages. “Have you responded?”
“No. I don’t know how realistic it is for someone to trace cell phone calls, but I don’t think it would be smart to engage him anyway.”
“And you’re absolutely right.”
“I am worried about one thing. Hector’s been using my brother’s cell phone all this time. I assume my brother is fine, but if you ever hear . . .” She hesitated over the awful thoughts in her mind.
“I’m sure if anything had happened to your brother, the police would let us know. My guess is Mr. Black is using the phone hoping you’ll contact Paul.”
“Or he stole it.”
He acknowledged the possibility with a nod. “I know this is your sister’s phone, and she probably won’t want to be without it. But if I could hang on to it for twenty-four hours, I’d like to try and get a subpoena for Mr. Black’s and your brother’s cell phone records.”
“She’ll understand.” Relief spread over Rio’s worry.
“Bear in mind, things don’t happen in real life as quickly as they do on television shows. This isn’t CSI.”
“I live in the heart of the city. I know how long things take with the police.” She had a harder time keeping the bitterness out of her voice this time. For a second he tensed as if he had a retort of his own, but he composed himself.
“I’ll do my best to get this back to you tomorrow.”
“That’s fine. Thank you.”
“Anything else?”
She shook her head.
“I’m glad you brought this to my attention. I’m . . . sorry you’ve felt you couldn’t come to me. I’ll do my best to help locate your brother and Mr. Black.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond. It was almost easier to be wary of the man. “Thanks.”
He paused, then spoke reluctantly, as if he rarely explained himself. “I know you think I don’t understand what’s what around here, but all too often I’ve seen crime seep out from the city and overrun pristine little towns like this one. I didn’t ask to come here, but now that I have, I don’t want to see bad things happen. It’s a nice enough place.”
High praise from the cold chief, Rio thought.
“I’ve been here less time than you have, Chief Hewett, but I already agree with you.”
He nodded and let her walk out the door.
BY 1:30 P.M. on Saturday, JW Kennison Memorial Park, two blocks south of Main Street, looked to be packed with every resident in Kennison Falls. Rio had learned Fallsians loved their community parties, and this cause—money for library books—was dear to them. People missed having a full library building after two years of housing books in a tiny room above the Belly Up, one of the three bars in town.
The Wonder Weenie Mobile held two cooks barely comfortably, and even with an exhaust blower and a small metal industrial fan above the three-foot roller grill, sweat ran down Rio’s spine and plastered her thin bandana to her head. When she leaned out the small window on the side of the giant hot dog to take her next order, the line that had been ceaseless since she’d entered the wiener at 11:00 a.m. had grown so long she couldn’t tell where the end melted into the general crowd.
Her four-hour shift would be done by three, but Bud planned to stay, and she had no idea where he got his stamina. He handled all the grilling and still remained endlessly cheerful and full of jokes and laughter. Bud Jorgenson definitely loved food, loved people, loved his job.
Rio didn’t know many people, but she saw every single one of those she did. Chief Hewett, more cordial than usual, and one of his officers ordered their dogs early. Dewey Mitchell ordered three at once. Jill and Chase showed up with an elderly man who limped slightly and smiled crookedly.
“Rio,” Jill greeted her with genuine affection. “I’d like you to meet Robert McCormick. He owns the farm we moved into last October. He’s kind of our keeper.”
“That’s for ding-dang sure,” the man retorted. “How do you do, Rio? I’ve heard an earful about you.”
“I’m really sorry.” Rio laughed.
“Yah. Well, I’m sorry we couldn’t have you and your little sister at the house. Things still ain’t right, all torn apart. You wouldn’ta liked it much.”
“Thank you, Mr. McCormick. Your offer means a lot even if it didn’t work out.”
The minutes ticked past and Rio moved from being hot toward being liquefied. At last she looked up from handing over an order to see a finite number of people in line. She searched their faces, eagerly looking for the one person she hadn’t seen yet today. She handed out the last rush of hot dogs until, for the first time, the line vanished.
“Holy crap.” She sagged against a curved metal wall.
“Is that what you find in a heavenly toilet?” Bud wiped his forehead with a towel kept for that purpose.
“You are horrid.”
“Thank you. Thank you very much. I’m here all day. How you holding up?”
“I’ve sweat off five pounds. And it’ll probably be a long time till I eat another hot dog.”
“Amen. Well, you might be interested in knowing that we’ve sold about six hundred of the greasy little tube steaks.”
“Really? Wow. That’s three thousand dollars.”
“A job well done, wouldn’t you say? And we have tonight and tomorrow yet.”
“Good afternoon, hot dog maiden. Is this where we can purchase the famous Kennison Falls hot dogs?”
Her lips curved into a grin. David stood at the window, flanked by Kate and Stella.
“I was wondering when the Bridge Creek contingent would show up.”
David grinned back, and for a moment they didn’t say a word. They’d passed all week on the way to jobs, and shared brief conversations at dinner, but there’d been no more surreptitious kisses, as much as Rio wished there’d been. Even had there been time, Kate had turned herself into David’s shadow when she wasn’t comparing paint samples to fabric swatches with Stella.
“Three more, Bud,” Rio called, then turned back. “Did you just get here?”
Kate beamed, grasped David’s upper arm, and drew herself to his side. “It’s my fault, I’m afraid. I heard he was going to ride the cross-country courses this morning so he could check the lines and put up the flags, so I begged him to take me along. We had a lovely ride, but I admit I slowed him down. Even though Tully is a dream, it’s been a while since I’ve jumped. Still, I made it through the water complex.”
The thrill at seeing David sank in a pit of ugly, clawing jealousy. Kate had ridden with him? Ridden Tully, Rio’s horse? Jumped?
The memory of David’s arms around her in that water obstacle swirled through her belly and followed all the other memories into the jealousy pit. This was ridiculous. So she had a crush on David. That didn’t give her private claim to him. And Tully wasn’t any more hers than David was.
“Here you go.” She held the hot dogs out the window.
David disengaged from Kate’s hold and took the dogs. His fingers grazed Rio’s, but this time she turned away from his gaze, embarrassed by her thoughts.
“You look very hot,” he said.
Her mouth twitched in spite of herself. “Thanks. Best line I’ve heard all day.”
He didn’t miss a beat. “You look like you could use a cool swim.”
Even Kate looked askance at that, and Rio flushed to her roots. As far as she could tell, David ignored both reactions.
“Doesn’t sound half-bad,” she managed to say.
“How long does Bud have you trapped in that thing?”
She checked her watch. “Another half hour. Then Claudia comes.”
“We’ll come back for you then?”
Her heart swelled just enough to peek out from the hole of childish envy she’d dug for it. “You don’t have to worry—”
“Not worried,” he said.
“Do you have things to drink back there?” Stella asked. “You look positively wilted.”
“A few bottles of water. A little warm now, but wet.”
“There’s a lemonade booth just back where we entered the park. We’ll go and get you a cold drink so by the time you’re done, you’ll be a little more refreshed.”
She started to protest, but this was Stella being honestly kind, and the thought of something cold and tangy made her mouth water. “I would absolutely love that,” she said. “Bud, would you like a lemonade? I can give you some money,” she said to Stella.
“Nonsense. You’re doing a lovely service to the town. Our treat.”
“I’m good with the water,” Bud said. “Lemonade’s too sweet. But thanks.”
“One lemonade it is,” David said. “Be back in a jiff.”
There was no way Rio could miss how Kate linked her arm through his as they sauntered off. He held his elbow stiffly, but he didn’t remove her hold. Rio swallowed her anger.
Oh brother, she was in deep, pathetic trouble.