Mattie swallowed hard and reached for Rainbow’s hand. Her friend had taken the words right out of her mouth. “I need to check in with Brody.”
She went to Brody’s office and rapped on the door before peeking inside. When she saw he was on the phone, she started to withdraw, but he beckoned her to enter. She stood at the doorway until he waved toward one of the two hard-plastic chairs that sat in front of his desk, indicating that she should take a seat. As she listened, she gathered he was still trying to track down Burt Banks.
“Give me a call if he shows up, will you?” he said to the person on the other end of the line. His frustration was apparent when he ended his conversation. “I couldn’t find Banks at the Hornet’s Nest, so I’ve tried every other bar in Hightower and in town. He’s not at any of them.”
Mattie sat on the edge of her chair. “What do you make of that?”
The furrow in his brow grew deeper as he stared at her, evidently mulling her question. “It’s suspicious as hell.”
She nodded. “I’m going to comb the streets with Robo. Check around the Banks place, go up and down the alleys. We’ll cover as much ground as we can before we head out to the Waverly ranch.”
She told him about Jim Madsen bringing a bloodhound in to help.
“What are the chances of the dog being able to follow a scent trail down a highway like that?” Brody asked.
“Slim, but it’s worth a try.”
“It’ll be dark when he gets here.”
“There’ll be less traffic on the highway then, and I’ll have to light his way from behind. We can’t afford to wait. The scent trail will decay more every hour.”
“I’ll plan to light up the road in front of him,” Brody said. “If he works between us, we can keep him safe from oncoming traffic.”
“Good plan. He’s supposed to call when he’s about ten miles out. I’ll contact you then. Let me know if you locate Banks, okay?”
“Will do.” Brody gave Mattie a hard look. “I know this kid means something to you. Stay strong.”
His words surprised her. “Always.” She added something that probably could go without saying: “We can’t lose sight of finding Candace’s killer, either.”
Brody nodded. “I think we’re dealing with the same person. Finding Sophie Walker could lead us to our killer. You know that, right?”
“I do.” It was what she’d feared from the moment she heard Sophie was missing.
He gave her a brief nod of dismissal.
As she passed through the lobby, she called Robo to come, and he scurried toward the door to follow her outside. She loaded him up and then drove toward the west side of town. A headache had started at the base of her skull. She circled her head, making the bones in her neck pop.
After parking the car, she slipped from the driver’s seat and went to the back to retrieve a pair of white cross-trainers from a bin that held her supplies. Robo hovered behind her, brushing against her as she braced herself on his compartment floor to change her shoes. She began to chat him up, letting him know there was more work to do, and he looked eager to go.
“Let’s find Sophie.” Taking out the bag that held the scent article, she lowered it to his nose. He barely took a whiff. She wondered if the word “Sophie” and the child’s scent were locked together now in his memory. She wouldn’t doubt it. Stuffing the plastic bag that held Sophie’s T-shirt back inside the pocket on her belt, she hurried to direct him toward the Banks house, giving him the search command.
She led Robo in a sweep of the yard. Since there was no backyard fence, she circled the house, going back to the alley and around. Nothing. No hits. Disappointed, she let him go where he wanted as he continued to search, alternating nose to the ground and then to the air as he tried to catch the desired scent. He trotted down the street, and she played out the leash to the very end, giving him the freedom to move wherever he desired as she jogged behind.
We’ll search this whole damn town if we have to.
Mrs. Gibbs set a plate of thick ham sandwiches on the kitchen table. “Would you like another cup of coffee, Sheriff?” she asked, waving the pot that she’d brought with her.
“I’d better cut myself off,” he said.
“Dr. Walker?” Mrs. Gibbs offered the pot to him.
His stomach lurched. “No, thanks.” He drew a breath and got up from the table. Although he typically loved the way Mrs. Gibbs fixed sandwiches, slathering plenty of mayonnaise on thick slices of meat, the smoky scent of the ham made him queasy.
At the sheriff’s insistence, Cole had called his parents. Thankfully, he’d reached his dad and didn’t have to talk to his mom. Although his dad offered to come over to sit with him—something he was certain the sheriff had hoped for—Cole had declined. His mother was difficult to be around in the best of times, and he didn’t have it in him to endure her judgmental observations. He’d asked his parents to help with the volunteer search instead.
He’d also contacted his sister, Jessie, and when she insisted she was going to come from Denver, he didn’t turn her down. He expected her to arrive sometime in the next few hours, and he hoped she could help him with Angela. His eldest was terrified that her sister had been killed, and his own terror—plus the fact that guilt was riding him hard—hampered his ability to reassure her. Mrs. Gibbs had ended up soothing her with a cup of chamomile tea and a suggestion for her to call a friend for support. She’d been upstairs in her room for a while now.
His cell phone rang, and he checked caller ID. It was Tess. Earlier, they’d forwarded the clinic line to her phone, and she was screening calls. He couldn’t deal with talking to clients right now, and he was grateful for her help. He connected the call.
“Any word?” Tess asked.
“No.”
“I’ve had two more calls from Gus Tilley. I’ve been able to answer his questions about his animals, but he seems anxious to talk directly to you. I’ve put him off but wanted to warn you that he might show up on your doorstep.”
“Does he have an emergency?”
“No. Just follow-up questions about Dodger and his horse, Lucy. Actually, he’s repeating the same questions over and over. Something’s not right about him, Cole. He’s acting odd.”
Cole felt a wave of irritation; he didn’t have the reserves to worry about a client. It was dark outside, and Sophie was still missing. His head felt like it was going to explode. He brushed his fingers through his hair and kneaded his scalp.
As if sensing that his silence meant he was at his wit’s end, Tess went on. “I know you can’t deal with him right now, so I’ll try to keep him pacified. I just wanted you to know what was going on.”
“Thanks, Tess. I appreciate that.”
“Tom and I are finishing up our route in the search. We’re heading back into Timber Creek to check in at the sheriff’s station. Is there anything else I can do to help? Do you want me to come over?”
“No, but if you can keep screening calls, I’d be forever grateful.”
“Of course. I plan to keep taking calls tonight. But will you contact me if you hear anything at all about Sophie?”
“You’ll be first on my list.”
“And call me anytime if there’s something more I can do.”
He sensed she was battling her own anxiety. She’d grown close to both of his kids since they’d been helping out at the clinic. Cole agreed that he would.
Detective Stella LoSasso had come in while he was on the phone, and after he disconnected, she ended her quiet conversation with the sheriff. “I need to speak with you, Dr. Walker,” she said.